Service animal-refusial to use on bus

[kaywill1]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Oregon

I live in Portland Oregon. I am disabled & use the Trimet Lift bus FOR THE DISABLED to get around. I have service animals.

Last month a driver refused to let me on the bus w/ my service animal. I explained this was in violation of FEDERAL & STATE laws. He called his dispatch & they told him to leave me behind. (I was going to a pre-surgical procedure)

They then relized they made a big error & began setting up lies.

They insist THEIR RULES come BEFORE FED. & STATE LAWS!
I found Federal laws under Title 2 & 3 as well as state laws are being violated.

I have not been able to take my service animals w/ me for over 5 weeks now. I have to stay home if it is a day I feel my health is in danger. (brain tumor causes seizures & a spinal injury has me using a wheelchair to get around)

They have put out many lies to scare me back. They have been harassing me making me wait for hours to be picked up. They have sent letters w/ these lies in them.

I have doctors statements that these are service animals for my disabilities. PLUS I have over 30 signatures from doctors, hospitals, *2 attroney friends, resturants and many others who have seen me & my service animals & testify they are obedient & have had zero issues.

Also last month I spent 6 1/2 hours on the bus waiting for help due to neglect from this company! (a very retarded woman also was on the bus & very upset. Her family is outragged.).

You can talk to any rider & 99.9% will say they too have had serious problems w/ this company but when they complained the service received after that was extremly poor & scared them. So they backed off as the system hoped for. We have no other choice so many back off.

This system is paid for under Federal disability act & fed & state taxes. They take this money & take advantage of & abuse the riders.

I feel it is time for it to stop!
I need to use my service animals for what they are meant to be used for.
I need help fighting for my rights & fighting for the rights of all the disabled.
I have rights & there are laws protecting them...but I need help to enforce them.What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

 

[Zigner]

You didn't actually ask a question.

Have you considered going to the media?

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Oregon

I live in Portland Oregon. I am disabled & use the Trimet Lift bus FOR THE DISABLED to get around. I have service animals.

Last month a driver refused to let me on the bus w/ my service animal. I explained this was in violation of FEDERAL & STATE laws. He called his dispatch & they told him to leave me behind. (I was going to a pre-surgical procedure)

They then relized they made a big error & began setting up lies.

They insist THEIR RULES come BEFORE FED. & STATE LAWS!
I found Federal laws under Title 2 & 3 as well as state laws are being violated.

I have not been able to take my service animals w/ me for over 5 weeks now. I have to stay home if it is a day I feel my health is in danger. (brain tumor causes seizures & a spinal injury has me using a wheelchair to get around)

They have put out many lies to scare me back. They have been harassing me making me wait for hours to be picked up. They have sent letters w/ these lies in them.

I have doctors statements that these are service animals for my disabilities. PLUS I have over 30 signatures from doctors, hospitals, *2 attroney friends, resturants and many others who have seen me & my service animals & testify they are obedient & have had zero issues.

Also last month I spent 6 1/2 hours on the bus waiting for help due to neglect from this company! (a very retarded woman also was on the bus & very upset. Her family is outragged.).

You can talk to any rider & 99.9% will say they too have had serious problems w/ this company but when they complained the service received after that was extremly poor & scared them. So they backed off as the system hoped for. We have no other choice so many back off.

This system is paid for under Federal disability act & fed & state taxes. They take this money & take advantage of & abuse the riders.

I feel it is time for it to stop!
I need to use my service animals for what they are meant to be used for.
I need help fighting for my rights & fighting for the rights of all the disabled.
I have rights & there are laws protecting them...but I need help to enforce them.What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

 

[Mass_Shyster]

The ACLU may help too.

 

[Some Random Guy]

Actually, before going to the media, perhaps the poster can answer some questions. Ones that are glaringly obvious from the vagueness of the original posting.

You state that you have "service animals". How many do you have? Normally, one and rarely two service animals will be assisting a person with disability. Do you have an unmanageable number?

Second, what kind of service animals are these? Are they animals which you cannot easily transport on a bus, such as a pony, horse or boa constrictor? All of these are animals that I have known people to claim as service animals.

Since the bus is specifically for the disabled, I suspect that they are complaining about transporting exotic animals which cannot be reasonably accomodated on the bus.

 

[Ozark_Sophist]

Portland has a Human Rights Commission. Contact information can be found on their Website: Human Rights Commission

You may also file a Title III complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice. FYI, if you go this route, request mediation (actually write mediation on the envelope). This ensures a quicker response time for corrective action.

ETA: The government will shortly announce new rules on Service Animals. At that time, it may make a difference what kind of service animal you have and for what purpose the animal has been trained (restricting 'comfort' or 'psychiatric' service animals). Until that point, providers of public accommodations typically cannot deny service (in Springfield, Missouri, the court found a monkey was not a service animal even though there were doctor's notes, individual training for the animal, etc.).

 

[Bonnie1964]

Service animal on the bus!

I saw you on the news ...I live in Oregon also, Havent heard anything else about it! Has there been an outcome?? And I know they werent exotic animals!