Disabled vet sues McDonald's for $10M in service dog incident

The veteran -- who inspired Sen. Al Franken's first legislative victory -- says he was harassed, beaten, and told that he couldn't take his service dog inside the fast food restaurant in New York City. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

Comments

[Pop]

Poor guy. He deserves a break.

Why would he want to eat at a restaurant that was closed for health code violations? And why would people beat him with plastic garbage can lids? It all sounds kind of fishy.

[Phranqlin]

He's lucky he didn't go to a Korean restaurant -- they would have wokked his dog.

[sometimesilie]

My favorite quote from the comments section attached to the story:

"It is sad when a person does have a disability which restricts that person access to many things, restaurants included, and if the owner of an establishment posts a sign; “No pets or animals allowed” that should be it, the government has no business getting involved. I for one would not eat at a place that has slobbering animals roaming around,"

I make the contention that this gentleman posters' assertion is the height of irony given the large number of (human) animals already 'roaming around' any given McDonald's fine dining institution. It appeals to my sense of the absurd. Well played sir, well played.

[Sheila]

LOL@Phranqlin.

[johnjohn]

I must say, I am surprised at the nasty tone of the comments directed toward the Capt. I would have thought that those who hate Al Franken would tend to be super-patriot supporters of a disabled vet.

[KDP]

I travel about once a year to Europe and in France I see dogs all the time in cafes. No one gives them a second glance.

I have no problem with a well behaved dog in a fast-food place or restaurant. It's usually the rugrats who pose a problem.

[Torgo]

He was expetcting good service from a McDonnalds? In New York City?

The only animals they would let in are either rats or roaches. He needs a trained service roach.

[Worker]

Pop, I believe you are right: something's fishy. I sincerely doubt that there would be McDonalds employees hanging out outside a closed restaraunt who would beat him with plastic trash can lids?

Think about it: A) A closed restaruant has no employees. B) Why did the employees happen to have trashcan lids in the front of the restaraunt? C) Why did they have trash can lids at all, when McDonalds have dumpsters. D) Why did he even want to go to McDonalds that badly?

[chris (no longer n cali)]

Allow me to be the first to say "if its true" what a bunch of douche bags..

[LimeGreenLizard]

@ Worker

A) Before and after a restaurant is open for business, there are employees there. B) The employees were taking the trash out. C) The trash inside is in plastic trash cans. D) Probably to continue to prove his point that his service dog is allowed.

[RevJSH]

I dont know exactly what happened here, but I have experienced situations when I worked in the service industry where wheelies were intentional dicks because they knew they could get away with it. I was also often asked by management to provide "extra-special customer service" to many of these individuals.

[LimeGreenLizard]

To speak to the issue of “if” the incident happened, it doesn’t say if police were called, charges filed, a report taken, etc. And I have to wonder why his dog didn’t defend him. Then again, Golden Retrievers are fairly docile, and assistance dogs are highly trained.

Still.

[American Veteran]

"A spokeswoman for McDonald's USA said the matter is under investigation and that the company could not comment further."

Translation;
"We haven't yet been told by our ambulance chasing shyster how to bullshit our way out of this."

BTW--MUG SHOT

[sometimesilie]

Didn't think about that one LGL.

My dog would have attempted a mauling but on the flip side, as a 'service dog' he'd probably get us both killed within the first 24 hours or less. I serve as his service animal.

[sometimesilie]

LOL @ the muggie, AV but I was expecting the Hamburglar.
Robblerobblerobble.

[behindbj]

I find his story to be a bit....off. A few of things:

1. Per the ADA, "If you are not certain that an animal is a service animal, you may ask the person who has the animal if it is a service animal required because of a disability." The first time he went in, he was asked, he answered, they gave him his food. And I have a difficult time believing that this is the first time anyone has glared at him in NYC. Or maybe that's just my experience in NYC...Of course, when I catch people staring and glaring, I must give them something to look at.

2. The second time he went, he was questioned by a DIFFERENT manager, he answered, he got his food.

3. The third time he went, THE PLACE WAS CLOSED. What was he taking pictures of?

4. If you look him up and check out his other work, he appears to be just fine galivanting around without his dog. While I have not been a sufferer of PTSD (thank god...), I'm just asking about it.

