why do people assume stuff?

[Nalla]

I've been getting a lot of dumb comments from people when I'm out with my guide dog and/or cane. So many people say ignorant things, either directly to me, or to their kids. Usually about how I'm not blind (partially sighted really).
The one I hear most is at work, and that is "You're not blind, you have a job". Which always makes me mad. Equal opportunity employment is there for a reason.
At the parks I hear a lot of people telling their kids (after the kid asks the parent if I'm blind) that I'm not blind because I'm in the park alone, or because I'm not wearing sunglasses, or because I'm not bumping into things, or because my dog isn't a German Shepard.
On the opposite end of the spectrum people tell their kids ridiculous things about me (without having asked me or anything!) about blind people. One guy told his kid that blind people don't have eyes (that's true in some cases, but not in the majority), another told his kid that I must live with my mom because I'm blind.
Why do people just make stuff up to tell their kids? And why do people have nothing accurate to say? It's so rude to constantly hear comments about me which aren't true.

 

[peemagg]

When people like that are that ignorant I feel that it is nice to "educate" them. If it is a child and adult I would address the child and make the adult feel like an idiot. To the one about you must be living with your mom because you are blind, I would say something to the point that it would be one heck of a commute since they live in another state and I am down here. I would be of the type to be sarcastically funny.

If you did that I bet you would get a lot of apologies from people for being so ignorant.

 

[KPeveler]

sadly, the answer is that, by and large, most people are stupid, but do not realize it. They also lack a filter between their brain and their mouth, and all kinds of things best left in their heads comes tumbling out.

Now, we've all thought rude or uncharitable things, but most of us here (hopefully) have the brains to refrain from saying it out loud. My grandmother has Alzheimer's, and can't control what she says out loud, but that is a medical condition, a disability.

Stupid is not a disability.

I get comments like "you're too young to be in that wheelchair" or "you don't need it, you can stand" or my favorite - "But you're thin and pretty!"

The children I will speak to and educate. The adults I cheerfully ignore. they are simply not worth my time. If they lived with the daily pain that goes with my condition for an hour, their head would explode. I just feel bad that they managed to achieve adulthood so ignorant, and occasionally implore them to watch Sesame Street or something else equally complicated to learn about diversity and disability.

I have no idea where some people come up with the things they say, but in general I give thanks I am at least smart enough not to voice every thought aloud, and go on with my day!

 

[livndisney]

sadly, the answer is that, by and large, most people are stupid, but do not realize it. They also lack a filter between their brain and their mouth, and all kinds of things best left in their heads comes tumbling out.

Now, we've all thought rude or uncharitable things, but most of us here (hopefully) have the brains to refrain from saying it out loud. My grandmother has Alzheimer's, and can't control what she says out loud, but that is a medical condition, a disability.

Stupid is not a disability.

I get comments like "you're too young to be in that wheelchair" or "you don't need it, you can stand" or my favorite - "But you're thin and pretty!"

The children I will speak to and educate. The adults I cheerfully ignore. they are simply not worth my time. If they lived with the daily pain that goes with my condition for an hour, their head would explode. I just feel bad that they managed to achieve adulthood so ignorant, and occasionally implore them to watch Sesame Street or something else equally complicated to learn about diversity and disability.

I have no idea where some people come up with the things they say, but in general I give thanks I am at least smart enough not to voice every thought aloud, and go on with my day!

Actually, I think "stupid" IS a disability-just not one recognized and protected by the ADA LOL.

We encounter so MANY STUPID people who just open their mouths and the stupid comes right out! And the prying questions they ask They ask personal questions about my DD right in front of her while completely ignoring her.

 

[Schmeck]

To the OP - if these people are talking directly to you, then feel free to correct them. If they are not, then you're going to have to let some of this slide, or you'll go insane trying to correct the world. People say incorrect things about all kinds of stuff, not just someone with a guide dog and partial vision. So what if they are incorrect, so what if the person said you must live with your mom? If it's while you are on vacation, what's the chance you are even ever going to be near these people again?

