Things I love (by which I mean hate)

[trouble]

A post about the horrors of small businesses being required to follow laws that ends with "More money for the parasites." Oh, the law they're talking about is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

I am linking because it's wrong to just not link it, but I recommend not reading it because it's seriously enraging

Comments

[mariness]

I realize that I am responding to the least important part of this article, but...

....seriously, how often does the issue of snake companion animals even come up?

The rest is equally eye rolling, I grant you, and if larger disabled friendly bathrooms are so awful, I kinda wonder why I keep seeing so many people who aren't wheelchair users (who may, granted, have invisible disabilities that I'm not aware of) using them.

[jackandahat]

I wondered about that one - if it was a case of someone being ridiculously over the top and pulling out the oddest thing they could find, or if someone honestly had a snake. Although... I know someone who's service dog keeps people away from her when needs be, I imagine a snake could be really good at that!

[mariness]

What's weird is I can easily think of a service animal debate that could actually come up in real life -- "The ADA law requires me to allow service animals, but I'm allergic to dogs!"

But snakes? I mean, ok, I'm sure some people have snakes as companion animals, but to act as if this is a commonplace sort of thing - well, I'm going with ridiculously over the top.

[jackandahat]

That has come up, it involved a home-run b&b type place. Which... gets incredibly complicated, because you *are* effectively chasing someone out of their own home. (On the other hand, you could argue he shouldn't have opened up his home if he didn't want "everyone", so... it gets ugly and messy).

But yeah - the thing is, them providing real examples wouldn't allow them to complain about the roving band of cripples just looking to catch some guy with his mirror an inch too high...

[mariness]

That's the thing. You just responded with an actual example of a b&b, just in responding to a comment on someone's blog post. Since you knew that offhand, I'm assuming that there's got to be some article or something out there about this. (Come to think of it, it's triggering a very dim memory in my own head.) So, google a bit, and come up with the actual story.

Or at least tell me about the hordes of people dragging snakes into public businesses.

Of course, if he started attacking dogs, well, dogs are cute and loveable and at least where I live all of the service dogs wear clear little harnesses or vests showing that they are service animals. Snakes....not so high on the cute factor.

[jackandahat]

Yeah - it was all over a lot of news, because it was such a complicated issue - there were people getting very vicious on both sides, as always happens. I don't remember details, though I'm sure I could google it if I was using it in a real argument - like, say, writing an article.

We actually did have a guy who used to bring snakes to the pub. But he wasn't disabled, he was just a prat.

(Though I have to say, I think snakes are adorable. Would be a bugger to get a service vest on them though. Service tube sock?)

[trouble]

I'm loving the idea of a Service Snake Vest.

[mariness]

And I realize that I should have said service animals there. As I said, I'm sure people have snakes as service animals, but if you're going to be sticking with saying that the ADA is harming you financially, I'm thinking that snakes shouldn't be your focus.

[urocyon]

if you're going to be sticking with saying that the ADA is harming you financially, I'm thinking that snakes shouldn't be your focus.

Still cackling at that one. So true. :)

Some laughter is a relief after trying to read that hideous, hideous article. "More money for the parasites", indeed--guess that author would know. :/

[trouble]

Seriously, it's like a Bingo Card worth of disability hate. I do not GET why people loathe the ADA so much. I mean, I do, but I don't.

[alchemia]

I think he chose snake for "over the top" effect to- I know peopel with service animals that aren't dogs; what I commonly hear/see are:
Rats
Small to medium Parrots
Miniature horses

But guess what...? Its all a moot point. Soon, ONLY dogs (and in very occassional cases, horses) will be protected under ADA. So if you have a bird because you're allergic to fur/dander, or a rat because unlike dogs, they can comfortably sit on your shoulder and feel for muscled spasms, you're SOL.

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/immediate-21147-says-debilitating.html

[trouble]

Holy shit! That's terrible!

[lilacsigil]

I moused over the link to see where it was from, and saw all I needed to see. Seriously, designing your business to be disabled-CUSTOMER-friendly is just common sense, and if there's something you've overlooked (as can happen), there's almost always a common-sense solution too.

[trouble]

Common Sense and John Stossel seem not to go together very well. :(