He reminds of me of an absolute tool I know who pulled this kind of garbage because he was in a wheelchair - so people bent over backwards to get him what he wanted. I knew him before his accident - he was a tool then, too.

I have seen friends (and strangers) with legitimate disabilities (not saying that this guy doesn't, just making a point here) suffer because "Foo-Foo" just has be let in because she's a "service dog." Really? You mean the six-pound rat-like critter sticking out of your purse?

The ADA does not say that you cannot be questioned. My friend with the "diabetic service dog" (it can tell when he's going to crash - it's almost creepy...) is asked all the time. And you know what - he answers, and we go on our way. It's the same as when they do handicapped parking placard sweeps. I have yet to see someone I know who legitimately has one get all bent out of shape.

I guess I'm saying that I need to know more.

[Me]

McDonalds is staffed and managed by idiots. I wonder if the corporation can distance itself from the independant franchise owner. Their stores here in Detroit can be shocking. The one near where I work is full of beggars who will interrupt customers who are eating with no interference from staff. And it's filthy. Another one, a showpiece restaurant in midtown they spent a lot of money building, lets the homeless sleep in teh booths. One closer to my home was so disgusting that they tore it down and built a new one across the street. Easier than a good cleaning or maintenance, I suppose. I think those stores are money machines. They don't care. People will always buy their crap because it's convenient and, although not good, it's consistent. The one closest to my home had "breakfast only" afte 2AM until recently. Seriously, who wants their breakfast at 2AM, or at anytime for that matter. That's got to be a huge profit maker> What's a Egg McMuffin go for? $3.50? A dozen eggs are less than $2 retail, English muffins have to be almost free in bulk. The owner got greedy but didn't allow for the fact that nobody wants that crap at any hour.

I sent a complaint to the corporation about the condition of the store near where I work. They just referred it to the owner: the same person who allows homeless to take it over, didn't fix the shake machine for months, and is allowing the siding and trim to fall off the building. Yeah, I can see a McDonalds store doing something like this.

[lynn]

where i live the local macd's allows service animals(any newbies must show the animal's card as proof of service and up dated shots).

there is one golden lab that works with a blind gentleman. the dog is quiet and clean and sits under the table out of tail's harm. the man is nice and if any kids come up to pet the dog, he lets them and tells the kids what 'socrates' does for him.

maybe this man is really a jerk and last time i checked jerkness was not a disability.

[opinionated]

The incident with the service dog, doesn't really make sense to me, according to the article in the paper, he uses his service dog to calm him down. What can assure everyone that when he came into the restaurant he wasn't experiencing one of his attacks, that he has the service dog for. He could have been making trouble at the restaurant when he was asked to leave.

[Sharon/BabyBoomerQueen]

I would rather eat where a service dog was than a rug rat with a dirty diaper full of baby poop...and people sit their kids dirty butts on counters at fast food restaurants all the time.

I have seen in the backs of some restaurants and have seen some employees that were dirtier than a service dog.

This restaurant was not a bowl of cherries according to their health report.

Sharon
~The Baby Boomer Queen~

[Harold Richards]

$10-million is not enough compensation, especially with a company that grosses that in one day. McDonalds should have to provide $1,000 to each disabled veteran in coupons and a letter of apology for their actions. The CEO, and all management of the company whom came in contact with this matter should all step down immediately.

What would actually be justice would be for the employees of this restaurant to be deported to Iraq. Let's see how they like freedom in that country.

The sad thing is, $10-million is just the cost of doing business to McDonalds. They still don't get it.

[sister has a dog]

My sister has a helper dog so she can walk,,, she has been refused entry to several establishments,,,,,,, called the police on one restaurant owner,,, the police told the owner if they did not let my sister in with the dog they would arrest the owner right then and there,,,, It is a federal law that these animals are allowed in ANY public place or FEDERAL,,,STATE establishment. Failure to follow the law can result in arrest, jail and or a fine

[Carol]

Couldn't they see that man really needed the dog or were they blind themselves.

They are supposed to care about all their customers no matter who they are aren't they not?

[Trash Company Evans]

Oh my, is this true? it's terrible.. :(