For being annoyed I was asked to stand on a bus because of dog allergies?

[anywayhereswonderwall]

I went to visit a friend in London today and I took my dog. It's worth noting she is a mini poodle, and hypoallergenic, and well behaved. You can barely even tell she's there. I got on the bus as part of my journey. It was the middle of the day so there were a few empty seats (but not loads).

I got on and sat down, and the woman a few rows behind me said 'can you move , I have a dog allergy'. I apologised and moved a few rows forwards, the furthest forwards I could go and still get a seat.

She then shouted forwards 'not far enough, you're going have to stand at the front'.

I was confused, but did it. I spent the rest of the 35 minute journey standing right at the front of the bus while the woman was 3/4 of the way along, sitting.

I did what she said for the journey, but when I got off I felt annoyed and I'm not sure if I'm justified.

@Fourteenhouses
Your child has a dog phobia which is easily managed by you, stay away from cafes which allow dogs.
You should reflect on your sense of entitlement

"I knew I had to insist my sons needs as a disabled person came above those of a dog"

In this case they didn't.

For the people saying why is a dog allowed on a bus I'm 40 odd years old and as long as I've alive dogs have been allowed on buses in my area.

@Fourteenhouses

It is not about putting dogs before people. Their owners are people too if you haven't realized.

The situation I gave you may have been real. You don't know the circumstances of the dog owner who had to leave due to their actions. That dog may have been their therapy dog. They may not be able to do everyday things like going for coffee without it, hence why they chose to visit a dog friendly cafe. They might have been autistic too. You don't know. Or should we only be considerate of potential special needs/mental health struggles if the person wears a big sandwich board proclaiming so?

If I walked into a cafe with my dog and then realized that it actually didn't take dogs, I would leave, not insist that anyone who didn't like dogs would have to leave instead. It is double standards.

Dog friendly spaces exist so dog owners can go places with their dogs while still being respectful and considerate to people who have allergies or don't like dogs. You should be more considerate of dog owners in future by taking your child to cafes they don't allow dogs.

But if it was a guide dog you’d have piped down? As you should I hope. In future just leave, don’t go anywhere dog friendly. You’re far too entitled.

Your dog sounds very cute!

It's annoying for you and in all honesty I may have ignored her the second time. But you did so the right thing in that scenario. Like other posters have said she may have been very wary of getting a reaction because they can be very uncomfortable.

DH is allergic to cats, he adores cats but he can't breathe anywhere near them!

I recently took my child to a lunch for autistic people. They didn't cope, so we left and went home rather than ask them to change what was the norm there. To attend, we have to sign a form that says we accept that service dogs might be at the event. Now I know why such a form is necessary. I thought it was strange before this.

Educate yourself. Of course our attitude to dogs is part of the culture. It’s not the same world over, is it? Would you see people taking dogs into shops and cafes in the Middle East? Nope. Different culture, different attitude to dogs.

And while dogs have been allowed on buses for a long time, there didn’t used to be so many cafes and shops letting them in. John Lewis has only recently started (unfortunately). The dog population in the UK is increasing.

ALSO dogs are definitely allowed on all buses and trains.

DH works in the public transport sector and it's thoroughly encouraged to stop people using cars unnecessarily.

There are lots of places that don’t allow dogs. Buses and dog friendly cafes do allow dogs and it’s up to the person with allergy or fear to accept that or find an alternative.

It was a single decker.

Surely you would find a cafe NOT dog friendly. I think this is unfair, on women with dogs and the cafe owner.

I would have moved to the seat further forward turn told her tough, I have an issue with my hip and can't stand. Dogs are legally allowed on buses and always have been (took mine on them as a teenager).

One person's allergy/phobia doesn't trump another's right to enjoyment

And the people on the bus who have left their ‘bloody dogs’ at home will still pose a risk from the hairs they will inevitably carry.

@Fourteenhouses

I would have refused, under half of all eating places are dog friendly, go to somewhere what doesn't allow them. My dog is a trained autism assistance dog!

Last night I got on a busy tube and a man with a dog also got on. Both of us were able to get seats but lots were standing. When answering this question I thought of that situation and thought what right did I have to make that man give up his seat and move as the issue would be mine, not his. I'm on public transport and presumably this man had paid his fare to travel just as I did. I thought that if I cannot be anywhere near a dog then it is my responsibility to move, not the person with a dog's issue as they are just going about their business.

I'll be honest, the first sign of a child having a meltdown and I'd be out of there anyway, with or without my dog.

I think though, you need to do better if your son reacts this way around dogs, do your research before you take him somewhere. You seem more annoyed by the other customers, but you are the one who dropped the ball here.

I think an anaphylactic allergy to dogs is quite rare. I have severe allergies to dogs but I am not anaphylactic. For me, my eyes start to swell up, my nose runs and my face gets very itchy and swollen. It starts to make my lungs tight and causes my asthma to flare up and it gets hard to breathe. While it isn’t anaphylactic, it isn’t something that is healthy for me to put my body through. For me. pills aren’t something I can take that often. I used to take a prescription strength pill every morning and then another at night even though they were both 24 hour to keep my allergies (not just to dogs) in check but over time the side effects and impact on my body meant I had to stop. I tried allergy shots for 3 years but saw little positive benefit. The reality is that I can’t be around dogs. I can’t function given I can’t see and can’t breathe. Also allergic reactions are exhausting and I usually need to sleep for a few hours afterwards. It is considered a disability and I was able to move to another building at work when someone in my building started to bring their dog to work for emotional support.

I understand people love their pets but the current trend of bring your dog into cafes and restaurants and into all kinds of enclosed spaces has certainly had a negative impact on my quality of life. I also
realize that people without severe allergies don’t understand allergies at all and many have an I can eat my peanuts here or bring my dog here if I want to attitude with the view that people with disabilities should stay home rather than society should work to include them.

There were plenty of occasions when ds was small where we had to leave places due to meltdowns. It doesn't happen very often now but if another child was having one and the parent was busy arguing with a cafe owner about dogs instead of dealing with it we'd have had to get out of there sharpish

the cafe owner asked them to leave

I think what that poster means is that no dog is 100% hypoallergenic. There are less-allergenic dog breeds, better suited for allergy-sufferers. Some popular breeds frequently referred to as hypoallergenic include Poodles, Yorkshire Terriers, Bichon Frise, Maltese, and Schnauzers—all low, no-shedding or hairless dogs. And poodles are considered virtually hypoallergenic as they only have a single layer of hair, which means the minimal shedding they do produce isn’t airborne, so doesn’t spread easily.

Dogs are allowed on buses.

As I’ve said I’ll phone ahead in future. It’s not dropping the ball though - 24/7 I’m caring for him either directly or by arranging care at times where something happens I’ve not anticipated it is up to society to then do what’s right if I can’t change the situation.

@Fourteenhouses

Because your son was distressed. The cafe owner was being kind, not because you were correct or had more right to be there than the dog owner. Hopefully this whole situation will prompt him to put up a dog friendly sign.