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.

Would people really dig their heels in if for example like in the situation we found ourselves in an autistic child (also with allergies and a phobia) was having a meltdown - you’d seriously refuse to ease a disabled child’s suffering just because you wanted to prove a point ?

Am I the only person thinking just go upstairs, where there are more seats and less complaining.

@TheObstinateHeadstrongGirl you may want to reign yourself in.
I work with people who have autism and absolutely do not consider it a disability on any level.

Incidentally they also own dogs.

@TheObstinateHeadstrongGirl

"Having a dog is not the same as having a child."
You are right about that.
Dogs are much better. Less annoying and much more loyal.
Dog owners are nicer than most parents and a lot less entitled.

I wasn’t the one who started talking about guide dogs in relation to what happened to us …..

Wonder what she’d have shouted if it was a guide dog.

The dog, and you OP had every right to be there. It’s up to her to manage her health, it’s not your responsibility.

You don’t consider autism a disability?

I am allergic to dogs but I would never expect anyone to accommodate my problem. I carry a rescue inhaler and use it whenever I can’t avoid dog exposure in public.

Also, a screaming, disruptive child in a cafe/restaurant/public venue should be removed by the parent/s and I would expect the venue owner to insist on that.

Was she sneezing? If she really did have an allergy she would been.

@Fourteenhouses

Why did you go to a dog friendly cafe? I wouldn't take my dog to a cafe with a 'no dogs' sign in the window. So why take a child with allergies and dislike of dogs to a dog friendly cafe?

Hope dog was ok.she should put a mask on!silly woman.yanbu.🐕🐾🐾

But it wasn't a service dog. It was a poodle on a bus. Sure in a Cafe, you can leave, it's not the same on a bus. It's ridiculous that dogs seem to have more rights than humans. Just pathetic

No law applied to the situation I was in . People are just now doing the ‘what if’ thing .
neither dog was a guide dog so it’s not relevant

“Would people really dig their heels in if for example like in the situation we found ourselves in an autistic child (also with allergies and a phobia) was having a meltdown - you’d seriously refuse to ease a disabled child’s suffering just because you wanted to prove a point ?”

no @Fourteenhouses of course people with dogs will leave….. because we aren’t entitled. Would you leave if the person was blind? Or would you make the blind person leave?

What do you think? WWYD in that scenario.

she didn’t realise it was dog friendly. which begs the question of why she didn’t just leave when she was informed it’s dog friendly

I would have moved up the front but I would not have moved again and stood up .

The bus wasn't a double decker, or else I would've gone upstairs.

Having said that, the image of me stumbling up the stairs on a moving bus with my little pooch after being publicly humiliated would be a sight to behold.

Legally, there’s no such thing as a service dog in the UK, they’re assistance dogs. Service dogs are used by the police, forces, search and rescue etc.

@Fourteenhouses if your child is going to react in such a way, then the onus really js on you to ask 'is this cafe/pub dog friendly?'

Me too

Don't you think it's most likely that you were prioritised simply because you had already ordered and had your food and drink? I'd have thought in future the onus is on you to avoid dog-friendly cafes. You've no right to dictate in that way.

I think I’ve said about 4 times now - there was nothing saying dog friendly or similar anywhere . It was a really small cafe - I didn’t even think dogs would be an issue !
when it happened the cafe owner said they were dog friendly and it transpired while the women were having a go at me that it’s ‘local knowledge’ so I didn’t go somewhere dog friendly knowingly

Well luckily the owner was helpful and made them leave as could clearly see what was the right thing to do

You put your child in a situation that they couldn’t deal with. Would it not have been more sensible to remove them from the situation that was causing them so much distress?

Me too - thankfully D Dog comes with us by car so we don't need to take him on the bus and we don't take him into cafes (although we've been known to have a cuppa outside with him) and I've never encountered people with such extreme allergies they have to issue commands to everyone else, so not sure what I would do if that happened, but it sounds like a batshit world in that London.