Try putting yourself in their shoes - most likely they've never been near a person with a guide dog. Their kids are asking questions they don't know the answer to. So they fudge it. I guess everyone with a question could stop you and ask, but then you'd never get to ride one attraction!

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

Hey, OP, when you hear that, just tell them that YOU are actually a human assistant for the dog, and you just use the story so that he can get into the parks and other places with you!!

hehehehehe

let them explain THAT to their kid!



(sorry, I don't suffer fools that speak without engaging brain!)

 

[mechurchlady]

I am sorry I was not here earlier dearest Nalla. It is hard in life when people are stupid but you either can spend your whole life educating them or you can save yourself the grief and bother and your job by ignoring them

Not everyone has seen a blind person let alone one who is only partially blind or has adapted well. Not everyone has seen a service dog other than beagles, rotties, dobies, shepherds and labs. A papillon can make a great therapy dog but who has seen one in action.

Also face the fact that you have a silly looking dog and people are used to seeing poodle type dogs as big boofy play toys and not as working dogs. Nalla is so cute that one might make the mistake of thinking Nalla is a pet.


Chin up dear and enjoy life and ignore the idiots out there. big hgus to a great person and I wish I could be at WDW to meet you as you and Nalla are two of the nicest people on this board, after Sue of course. Big hugs and snugs and I hope things get better.

 

[Mommy2three]

we see service dogs every once in a while in our city. just a few weeks ago we seen a lady at the job center with a pit bull service dog. I was there making some copies and had the kids with me and they pointed her out and wanted to go pet her and I told them that the dog was a working dog and they can't go over there and just pet it. They asked me what kind of working dog, and I told them I didn't know, personally the dog looked like it was still in the training stages but then I over heard one of the employees ask her if the dog was in training and she said no. But she did have all the proper ID for the dog saying that it was a service dog. I know there are many types of service dogs, for the blind or sight impaired, for people with anxiety issues, etc. I won't go making up stupid stuff about somebody when I don't know. I also have never told my kids to go and ask them because I don't know if someone would be offended by that?

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

Some ppl are just rude and/or stupid, sorry to say.

I have a stiff-handled mobility harness on my dog because some of her tasks are to help me with my mobility. Some ppl don't know about mobility dogs and/or just assume I'm blind and that it is a guide harness (even though it is completely upright in the air - they just don't know the difference). Some ppl are rude about it (and other things, like the, "What's wrong with you?" question, arrgh!!) and some ppl are just curious. I've heard kids shout to their parents, "Look - a Seeing Eye Dog!" One type of parent hushes his kid, telling him that's rude, while another type of parent shouts out, "That's right!" Or the kid will ask their parent and the parent will tell them the dog helps me see, LOL.

Odd remarks are a way of life when you have any type of SD. Some are embarrassing, some are interesting, and some are downright comical.

We've come a long way in taking the disabled from being shut-ins and institutionalized ppl to being regular ppl in public, but just like racism still exists, so does the ignorance towards ppl with disabilities.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Nalla, I'm sorry you seem to be having such a hard time with your service dog at WDW, I'm sure it's not what you expected when you signed up for the CP.

People are just clueless about any type of disability. I have a friend on campsu with a Guide Dog and I TA'd a class she was in. She had to give a lecture at the beginning of class to the other students to explain what the dog was and the proper etiquette around it. She was very open and I think that helped quash a lot of the problems. It still irked me when I would hear people talking about her and her dog and making claims about the dog I knew were not true.

I never really heard of other types of service dogs until I became much older and would be curious. I'm sure as a kid I would have said something. I find that people assume things about any disability. If you're in a wheelchair people assume you can't walk at all. If you rent one for a day people assume that you are too fat/lazy to walk or just trying to get on the rides faster, especially if you are a young person. I have diabetes and hear people make all kinds of assumptions about my condition that do upset me at times. It's hard not to feel offended or frustrated when people seem to have no problem diagnosing you, talking about you like you are not there, etc.

I do hope that things get better, and that despite your frustrations you are having fun on your CP!

