Before phones had cameras, if someone was rude to you in public, even if it were an employee of an establishment you were patronising, you couldn’t do much other than address an angry email to them, which would draw a generic response weeks later.
Things are different now, though.
Not only can you capture any incident within seconds of it happening, but you also have a platform on which you can share it with thousands of strangers.
Subway Allegedly Denied Entry to Customer with Guide Dog
An aggrieved Subway customer has taken to Facebook to vent her frustrations after an employee at a Subway outlet allegedly denied entry to her because she had a guide dog.
Facebook user Sophie Soon detailed the incident in a post on Thursday (13 Aug).
Sophie said she visited Subway’s outlet in Kallang Wave Mall but was denied entry by one of its employees. The employee allegedly refused to talk to Sophie, and even yelled at her for trying to converse with him.
In a video that accompanied the post, a woman with a guide dog, presumably Sophie, and a man, can be seen trying to talk to a Subway employee behind the counter, but he repeatedly gestures at them to wait outside while he makes a phone call.
But why? Why did he react like this?
Because Sophie had a guide dog with her.
For the uninitiated, a guide dog is an assistance dog trained to lead blind and visually impaired people around obstacles.
In several countries, guide dogs, along with most service and hearing dogs, are exempt from regulations against the presence of animals in places such as restaurants and public transportation.
According to Sophie, the Subway employee who denied entry to her insisted that Subway is a Halal restaurant and that guide dogs are not supported by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS).
Except that they are.
Subway’s Response
A few hours after her Facebook post was published, Subway sent Sophie a private message, and thanked her for bringing the incident to their attention.
In it, Subway says that it’s an “inclusive brand” that “welcomes people of all abilities”. They confirmed that guide dogs are indeed allowed in their outlets under MUIS guidelines.
“We will be taking the opportunity to educate our restaurant teams both around guide dogs and how we can support any customers with a disability”, it said.
One netizen who commented on Sophie’s post also shared an advisory by MUIS that shows guide dogs are permitted by them.
Will Take Action Against Employee
The day after, Sophie shared another post saying Subway had properly reached out to her and “expressed their deepest apologies” for how she was treated.
Subway added that it would be taking action against the employee who mistreated her.
In addition, the restaurant franchise has invited her to a meeting, along with Guide Dogs Singapore, to discuss how best to educate their employees about the use of guide dogs in their restaurants.
She’ll also get a free meal, which never hurts.
Guide Dogs Allowed On Trains & Buses
While SBS Transit does not allow animals on their buses and trains due to hygiene and religious reasons, it does make an exception for guide dogs for the visually impaired.
So, please do not get upset with someone who brings a guide dog on public transport and go off on them, they already have a tough enough time as it is.
Plus, the law is on their side.
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