(NOTE: Wow, I’m truly humbled by all of the great comments and recommendations you’ve all given me about this article. Luna and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts, the heart of our bottoms, and our scruffled tummies.
I’ve responded in depth to many of your comments, especially regarding the suggestion of requiring additional proof of one’s eligibility for a service animal, or proof of certification. Similar to Voter Id Laws, I truly believe this is not the type of extra proof that promotes equality.
Interesting note: 80% of those who have service animals and responded to the poll below indicated that they have faced discrimination because of their service animal. -Warmly, Woof)
Luna gets her Junior Park Ranger award after I help her fill out the forms.I recently did about three months of traveling in the south and southwest along with my service animal, Luna. She’s a Great Dane that is trained in balance and stability. With her help, I was able to navigate more of the park trails even though I was only taking the “easy” trails. Along the way she decided she wanted to become a Junior Park Ranger so we filled in all the application booklets and she started collecting her Park Ranger Badges.
It was actual quite a joy to see the acceptance of her presence all over the southwest of this country. From California to Arizona she was accepted everywhere with me. Oh wait, that’s only two states isn’t it? Well, the acceptance was good while it lasted, and for the most part even in these “other” states she was usually accepted, admired, and admitted along with my exhausted, clumsy self.
I began having problems with the acceptance of my ADA defined Service Animal in Truth or Consequences New Mexico. My sister from another mother is retired there and when I arrived for a visit she insisted that I soak in many of the natural hot spring spas all over the city.
I must say that overall, in almost every state I visited we were welcomed in the vast majority of places. Indian Springs Hot Springs on Austin Street was decidedly NOT one of those accepting places. The hot springs in TorC are wonderful places to soak, relax and heal the body. They mostly consist of small rooms with a personal deep pool naturally filled from the geothermally heated artesian waters below the city. Luna is well trained and will dutifully lie down and relax near the door as I soak for my allotted time in the hot healing waters.
The proprietor of Indian Springs didn’t seem to be up on his Americans with Disabilities law. He met me in the parking lot as he watched Luna and I approach his establishment with a decidedly uncordial, “You can’t bring that dog in here”. I’m a patient, Zen kind of guy and I calmly tried to explain to the proprietor that this was indeed a “Service Animal” and was accorded certain privileges not normally given to the average dog, including the “right” to accompany her disabled companion into any public establishment. I attempted to present her picture identification and a card defining the ADA laws for Service Animal acceptance. His continued refusal was adamant.
Luna watching the river flow while I soak in the private hot spring behind her.Truth or Consequences (TorC) is a very small town if you look it up on Google Maps, so it didn’t take me long to locate the local Sherrif’s department to attempt to lodge a complaint against the establishment. I guess they were also a bit too small to care about Federal Law, as the Sherrif’s deputy couldn’t find the time or an officer to help me enforce my disability rights. Ah well, there were plenty of other, nicer establishments that did understand and welcome Luna and me. Here’s a picture of Luna looking out over the river while I soak in the hot springs of a kinder establishment.
The next state in my travels is my childhood home state of Louisiana. New Orleans is one of my favorite cities in the world. It’s old world charm and culture speak to me in a spiritual and cultural way that no other city in the United States can do. That being said, enough is enough, I’m giving up. I'm leaving New Orleans and the state of Louisiana to the conservative Republicans and the backward thinking people that are all too frequently employed there.
I'm ready to head back to the more progressive west coast and leave this forsaken town behind.
Subway Sandwiches, Kenner, Louisiana:
"Sir, you can't have a pet in the store" "this isn't a pet, it's a service dog" "sorry sir, you can't have a pet in the store" "can you see the vest and the ID card? She's not a pet, she's a service animal"
Cafe Du Monde, french quarter, New Orleans:
GRACIOUSLY accepts my service dog and me on multiple occasions, thank you Cafe Du Monde, you will always be one of my favorite New Orleans establishments.
Clover Grill, french quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana:
...is annoyed that I've brought in a service animal int their tiny establishment but tries to not show it too much. Probably because it's such a small restaurant.
