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How is it that "stop throwing things at my service dog" is so hard to understand?!

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anonymous

MyPTSD Pro
So I was walking to work today...

And I love this job. I supervise a great team. People know I have a service dog, they don't know or ask why, and they leave the dog alone and talk to me like a person.

On my way there this morning, walking with my service dog at my side, a bus stops at an intersection near me. The doors of the bus are open. This seems strange and I slow down a little. Next thing I know, I'm being pelted with small hard things.

Confused and alarmed, I go into fight or flight mode and find cover behind a wall. My dog alerts and goes into protective mode.

The bus driver then comes to the doorway and yells that it's treats for my service dog, and I should go find them in the bushes.

I tell him, "Stop, I need to go to work..." he throws more. He keeps saying, "But she likes them."

I yell back, "Stop, the dog is working. Stop..."

A whole stopped bus of people watching, and others on the sidewalk.

I wanted to find them and throw them back at his sorry ass. I did not. He finally drove off.

I regrouped, fought back humiliation and tears, tried to find my courage... Five minutes after he finally drives off... I called the city bus service and filed a grievance. I'm debating pressing criminal charges - I did confirm this is an act that is a crime under three separate criminal codes in my state in the US. The bus has video, so his behavior is most likely on tape and can be pulled. It's an easy case to prove he stopped a bus route to throw things to distract and screw up a service dog. Is this harassment of me too? I don't know. I asked him to stop. He did not.

I mean, it's nice he loves my dog but there is a line and this was waaaaaay over it. I told him to stop it.

Would you seek criminal charges? I've asked him before no treats for the dog. He just escalated to throwing them to me on the street and demanding I find them.

A**hole.
 
As a person who excitedly wishes to greet animals everywhere I go, and I used to want to approach the service animals, too, until I learned to respect the working dogs and the jobs they do by working alongside some in the rehab arena. Service dog etiquette seems like it would be common sense, but it isn't.

I certainly never did it purposely to try to stress the owners out or with any ill intent in mind at all. I personally wouldn't press charges, but I'd definitely use it as an opportunity to educate.

Perhaps link them up with a local service who trains service dogs to give a workshop to heighten bus drivers' awareness, or something along those lines, unless you're up for being the one to teach them.

Many things that feel like they're done from a place of ill intent are mostly done from a place of unknown blind ignorance, and many folks will remain blind until someone shows them the fine print.
 
This is the debate for me. I don't think it was malicious... sort of... I respect the value of not having him go through hell in the legal system for a mistake... if there is another way to make sure he knows.

After speaking to the bus company, I'm not sure there is another way.

Here's the other side:

He's already trained by the bus service to leave service dogs alone all the time because of the consequences to distract one. He already has been educated on these issues. The bus commonly got sued by the dept of Justice 5 years ago so they really train their drivers now...

Extensively.

My dog could have followed his "find it" commands and pulled me into the street at the super busy intersection. (My dog is not only a PTSD dog but mitigates another disability which will remain private.)

He is trained to keep the doors closed and not stop a route. He did so anyhow and held up traffic at a super busy intersection. For five minutes.

I told him to stop. He heard me say stop. He objected. "But she likes them." I was tearfully begging him to stop. He would not. He kept going, demanding I find them. I explained I have to go to work.

He did not stop. He demanded I find his treats for his enjoyment.

What even is that?

What nice person keeps throwing sh*t at a tearful disabled person begging them to stop and continues to demand they find the treats? I get wanting to pet a dog... until someone says no.

I don't get *that.* When does no get to mean no?

Sure, make a mistake and when I say stop, just stop, and I'll brush it off.

But this?

He's already been educated to leave them alone. How many times does someone have to tell him don't do this until it's time to use the law to make it clear? You have to stop when people say stop...

That's the part that gets me. I said no.

Also, being pelted so hard triggered a flood of flashbacks and I had to call in sick to work and someone else had to teach for me. So I'm pissed. Trying to pull myself together to go in for a half day.
 
Today isn't "Let's f*ck with disabled people day!" ??? :O_o: There go my plans for taking the air horn to the school for the blind. Damn it.

Service dog aside, who the hell throws things at disabled people?

VestedDog = as visible as a chair or white cane.

Raise hell.
 
Well that's a bit more detail to ponder. Yeah, he sounds like an asshole. Do what feels right in your heart once the emotional tsunami clears a bit. Perhaps write down the details while it's all still fresh to have on hand in case you do decide to press charges. If you don't, then burn them and let it go up in smoke. Take good care of you in the meantime.
 
Sue them for stress and demand he is either fired or relocated to a place where he does not interact with customers. They have an employee who made a mistake (people are human), was offered training and did not learn. If they keep him as an employee they are facing negligence retention suit the next time he does it.

He was damn lucky the person he pulled this stunt with was someone who could maintain composure and control. Someone who had the ability to stay calm. If it had been me this would probably have had a completely different ending and would have been all over the evening news. "Service dog handler loses her freaking mind and assaults bus driver after attack on service dog".

What can I say. I have issues :banghead:. And someone throwing stuff at my dog and then being aggressive towards me? Uhmm. No.

However.....
I also agree with @Tornadic Thoughts that education should be the go to whenever possible and I try to be really good about answering questions about my dog. I also agree that writing it down and taking a step back before you decide what you want is a good plan.

It really comes down to what will help you feel better about the situation. Big media frenzy? Major ADA lawsuit? Have driver follow you around for a day and see it from your side? Agree to let them handle it internally and walk away? You have a ton of options. Choose the one that will bring the least stress to your life
 
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