I took my DS (21) out at the weekend, DS is in a wheelchair and has severe learning difficulties. We went to the town centre where there were lots of restaurants with tables outside as it was a nice day. I took DS to the restaurant he wanted to go to and asked if they had any tables free, they were a bit offhand but eventually said there were tables and led us to one....though didn't seem that they were that pleased at us turning up.
DS & I were seated and looking at the menu. After a couple of minutes a waiter came out and said he was sorry but there were no accessible toilets, I said that was OK, not a problem and we would manage without.
A couple of minutes later they came back and said 'I think it would be better if you got a takeaway rather than a sit down meal, how about if you order that instead of sitting here?'
I then felt that we were really unwelcome & I wanted to go and find someone else. I felt that we weren't the restaurant's preferred demographic for customers and that they didn't want to deal with us; and I wanted to eat at a place they were actually happy to have us as customers. I tried to explain to DS that we needed to go elsewhere, he got upset and didn't want to leave: 'I want to eat here, I don't want to go anywhere else, I want this table not a takeaway'. But eventually I persuaded him to leave & we went elsewhere.
This made me feel just dreadful on my DS behalf and that he had been discriminated against (luckily he didn't understand any of this though he was upset with me at making him leave). I maybe should have made a fuss and complained about the way we were treated but I didn't for the following reasons:
- I was out for a meal and a nice time with my DS, like everyone was out just wanting to have a nice time. I wasn't looking to have a row or fight with anyone, I was feeling relaxed and enjoying time with my DS, just wanted to do what I had set out to do, have a mellow, relaxed and happy evening out with my DS like everyone around us was having;
- I didn't want to make a fuss in front of DS as I was worried he was going to get upset. He can have serious meltdowns if things happen around him that he doesn't understand; he could easily have really kicked off & I would have had to deal with that.
I now feel so guilty though, as though I have let my DS down by not taking a stand at the time. My question is: do you think I am justified in complaining about them in an online review? Or do you think IWBU given I didn't make a fuss at the time for the above reasons?