Parking enforcement, city of New Orleans: Tickets my car for parking meter violation. I've never been in a state that enforces any time limit on a disabled person's vehicle. (I contest the ticket and win, ticket dismissed.)
I park on a small street in a legal parking zone. I now understand archaic Louisiana disabled parking procedures and put a small nickel in the meter and put the parking slip on my dashboard for 3 hours of parking instead of posted limit of 2 hours. I return to find my car TOWED. That's right the city TOWED MY FREAKING, HANDICAPPED PLATED, HANG TAG DISPLAYED, DISABLED FREAKING PERSON'S CAR, leaving me and my service animal stranded in the french quarter.
There are no signs on this block indicating that there's street sweeping from 8 till noon, and who the hell tows a disabled person's car in the first place??? So now I have to find the impound lot to retrieve my car. Oh wait, I'll just hail a cab:
First cabbie: "I don't allow dogs in my cab", but wait it's a service.... he drives off. Second cabbie: "sorry, no dogs", but wait.... drives off Third cabbie is Joel Irons of Elk's Elite Cab Service: "I don't take dogs in my cab" "But this is a service animal sir" "I don't care, I don't take dogs in my cab" "You do realize sir, that you are breaking federal, state, and city law by refusing me a ride?" "You have to muzzle the dog then" "I don't carry a muzzle sir, this is a service dog, they don't wear the vest and ID if they are aggressive. You are REQUIRED to give me a ride" "You mean that dog is a seeing eye dog for the blind?" "Similar sir, but not exactly the same" "So you want me to take a blind guy and his dog to the impound lot to pick up a car that you can't drive? I'm not taking your fare"
Thank you, Joel, for pausing long enough for me to snap pictures of your cab. Since no one will give me a ride, my service dog and I, have to walk almost two miles to the city impound lot to retrieve my car. While on the way I pass the police station, so I wander inside to press charges against Joel Irons, cabbie. They transfer me to the Taxi Cab Enforcement Bureau who takes my report and evidence and assures me that they will sanction Joel Irons, cabbie, and that yes indeed it is illegal for him to refuse to give me a ride. It breaks federal, city and state laws. “No sir, you won't even have to be present to testify, your written affidavit will suffice.”
I continue my long walk to the impound lot. When I get there I'm told that I have to cross the street to the locked lot and retrieve my vehicle registration from my car.
"Hello nice impound lot lady" "You can't bring 'that animal' in." "She's a fully compliant service animal, wearing a vest and ID card." "You can't bring the animal into the lot. You have to chain her outside the fence" "I'm not chaining my legal service animal to a fence. Please call your supervisor." (She doesn't call anyone, just stares me down) "Okay, I'll call them for you then."
I dial 911 and explain to them that I'm illegally being detained from accessing my vehicle at the city impound lot and could they please send over an officer. When I finish with this call I just say
"Screw this I'm going to my car, with my service dog, since I know it's legal, and you can just try and stop me." and I begin walking toward my car...
Now no longer nice impound lot lady, well she was she ever nice, is now screaming at my backside and blowing the horn of her official vehicle. I walk unmolested to my car and get my registration papers. On the walk back I'm accompanied by a very nice sheriff's deputy who assures me that lot lady is indeed in the wrong.
Maintaining a strong smile and intense eye contact with lot lady, we pause while sheriff's deputy chastises lot lady and explains federal, state, and city law to her.
"Sorry to trouble you madam." I say, "glad to have helped in your legal education madam, have a really nice day"
I now have to pay $190 to un-impound my car. To get my money back, I have to once again contest it at parking enforcement HQ. So now I have to print my photo evidence and go back to court tomorrow.
Then you know what? I give up on you New Orleans. I'm leaving you. I'd like to say it's been nice, but it hasn't. I think it's time to start heading back to the more progressive and well-informed southwest and west coast.
My thanks to ALL of the kind establishments that DID treat us graciously. Many hotels, restaurants, casinos, stores, and flea markets in the lovely Old World City of New Orleans. And to the others? Fuck you! Sincerely, Craig Braquet.