No Right of Refusal
MAC puts teeth behind a revised taxi cab ordinance—Rebecca Kragnes interviewed
by Clarence Schadegg
The issue of cab drivers who
deny rides to people who use dog guides comes and goes. Rebecca Kragnes,
former president of MN Guide Dog Users, has been involved in the recent
public hearings of the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) to address
this issue. The resulting action taken by MAC is intended to put a
stop to the use of religion, or any other excuse, as a reason to deny
dog guide users their civil rights to public transportation by taxi
cab drivers. Last month, Kragnes took time to answer a few questions
on the status of the hearings, and the new ordinance that takes effect May 11.
How will MAC’s
rewrite the taxi cab ordinance ensure that users of dog guides will
no longer be denied rides by cab drivers?
When the new regulations
go into effect May 11, the only reason a driver can refuse someone
is if they feel threatened or unsafe. The other refusal reasons,
like alcohol, vouchers and credit cards, will not be options for
cab drivers. If they refuse for any reason other than safety, they
will be suspended for thirty days as a first offense. If they are
found refusing a second time, they won’t be a licensed
cab driver at the airport for two years. Because there are cab starters — people
watching and helping travelers get to cabs, the drivers aren’t
as likely to refuse us there with these severe consequences described
above. I think with most guide dogs standing placidly by their owners’ sides,
it’s going to be hard to use the safety refusal.
Describe the way the current MAC taxi cab ordinance will benefit cab
drivers as well as users of dog guides in future taxi cab rides.
I think the rules are
going to be more black and white. The current refusals are gray areas — not
exactly wrong but not exactly right. Right now, a refusal gets the
cab driver sent to the back of the line which is essentially a slap
on the wrist. Sometime soon they will be signing contracts in which
they are agreeing to follow the new rules. They will know the consequences
of an invalid refusal, and I believe there will be much less conflict
about cab service. The line will hopefully move faster, and both
cab drivers and customers can get down to business.
Why did some drivers at the MAC meeting in March state they wanted
the MAC to allow them to continue denying rides to blind customers
who use dog guides?
If we are still talking
about the February 27 hearings, I don’t
recall that any drivers ever said such a thing. In fact, they argued
that they never refuse blind people with guide dogs and wouldn’t
in the future. We’ll see how true the latter is when these new
rules come down. Most of the arguments for having refusals stem from
not wanting to transport alcohol.
What position has the National Organization of Guide Dog Users taken
with regard to the MAC ordinance?
Guide Dog Users Incorporated
is supportive of the ordinance. Even though, technically, it doesn’t change the current regulations
for guide dog refusal, the ordinance does close loopholes drivers can
currently use to refuse a person with a guide dog. Right now, they
can say, “I didn’t refuse her because of her dog. I refused
her because she has to use a credit card, a voucher, or because she
is carrying alcohol.” Those excuses will not be available to
them after May 11.
What have taxi cab drivers done to diffuse the tension between some
taxi cab drivers who discriminate against guide dog users and those
who need dog guides?
A group of cab drivers
publicly stated that they are willing to give free rides to people
with guide dogs during a state convention of the National Federation
of the Blind and this summer’s national convention
of the American Council of the Blind. [Cab driver] groups are also
approaching blindness-related organizations to dialog on these important
issues.
How will these efforts reduce discrimination against users of dog
guides?
Obviously, there are no
guarantees that we won’t experience
refusals. After all, this is one subgroup of cab drivers at the airport.
There are companies all over the city who are not participating in
this campaign. But I do think it shows that they are willing to prove—in
the best way they know how—that this subgroup of cab drivers
won’t discriminate. I can only hope that the peer pressure this
subgroup puts on the rest of the cab driver community, plus the new
ordinance itself, will lessen refusals significantly.
What are schools that train dog guides doing to educate cab drivers
about the rights to equal access and use of transportation by users
of dog guides?
I know Guide Dogs for
the Blind has a video called “Taxi Please,” and
Seeing Eye has a poster on this topic. Most importantly, they are letting
their students know how to deal with access issues when they do occur.
Schools have very little influence on cab drivers, but they can equip
students with the tools to advocate for themselves.
What are some of the
experiences you’re aware of in which users
of dog guides were denied taxi cab rides and what did these people
do about it?
One woman actually took
the discriminatory driver to court and won. Others simply called
the company and stopped there. What they don’t
realize is that the company won’t report such instances to the
licensing people, because the company will get fined along with the
driver for such discriminatory action. It’s always important
for people with dog guides who have been refused to talk to the entity
that licenses the cab driver who discriminated against them. Taking
them to court is also a fantastic idea. I admire the persistence of
the woman who took the driver to court, and based on her action, now
I would probably do the same thing. She told me that it takes a lot
of patience and jumping through hoops, but it’s
worth it in the end.
I’ve had several experiences of my dog and I being refused,
both when alone and with my husband and his dog. When there are two
dogs, sometimes the drivers really have a tizzy. I wasn’t as
educated back then about procedures as I am now, and all I can say
is that it would not be very smart if they refused to take me today.
I know my rights! ![]()
