Taxi Driver Online

Refused taxi ride because of guide dog

Paralympic double gold medal winner Libby Clegg, 26, suffers from Stargardt disease, a rare inherited condition that leads to the loss of central


TAXI drivers in Loughborough have left a Paralympic double gold medal winner stranded on the side of the road - because they didn’t want her guide dog in the car.

And the shocking incident hasn’t happened just once, but seven times at least.

Rio Olympian Libby Clegg, 26, suffers from Stargardt disease, a rare inherited condition that leads to the loss of central vision, that will eventually lead to a complete loss of sight.

And speaking to the Echo she says that on at least seven occasions in the last two years, taxi drivers in Loughborough have just driven off and left her and her guide dog Hatti, waiting for help.

Sometimes she has been left standing at Loughborough train station for half an hour waiting for a taxi with cabs just driving off.

This has also happened to her at least 20 times in London.

Libby, who lives in Loughborough, won gold medals in both the T11 100m and T11 200m sprints at the 2016 Rio Olympic games.

She told the Echo: “It is just ignorant, and I am just left absolutely shocked sometimes because I can’t believe what has just happened.

“Some people just don’t think dogs should be in the car, but it still isn’t an excuse to just drive off and leave someone stranded waiting for a taxi.
“I think the best advice to anyone who has had similar difficulties to myself is to stay strong.

“I have learned that you really need to be able to speak up about issues like this.

“People need to know just how annoying and upsetting it can be when simple things like being able to get a taxi are made harder by ignorant and rude taxi drivers.

“I have sometimes admitted defeat and just walked home late at night.

“I really feel that sometimes it is just Hatti that is discriminated against, but also sometimes I definitely take it personally, just because I have a visual impairment doesn’t make me different to anyone else.

“Some taxi drivers are really helpful, and really good, but I have had too many bad experiences now that I just prefer to use my own private one.

“Hatti is part of my family now, I have had her for two years, but also she is a working dog, she is clean and very well trained, so I just don’t understand why people still have this stigma and won’t take myself and her in the car.”

Libby is an ambassador for the charity Guide Dogs and Loughborough MP Nicky Morgan recently attended an event run by the charity in Parliament, to show her support for a move that taxi drivers should receive disability equality training when getting their licence.

Mrs Morgan told the Echo: “I think it is outrageous that this has been happening, and it just shows that the call for the equality training is real.

“It is very worrying to hear from so many people who have been illegally turned away from taxis because they travel with an assistance dog.”

http://www.loughboroughecho.net/news/lo ... e-12314969

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

will this chit ever end ?? can someone explain to me why if i pick up a able bodied person with a dog i can charge £2 on top, yet cant with a blind person? what is the £2 extra for ? (serious question btw), its the same with wavs, they were told they could not put it on a higher tariff or start the meter when they pulled up at the house ( & tbh the lads i spoke to said this was the problem, wernt that bothered about the higher rates ), so effectively working for nothing while getting ramps out/strapping in etc, that backfired spectacularly as the yard was full of the office doblos/experts without drivers, they all went on saloons, some left to go to other offices when the saloons ran out, so the owner & able bodied customers suffered, seriously, why do they expect us to work for nothing ? eg: picking up in a wav lets say 6 times a day with 5 mins loading /5 mins unloading , that's 60 mins in total , if you worked in a factory & the gaffer said you have to stay back a hour every day for no pay would you ?? 6 hours working pw for nothing ? as i have said before most of these people get disability /mobility allowance/ for this exact reason honestly not on a wind up here & would like to know what you think, ( although i understand the law states it ) i cant be the only one who doesn't want to work for nothing , surely

I guess it's because the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) says so.

Brilliant reply mate ,Tbf, i did ask what you think? & i know the law states it you like working for nothing then ??

I tried to make it short as I know you don't like essay's, but for me money don't come into it, I just thank god I'm not in there position and I would help anyone if they need it without payment as I have done many times in the past,also several on this forum,and I never received a penny.

This is so true. There are several members on the forum who will say all sorts of things and all sorts of opinions but when help is needed they are always there to give the advice and support needed. I know I have received plenty of good advice from certain members of this forum for which I am extremely grateful.

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Grandad,

yes, as would i , but its totally different doing it for a living , so what you are saying is that carers in nursing homes should work for nothing as they all need help? we have a old bloke a few doors down from us who is always knocking to give him help

knocked off sky i went & sorted it
got a new phone i went & set it up
bought a gtech air ram i set that up also , dint want or expect anything , i wasn't working

Lets have the Reg plates and the Taxi numbers of the cars and lets get them out of the trade. Will these be the same drivers who have exclusive access to the Station?

hmmmm... thought a debate about this "might " happen tbh , nobody has answered my key questions

TLTR.

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Grandad,