Taxi driver ordered to pay e12,000 to blind couple after refusing lift over guide dog

Bad day to be a taxi driver allergic to dogs so

Dongo but dogs no :L

I am going to say 99% this a cultural issue this guy refuses to address

Religious reasons , violent stray dogs and rabies have some parts of the world with a terrible relationship with dogs. Europe is kinda an anomoly because we culled entire street dog populations and brought clear regulations in for dog owners.

Thats context for understanding and dialogue, but as dog owner, like many things, if you move somewhere, you’re not in your cultural world anymore, adapt at best or at least tolerate. Erasing years of fear over night might be hard, but also, easy not putting yourself in position where you are in a country where people like dogs and on top of this, you take a job where are required to take guide dogs

Also, sad, because stories like this give foreign taxi men a bad name , when most are dead sound

This is crazy, we need to put more pressure on Irish businesses to allow dogs. I was refused when going into my local Woodies with my dog and they said no dogs were allowed. I put in a complaint and got a call from a manager around a month later, she was lovely, apologised and said once my dog was trained and under control at all times that I could bring him in. I bring him with me everytime now. If we kick up more shit about the treatment of dogs in this country we will get a lot further with it.

Is there some kind of training for Taxi drivers so they’ll know these things? I kind of feel bad for him. Maybe he’s from a rural area in a developing country, for example, and no one ever told him the difference between a guide dog and a normal dog. 

Also, this is quite large in proportion to his earnings. Imagine if tech companies got fines in similar proportion to their wealth

It’s such bollocks that transport isn’t pet friendly here, you basically need to own a car if your dog is hurt or sick or old and you need to get to the vet – buses are a roll of the dice whether the driver will let them on or not and staying along the dart line is very limiting. We were out with our dog last year when my wife tripped and injured herself, I was going to have to send her ahead and walk home with the dog but we ended up hailing a very sound taxi man who let him in on my lap, but that was just lucky.

London has uber pet, so at least you know the person you’re getting is ok with dogs. No idea why there isn’t an equivalent here.

A lot of drivers don’t want dog hairs in their cars. Don’t come for me. Dog owner and working 20 years in the Taxi Industry!!

I’m not siding with anyone and I have no doubt about couples claim but do guide dog owners need legally provide any documents to business that a dog is really a guide dog?

I know in US people are taking a piss and slap a guide dog harness on any dog.