Traveler Is Told She Was Wrong For Asking A Woman With A Service Dog To Leave Her Compartment She Paid For So She Wants The Internet’s Opinion
The human body has many flaws and one of the most annoying ones is allergies. While some people may not even know they have one because they are so mild, others are very aware and try to avoid the allergens at all cost because coming in contact with them can end their lives.
However, moderate allergies are not very pleasant either, so if it can be prevented, that is what people prefer. Although not everyone understands that and this woman was actually called an ableist for not allowing a train passenger with a service dog in her compartment because she is allergic to the pet.
More info: Reddit
Woman got told by her friends she was an ableist for not allowing a lady with a service dog to enter her train compartment even though she is allergic
Image credits: State Farm (not the actual image)
The Original Poster (OP) went on an overnight train trip for which she booked a whole compartment to be comfortable as she was traveling to see her friends and celebrate her 18th birthday together.
She forgot to lock the compartment, so after an hour, a young woman came inside with a dog asking if she could sit there as she needed space for her service dog. The OP is allergic to dogs and long exposure to them makes her vomit, so she asked the intruder to leave.
The 18-year-old booked a compartment to herself for an overnight train on which she was going to see her friends to celebrate her birthday
Image credits: u/AITAthrowaway_1212
The random passenger had quite a dramatic reaction as she called the OP ableist because she didn’t want her in the same compartment only because she had a disability, as the 18 Y.O.’s allergy wasn’t deadly.
Luckily, one of the train workers passed by and was on the OP’s side after she explained what was happening and showed the ticket, which said she paid for the whole compartment. Later in the comments, the young woman admitted that she actually had to save up for it as it cost quite a bit.
She wanted the compartment to herself just to be comfortable and actually had to save some money to be able to afford it
Image credits: u/AITAthrowaway_1212
On top of that, the OP suspects that the dog wasn’t even a service dog but more of a pet or an emotional support animal at most. From what the young woman could gather, it was the dog owner’s second warning but she probably uses her dog and ableism excuse to get what she wants regularly.
The difference between a service dog and an emotional support, therapy, comfort or companion dog is that “a service animal is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. The task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability.”
What sets comfort dogs apart is that they weren’t specifically trained to deal with a person’s disability or to predict, prevent or lessen the impact of a mental disorder, so in the US, it depends on a state if emotional dogs can be taken to public places where regular pets aren’t allowed.
After an hour a woman with a dog entered and asked if she could stay there as she needed more room for her dog
Image credits: u/AITAthrowaway_1212
Image credits: U-ichiro Murakami (not the actual image)
The OP is allergic to dogs so she asked the woman to leave but was called ableist for it
Image credits: u/AITAthrowaway_1212
That’s why service dogs are allowed into more places than other pets and why it is such a big deal when they are denied services and entry to specific places because “Under the ADA, State and local governments, businesses, and nonprofit organizations that serve the public generally must allow service animals to accompany people with disabilities in all areas of the facility where the public is allowed to go.”
However, not everyone follows the Americans with Disabilities Act and a survey conducted by Autism Assistance Dog showed that 17 percent of service dog owners have been denied access to a healthcare facility, 22.5 percent were charged extra when staying at a hotel, Airbnb or motel and 12.6 percent of them have had to pay extra when renting.
Another survey by Canine Companions for Independence in partnership with ADI North America Regional Chapter Board revealed that almost half of the respondents have been denied or have been asked to leave a business where pets weren’t allowed.
Thankfully a train worker checked that the OP actually paid for the compartment and asked the dog owner to find another seat
Image credits: u/AITAthrowaway_1212
People who have service dogs do face discrimination and not everyone understands what a service dog is needed for, how they are trained and what rights they have, so it’s understandable that they can get irritated when they are denied something because it most probably has to do with them having a dog.
However, as people pointed out in the comments, in the OP’s situation you could say that the lady with the dog was being ableist herself as she disregarded her allergy and the possible consequences of it. Being disabled doesn’t mean that your own disability is higher than someone else’s.
The OP’s friends thought that she was rude and should have made the disabled person feel more comfortable even though her allergy makes her sick
Image credits: u/AITAthrowaway_1212
Image credits: patrick janicek (not the actual image)
And even if she didn’t have a dog allergy, the OP had the full right to deny the dog owner access to the train compartment, because she paid to be there alone. Also, trains have special seats for disabled people and if the lady doesn’t like sitting there, she could have booked a compartment herself rather than barging into one that was paid for by someone else.
