Forums Forums National News Muslim bus drivers refuse to let guide dogs on.

Muslim bus drivers refuse to let guide dogs on board

Blind passengers are being ordered off buses or refused taxi rides because Muslim drivers or passengers object to their 'unclean' guide dogs.

One pensioner, a cancer sufferer, told how had twice been confronted by drivers and asked to get off the bus because of his guide dog, and had also faced hostility at a hospital and in a supermarket over the animal.

The problem to carry guide dogs on religious grounds has become so widespread that the matter was raised in the House of Lords last week, prompting transport minister Norman Baker to warn that a religious objection was not a reason to eject a passenger with a well-behaved guide dog.

While drivers can use their discretion to refuse to carry non-disabled passengers with dogs, they are compelled to accept guide dogs under disability discrimination law.

Yesterday both the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and the National Federation of the Blind confirmed the problem was common, and, according to the latter organisation was 'getting worse'.

The tension stems from a strand of Islamic teaching which warns against contact with dogs because the animal's saliva was considered to be impure, the Muslim Council of Britain said.

It urged Muslims to show tolerance and common sense over the issue.

'We need to be flexible on this,' a spokesman said. 'Muslim drivers should have no hesitation in allowing guide dogs into their bus or car.

'If a dog does lick you, it's not the end of the world. Just go home and wash yourself.'

George Herridge, 73, a retired hospital maintenance manager, told the Daily Mail he was 'stunned' to be twice asked by bus drivers to leave their vehicles because of his guide dog Andy, a black Labrador.

Mr Herridge, who lives with wife Janet, 69, in Tilehurst, Reading, said that on the first occasion two years ago, he got off at the request of a Muslim driver because some Muslim children on board were 'screaming' because of the dog.

He found himself in a similar scenario in May last year, when a Muslim woman and her children became 'hysterical'. Mr Herridge this time refused the driver's request to alight.

He complained to the bus company which launched an investigation. It later informed him the matter had been dealt with 'internally'.

Jill Allen-King, spokesman for the NFB, said she had been repeatedly left on the kerb by Muslim taxi drivers who refused to take her dog.

One cab driver told her he would have to 'go home now and wash myself' when she tried to enter his car with her dog.

Mr Baker yesterday warned bus and cab companies that, while there were within their rights to ask a passenger to leave if the dog was causing a nuisance, it was 'much more questionable to be asked to remove a dog for religious reasons'.

He added: 'One person's freedom is someone else's restriction.'

In 2006, Muslim minicab driver Abdul Rasheed Majekodumni was fined £200 and ordered to pay £1,200 costs by magistrates in Marylebone, central London, after being prosecuted for failing to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act when he refused to take a blind passenger because her guide dog was 'unclean'.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ard.html?ito=feeds-newsxml#ixzz0u9rCvyWk

I cant believe this but then again??? yes I can

should put a burka on the dog, then no one would know what it was or who it was.

What century are we in, again?

I dunno mate. I need to ask ALA lol!

christian people will be a minority before to long in Great Britain so we may as well all start to get use to islamic ways of doing things. Glad i have go no grandchildren.

I hope the publicity ensures this doesn't happen again, I can't see how they can force taxi drivers to stop, but buses absolutely, and if the driver can't cope with a guide dog then let him be the one to change jobs.
We lived in Rossendale for 12 years and the latest thing in Rochdale is to replace several of the public loos with hole in the ground type, as Muslims apparently prefer to squat.
Words fail me at this point as I don't understand why we are pandering to a minority, hang on, soon they will be the majority, now I understand...

Taxis also can't refuse, both on legal grounds for discrimination and also because they are a licensed public service.

I suspect this is another case of the press embellishing a story to 'big it up'. They are right to report the facts but only the facts and ahouldn't emphasise the negatives
It can only be a matter of time before someone takes one of these papers to court for inciting racial hatred.

As far as i can see, they are reporting the facts, this is Great Britain and we live under British law, as Brits we have always gone out of our way to accommodate guide dogs no matter where they be, as far as i can see, if there is any racial, religious hatred then the actions of the Muslims in question have brought it on themselves, its about time they realised they are not in the country from which they came and they can't expect to live here as they once lived in their former place of residence. When in Rome, do as the Romans.

It gets me when people say they should do as we do,
how many times have you gone on holiday and done as they do, eg english in spain asking for full fry ups and chips.

that's holidays and you try to oblige the customer if you want to get their money
This is about people coming to this country to take up permanent residence.
I've been told if you visit some of these other countries you can't wear shorts.Their laws are strictly enforced

This has nothing to do with fish and chips or holidays, if your on holiday in a foreign land, you should observe the laws and customs of that particular country, after all, you are a guest and visitor of that country. This debate is about observing British law and in this case observing a British tradition of going out of the way to help a blind person with a Guide dog.

When I was a bus driver/conductor, dogs were allowed on board but had to go upstairs, guide dogs could be accommodated downstairs. I only ever was wary if there was more than one dog because of dogfights. My favourite one was still the woman who told me on New Chester Road that her dog only had one eye, was therefore a blind dog and asked could she take it downstairs. I laughed my head off and told her it was fine. The Muslims should do as we do in this country and if they don't like it then pack the job in and go back to whatever Stan they come from.

what if a muslim got on the bus with a guide dog?