Taxi Driver Online

Dewsbury Reporter

January 16, 2008

Discrimination that blights couple's life

A CHICKENLEY couple with a guide dog said Dewsbury was the worst town in the area for disability discrimination after they were refused taxis and turned away from bars and restaurants.

Brian and Margaret Spink, of Princess Road, said when they tried to explain it was illegal to refuse someone with a guide dog, nobody listened.

Mr Spink, 62, was left blind, partially deaf and disabled after contracting meningitis 19 years ago and has a dog, Candy, to give him independence.

But Mrs Spink, 63, said the attitudes of some people have actually made it harder for them to go out.

She said: "We'll ring up for a taxi and say my husband has a guide dog and can we have a big taxi and they turn up with a little car and say they won't take us.

"It makes me angry because I know I'm not doing anything wrong. We carry a card and it says they have to carry the guide dog but it makes no difference.

"We can't go out together any more and it shouldn't be like that."

Before Christmas staff at Argos tried to get the couple a taxi so they would not have to struggle with their shopping but after three taxis turned up and refused to take Mr Spink with Candy, he was forced to get the bus home.

On other occasions drivers have folded the back seats down and made Mr Spink sit on the floor with Candy, or charged them extra.

Dewsbury East councillor Paul Kane said all taxi drivers were fully trained on the legal requirement to carry guide dogs before the council would give them a licence.

He said: "They cannot refuse somebody who has got a dog. This is out and out discrimination and they have got to be confronted.

"Anybody that Mr Spink can identify and give the Hackney Carriage number of will be dealt with.

"There is absolutely zero tolerance to disability discrimination and we will come down with the full weight of the law."

But Mr and Mrs Spink said it was not just taxi drivers who had turned them away.

Two weeks ago the couple left Piri Piri Grill on South Street after Mr Spink was asked to wait outside with Candy and staff refused to listen when the couple tried to explain it was illegal.

Owner Hafiz Ali said he was unaware of what had happened but would be looking into it.

He said: "If this is what's happened it's very serious and it shouldn't have happened. It's something that I'll make sure everyone's aware of."

Mr Spink said that on two occasions he has also been refused entry by bouncers at Jack D's on Westgate because he had Candy with him.

He said: "I tried to show them my letter and they wouldn't entertain it at all. They said the disco lights would hurt the dog's eyes."

He added that Candy has a very good temperament and would not be upset by the lights.

But Julian Hunter, owner of Jack D's, said: "He comes late at night when there's disco lights flashing and loud noise. It upsets the dogs and the Blind Association told us this. They said he shouldn't be going into a situation like that anyway."

He added that they have told Mr Spink he is always welcome but have asked that he does not bring his dog in on a night.
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