The vote was quite unanimous in the comments and people didn’t see anything wrong with how the OP handled the situation. We are curious to know if you think otherwise. Also, do you think that if the OP didn’t have a dog allergy, she should have let a disabled person with their service animal in? Let us know in the comments!
People in the comments disagreed and because the OP paid for her compartment, she didn’t need to accommodate anyone else
Yes, service dogs need to be welcomed to any public space. Thing is, once she paid for the compartment, for the duration it was no more public than a hotel room, it was her rented private space.
Good way of putting it! Just imagine you pay for a double room in a hotel, then you go to a suite, telling the people who paid for it that they have more than enough room!
Load More Replies...
Was it a service dog or a "service" dog? If she has a real, trained service dog she could have asked person that worked for the train company fir an alternative. Eitherway she had no right to demand to intrude. If you take your pet in public you make sure it's safe for others. I might move from a regular seat if there is a cat in a carrier but if I booked a private "room" there is no way I would allow it due to allergy.
I suspect it was a "service dog" since people with disabilities that require service dogs or wheelchairs usually plan ahead to accommodate their needs.
Load More Replies...
NTA. You personally paid for your own private compartment. She wanted to ride in a compartment without paying for it. She not only invaded your privacy (for which you paid a higher price), but also then began making demands about the use of the space you paid for?! Does she also barge into people's hotel rooms and demand accommodation?
I traverse life with a Service Dog and would never even think of trying to force our way into someones paid accommodations. We have taken the train many times and have learned we are generally perfectly happy at one of the small window dining seats in the dining car (they are designed for one person, have a small table she fits right under) It's never crowded in there.
The woman saved up and paid for a compartment so she would be comfortable and have somewhere to sleep. The entitled karen with her emotional support animal tried stealing what she hadn’t paid for. From what OP said it sounds like this thief makes a habit of using her disability to get things she isn’t entitled too like private train compartments that she hasn’t paid for herself
As a former trainer of a servicedog for a guiding eye school in The Netherlands, I can honestly say you were completely in your right to refuse. Yes, servicedogs can not be denied acces as that is in violation with the law, however, that doesn't mean you get to kick people out of their private space which they paid for. That's like demanding your jacket because they are also cold and youjust happen to be wearing a comfortable jacket. Official certified servicedogs (at least in the Netherlands) don't have to pay for taking up travelspace as they are a handicap-aid. A certified servicedog is not an excuse for as*hole behavior. If my SO and I would ever have to fly (which will never happen because of his PTSD) then we would book the complete frontrow, 2 seats for us and the extra space for his servicedog. When travel and if at all possible, anticipate on having your dog comfortable.
And this is the thing, I do not know many blind people, I worked with a blind woman once in an office once who had a guide dog but it is a protected thing, and she was always apologetic even though she never had to be around me who used to use the same desk space so often had a snoot poking around the corner on occasion, I thought her dog was awesome and though I never greet a service dog without permission she had no problem with it when seated and the dog was 'off duty' Emotional support dogs are not more than family pets, I could take a bloody hippo on a plane if I claimed it was for emotional support, which is just plain wrong.
Load More Replies...
Definitely get rid of your friends! I have severe food allergies and I always let the staff know. The couple of times there have been issues (I have to throw up in the bathroom all night, go to the hospital, etc) I've been blamed that I'm too dramatic. I have thankfully walked away from those friends.
People with children and disabilities need to stop acting like it’s everyone else’s place to accommodate you.
More like idiots with children and "disabilities"... Parents and guardians as opposed to breeders take care of their kids and plan ahead. Same with people with real disabilities.
Load More Replies...
The dog doesn't even factor in here. She paid for the whole compartment to herself. It's akin to someone jumping in your taxi because you're going the same way but expecting you to foot the whole bill. Or a co-worker expecting you to pick them up for work every day just because it's on the way; but without offering anything in return.
I love how some people think they're gunslingers whipping out the internet buzzwords whenever they don't get their way. "Oh, you don't want me in the private compartment you paid extra for because you're allergic and it's your compartment?? ABLIST! ABLIST! I don't get my way? ABLIST! ABLIST!
Service dog or not, she knew she was taking it with her on the train and if she knew that she was gonna need extra space for her dog, she should’ve accommodated it and paid for it herself, not try to pull the disabled card with somebody who has paid for the compartment, who has an allergy. As someone who loves dogs but is highly allergic, I’m not sharing a compartment with some strange woman and her dog. Not the a*****e. The disabled person is. Just because you have a disability, doesn’t dissolve you from being an a*****e. Next time maybe she’ll pay the extra money for her dog.