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I'm kind of surprised that given the current climate they would train a pitbull to be a service dog. I wonder what that person does when they are in an area that has outlawed pitbulls? Or would this be considered exempt?

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

I'm kind of surprised that given the current climate they would train a pitbull to be a service dog. I wonder what that person does when they are in an area that has outlawed pitbulls? Or would this be considered exempt?

I would think that any trained service dog, would trump any local law concerning breeds. usually when they talk about banning certain types of agressive dogs, they are talking about family pets, which service dogs do not fall under in classifiction.

FYI some of the better service dogs I have worked with briefly were the smaller breeds. The handlers said that the are quicker to train (?) and easier to care for. (I have to take their word for it)

 

[ireland_nicole]

They're just jealous b/c you and your SD are too cute!! Seriously, we all hear a lot of stupid questions/comments. It's tough when you're at work, but a funny quip can work wonders- for instance, some people ask why I am using a h/c space or using my ECV... I just tell them I haven't been the same since the Dinosaur attack. Or they ask why my 9y/o still uses a stroller: I say, "adventures in autism." or why my 6 y/o needs a "leash" (he's dev. delayed w/ severe ADHD and a serious runner.) I just tell them, yeah, we had to after he bit the mailman
Anyway, I figure if they ask a stupid question, they deserve a stupid answer lol.
Just so ya know, I promise, you're not the only one... and you're doing great.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I would think that any trained service dog, would trump any local law concerning breeds. usually when they talk about banning certain types of agressive dogs, they are talking about family pets, which service dogs do not fall under in classifiction.

FYI some of the better service dogs I have worked with briefly were the smaller breeds. The handlers said that the are quicker to train (?) and easier to care for. (I have to take their word for it)

I'm aware that smaller breeds can be SDs (like Nallas), I was just taken by surprise that somebody would be willing to train PitBulls as SDs given the current political climate. I know they are wonderful dogs and very smart, but I doubt I would ever be willing to accept one and go through the added hassle of pitbull phobia.

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

I'm aware that smaller breeds can be SDs (like Nallas), I was just taken by surprise that somebody would be willing to train PitBulls as SDs given the current political climate. I know they are wonderful dogs and very smart, but I doubt I would ever be willing to accept one and go through the added hassle of pitbull phobia.

True, if you fear a dog, they can sense it and it would get in the way of being a good SD for you (or anyone that might have a fear) I have had Dobermans and German Shepards as pets with no problems what so ever. I have had terriers that were MUCH more agressive than the bigger breeds, but with proper training, they got along with adults and (gasp) kids!

I have worked with service dogs of just about every kind of breed, and they all seemed to perform their duties!

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I don't personally fear Pitbulls and think they get a bad rap, but from what it sounds like on this board, people have a hard enough time getting their SDs accepted, why make it any harder on yourself by choosing a breed that is hated and feared (no matter how unjustly) throughout the US to the point that many states have outlawed the breed?

 

[Nalla]

Pit bulls are great dogs, they make great service dogs. I've trained them for therapy work, and they're easy to train and great with people. I was actually considering using a pit bull, but my mom was against it because she didn't want a large dog that shedded in the house.

Back on topic lol, I am trying to ignore the comments people say about us. None of it is said to my face, so it's not like I can correct them without it seeming really awkward. I just get really frustrated with people saying dumb things about me and my dog.

 

[KPeveler]

Whenever i am out with my wheelchair, and someone asked what happened I tell them I got hurt in that game against the Chargers last week (btw, i am a 5 ft tall, 100 lb female!) It kinda lets them know i dont want to talk to them without having to actually tell them off...

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

Whenever i am out with my wheelchair, and someone asked what happened I tell them I got hurt in that game against the Chargers last week (btw, i am a 5 ft tall, 100 lb female!) It kinda lets them know i dont want to talk to them without having to actually tell them off...

hehehehe

Sadly, you would probably play better than them!!!!

(good comeback!)

 

[Vijoge]

I have had terriers that were MUCH more agressive than the bigger breeds

So the stories about our rat terrier have reached all the way to California, huh?