I love dogs, but the OP is NTA. The dog owner could've made arrangements beforehand. It's not just allergies that dog owners should be sensitive to. Some people have PTSD from having been attacked by a dog in the past. They shouldn't have to deal with dogs either, although I don't know what the protocol is for travelers such as these.
In the UK real service dogs that are actually may not be licensed afford their 'owners' certain rights, but you can tell a real service dog from their demeanour such as a guide dog that are trained to be attentive and not go ballistic at every little thing or a dog that is trained to be attentive to diabetic levels; an emotional support animal is nothing more than a pet, with an owner that usually has a bad attitude of entitlement. If the train line had any sense they would ban her completely from their lines, having a pissy fit and basically 'stealing' the peace and comfort you in all rights afforded yourself is a d**k move. I love dogs and am not allergic so would probably spend the entire trip gushing over the dog, but that is not for everyone and you are well within your rights to tell the freeloader to f**k off.
Just a thought. It would be a good thing, in my opinion, to focus service dog training on hypo- or non-allergenic dog breeds.
Many more now are... It is why the labradoodle is an increasingly popular choice for service dogs such as guide dogs. Most of the dogs I meet these days seem to be a poodle (non-shedder) mixed with something!
Load More Replies...
NTA!! Just by reading that last comment, you noticed that the so-called "service dog" wasn't behaving like one. (True service animals are specially trained to assist their disabled humans, and are very well-behaved.) More than likely, the woman's dog was actually a "support animal" that aren't specially trained to behave. Also, this woman apparently had done this before, horning in on compartments that folks have actually paid for, like OP!
Here's a thought. If the dog was not properly trained, it's likely the dog was not a real service dog. I use a service dog. She is trained properly. But...if you paid for the compartment, it is yours. I have allergies, some deadly, but I know what it can be like. A real disabled person, with a real service dog, is not going to behave the way this woman did. Her dog was not a service dog. And the people who try to pass their pets off as legit working dogs, just make it that much harder for those of us who really need our dogs.
Definitely NTA. It doesn't even matter that she had a dog or not. That is your space that you paid for. No one has any right to it but you!
NTA, and OP didn't even need to provide an "excuse", no is a full sentence, she paid for it the other didn't.
Op paid for the compartment, and that is ALL that matters. Allergies? It doesn't matter as you don't need to make excuses for entitled people. This is no different than the entitled AHs on flights that try to demand another person's paid-for preferred seat.
Allergy or no, "disability" or no, she paid for the space. If the train was crowded, the transport company could have offered her a refund, but she should not be required to travel in discomfort because someone is jealous of her accommodations. She's under no obligation to give something up because her friends are snotty virtue-signallers. Otherwise we'd ALL be sitting in first class or staying in the penthouse suite.
She paid for the WHOLE compartment it's her's. If I hire a car I'm not obligated to give anyone a ride.
NTA. This is no different than someone buying a row of seats for themselves on an airplane. You paid for it, you can do whatever you want with it.
Honestly, I would have been more worried the girl was trying to rob me. You pay for those compartments, and you're not supposed to go in a compartment that's not yours. I'm surprised the conductor didn't fine her.
Whilst service dogs clearly shouldn't be denied access in public spaces, there are two important points here. Firstly, OP apparently paid for using entire compartment, not just part/shared use of the compartment - that makes any spare seats OP's to offer up for use or claim for her own for the duration of her booked journey. Secondly, there is no guarantee that if someone with an allergy moves they will be able to keep away from their allergen - in this case, there could have been another dog, or someone covered with dog dander etc, elsewhere on the train. Both points make OP's response reasonable.
If she needed the extra space then why wouldn't she plan ahead to make sure she would
NTA, you paid for the space; you don't have to allow the King of England himself in there if you didn't want to. As for her needs? If you have a Service dog, you will know you need to make extra bookings, etc... Sounds like a fake service animal to me.
Because these articles generate a lot engagement. If people didn’t click on the articles or comment BP would stop posting them.
Load More Replies... I have a lethal dog allergy and would not tolerate this. Dog comforter must get her own private boudoir.
I´m not really sure what to think about this story, on the one hand there´s a person who´s allergic to dogs, on the other hand there´s a person with a service dog. (???)
And, the person with the allergy paid for the whole compartment. It wasn't available, period. Even if she hadn't paid for the whole compartment, she still shouldn't be made ill. An usher should be contacted for help in appropriately seating the other girl and her "service" dog.
Load More Replies... Yes, service dogs need to be welcomed to any public space. Thing is, once she paid for the compartment, for the duration it was no more public than a hotel room, it was her rented private space.
Good way of putting it! Just imagine you pay for a double room in a hotel, then you go to a suite, telling the people who paid for it that they have more than enough room!
Load More Replies... Was it a service dog or a "service" dog? If she has a real, trained service dog she could have asked person that worked for the train company fir an alternative. Eitherway she had no right to demand to intrude. If you take your pet in public you make sure it's safe for others. I might move from a regular seat if there is a cat in a carrier but if I booked a private "room" there is no way I would allow it due to allergy.
I suspect it was a "service dog" since people with disabilities that require service dogs or wheelchairs usually plan ahead to accommodate their needs.
Load More Replies... NTA. You personally paid for your own private compartment. She wanted to ride in a compartment without paying for it. She not only invaded your privacy (for which you paid a higher price), but also then began making demands about the use of the space you paid for?! Does she also barge into people's hotel rooms and demand accommodation?
I traverse life with a Service Dog and would never even think of trying to force our way into someones paid accommodations. We have taken the train many times and have learned we are generally perfectly happy at one of the small window dining seats in the dining car (they are designed for one person, have a small table she fits right under) It's never crowded in there.
The woman saved up and paid for a compartment so she would be comfortable and have somewhere to sleep. The entitled karen with her emotional support animal tried stealing what she hadn’t paid for. From what OP said it sounds like this thief makes a habit of using her disability to get things she isn’t entitled too like private train compartments that she hasn’t paid for herself
As a former trainer of a servicedog for a guiding eye school in The Netherlands, I can honestly say you were completely in your right to refuse. Yes, servicedogs can not be denied acces as that is in violation with the law, however, that doesn't mean you get to kick people out of their private space which they paid for. That's like demanding your jacket because they are also cold and youjust happen to be wearing a comfortable jacket. Official certified servicedogs (at least in the Netherlands) don't have to pay for taking up travelspace as they are a handicap-aid. A certified servicedog is not an excuse for as*hole behavior. If my SO and I would ever have to fly (which will never happen because of his PTSD) then we would book the complete frontrow, 2 seats for us and the extra space for his servicedog. When travel and if at all possible, anticipate on having your dog comfortable.
And this is the thing, I do not know many blind people, I worked with a blind woman once in an office once who had a guide dog but it is a protected thing, and she was always apologetic even though she never had to be around me who used to use the same desk space so often had a snoot poking around the corner on occasion, I thought her dog was awesome and though I never greet a service dog without permission she had no problem with it when seated and the dog was 'off duty' Emotional support dogs are not more than family pets, I could take a bloody hippo on a plane if I claimed it was for emotional support, which is just plain wrong.
Load More Replies... Definitely get rid of your friends! I have severe food allergies and I always let the staff know. The couple of times there have been issues (I have to throw up in the bathroom all night, go to the hospital, etc) I've been blamed that I'm too dramatic. I have thankfully walked away from those friends.
People with children and disabilities need to stop acting like it’s everyone else’s place to accommodate you.
More like idiots with children and "disabilities"... Parents and guardians as opposed to breeders take care of their kids and plan ahead. Same with people with real disabilities.
Load More Replies... The dog doesn't even factor in here. She paid for the whole compartment to herself. It's akin to someone jumping in your taxi because you're going the same way but expecting you to foot the whole bill. Or a co-worker expecting you to pick them up for work every day just because it's on the way; but without offering anything in return.
I love how some people think they're gunslingers whipping out the internet buzzwords whenever they don't get their way. "Oh, you don't want me in the private compartment you paid extra for because you're allergic and it's your compartment?? ABLIST! ABLIST! I don't get my way? ABLIST! ABLIST!
Service dog or not, she knew she was taking it with her on the train and if she knew that she was gonna need extra space for her dog, she should’ve accommodated it and paid for it herself, not try to pull the disabled card with somebody who has paid for the compartment, who has an allergy. As someone who loves dogs but is highly allergic, I’m not sharing a compartment with some strange woman and her dog. Not the a*****e. The disabled person is. Just because you have a disability, doesn’t dissolve you from being an a*****e. Next time maybe she’ll pay the extra money for her dog.
I love dogs, but the OP is NTA. The dog owner could've made arrangements beforehand. It's not just allergies that dog owners should be sensitive to. Some people have PTSD from having been attacked by a dog in the past. They shouldn't have to deal with dogs either, although I don't know what the protocol is for travelers such as these.
In the UK real service dogs that are actually may not be licensed afford their 'owners' certain rights, but you can tell a real service dog from their demeanour such as a guide dog that are trained to be attentive and not go ballistic at every little thing or a dog that is trained to be attentive to diabetic levels; an emotional support animal is nothing more than a pet, with an owner that usually has a bad attitude of entitlement. If the train line had any sense they would ban her completely from their lines, having a pissy fit and basically 'stealing' the peace and comfort you in all rights afforded yourself is a d**k move. I love dogs and am not allergic so would probably spend the entire trip gushing over the dog, but that is not for everyone and you are well within your rights to tell the freeloader to f**k off.
Just a thought. It would be a good thing, in my opinion, to focus service dog training on hypo- or non-allergenic dog breeds.
Many more now are... It is why the labradoodle is an increasingly popular choice for service dogs such as guide dogs. Most of the dogs I meet these days seem to be a poodle (non-shedder) mixed with something!
Load More Replies... NTA!! Just by reading that last comment, you noticed that the so-called "service dog" wasn't behaving like one. (True service animals are specially trained to assist their disabled humans, and are very well-behaved.) More than likely, the woman's dog was actually a "support animal" that aren't specially trained to behave. Also, this woman apparently had done this before, horning in on compartments that folks have actually paid for, like OP!
Here's a thought. If the dog was not properly trained, it's likely the dog was not a real service dog. I use a service dog. She is trained properly. But...if you paid for the compartment, it is yours. I have allergies, some deadly, but I know what it can be like. A real disabled person, with a real service dog, is not going to behave the way this woman did. Her dog was not a service dog. And the people who try to pass their pets off as legit working dogs, just make it that much harder for those of us who really need our dogs.
Definitely NTA. It doesn't even matter that she had a dog or not. That is your space that you paid for. No one has any right to it but you!
NTA, and OP didn't even need to provide an "excuse", no is a full sentence, she paid for it the other didn't.
Op paid for the compartment, and that is ALL that matters. Allergies? It doesn't matter as you don't need to make excuses for entitled people. This is no different than the entitled AHs on flights that try to demand another person's paid-for preferred seat.
Allergy or no, "disability" or no, she paid for the space. If the train was crowded, the transport company could have offered her a refund, but she should not be required to travel in discomfort because someone is jealous of her accommodations. She's under no obligation to give something up because her friends are snotty virtue-signallers. Otherwise we'd ALL be sitting in first class or staying in the penthouse suite.
She paid for the WHOLE compartment it's her's. If I hire a car I'm not obligated to give anyone a ride.
NTA. This is no different than someone buying a row of seats for themselves on an airplane. You paid for it, you can do whatever you want with it.
Honestly, I would have been more worried the girl was trying to rob me. You pay for those compartments, and you're not supposed to go in a compartment that's not yours. I'm surprised the conductor didn't fine her.
Whilst service dogs clearly shouldn't be denied access in public spaces, there are two important points here. Firstly, OP apparently paid for using entire compartment, not just part/shared use of the compartment - that makes any spare seats OP's to offer up for use or claim for her own for the duration of her booked journey. Secondly, there is no guarantee that if someone with an allergy moves they will be able to keep away from their allergen - in this case, there could have been another dog, or someone covered with dog dander etc, elsewhere on the train. Both points make OP's response reasonable.
If she needed the extra space then why wouldn't she plan ahead to make sure she would
NTA, you paid for the space; you don't have to allow the King of England himself in there if you didn't want to. As for her needs? If you have a Service dog, you will know you need to make extra bookings, etc... Sounds like a fake service animal to me.
Because these articles generate a lot engagement. If people didn’t click on the articles or comment BP would stop posting them.
Load More Replies... I have a lethal dog allergy and would not tolerate this. Dog comforter must get her own private boudoir.
I´m not really sure what to think about this story, on the one hand there´s a person who´s allergic to dogs, on the other hand there´s a person with a service dog. (???)
And, the person with the allergy paid for the whole compartment. It wasn't available, period. Even if she hadn't paid for the whole compartment, she still shouldn't be made ill. An usher should be contacted for help in appropriately seating the other girl and her "service" dog.
Load More Replies...
65
51