Strange Encounter #1 – “Blind Guy”

by PkWynn on September 11, 2009

Several times a week I usually encounter something unusual at work. Each week I’m going to try to write an odd experience I had and let you the reader tell me if its also unusual at your place of work.

As of September, all Portland stores servicing food will put up posters announcing that: Pets are not allowed in food establishments, except service animals.

Which leads up to the story that I’ve encountered today…

Lady – Sir, there’s a guy in the store with a really big dog. Pets are not allowed in the store right?

Me – No, Ma’am … Ill go find the person and tell him.

I see a guy wearing shades on the baking isle looking at the brownie mixes, holding by the leash, a big Leonberger dog.

Me – Hi, sir… I’m sorry to tell you that we cannot have pets in the store.

Guy with dog – Oh… this is my seeing eye dog… I’m blind.

Me – Oh, I’m sooo sorry! Will you be needing any assistance?

Guy with dog – No thanks I’m used to this store by now. I know what I want.

As I started to walk away I picked up a bag of chocolate chips that was on the ground and looked back to see how he was doing and I realized…

HE WAS READING THE LABEL!

Me – Sir… I see that your reading the label.

Guy with dog – Uhh… does that mean I have to leave?

Almost tricked me!  He had to leave because he wasn’t blind after all and his dog would have been too massive to be a service dog.

Tagged as: blind shopper

  • http://www.pickmeupgirl.com PickMeUp Girl

    I think your blog is hysterical. I posed it on my twitter (@pickmeupgirl). Just wanted to let you know I love it!

    Check out mine if you ever get a chance, we seem to tell stories in a kind of similar way…? http://www.pickmeupgirl.com

    ~me

  • http://www.phoenixism.net David Quintero

    Faking blindness! How low can you go???

    Reminds me of how as a child I would make really twisted and ugly faces and adults would warn me, “Pretty soon your face will stay like that!”

    Something I would tell pseudo-blind dude.

  • Gary

    i’ve always wondered what “service animal” really means. a blind person i can understand, but something that goes on at my local freddies has me wondering. the signs you describe are plainly on the doors, however, there are 2 very heavy ladies who get around on these scooters that are always eating in the deli area of the store with their 2 little chihuahuas in their laps. would these be considered service dogs? they can’t be left at home for a short time while these ladies eat their dinner? i’ve never seen anybody at the store ask them to remove these dogs. maybe you could enlighten me…
    by the way, i really like your webpage.

  • http://www.mostlygrocery.com PkWynn

    Hey Gary! Service dogs are animals that guide or give assistance to people. A service dog can do many tasks, depending on the person’s disability. A dog guide is the eyes for its blind handler, taking the handler around obstacles. A hearing dog alerts the handler to sounds, a Seizure Alert/Response dog responds when the handler has a seizure, and a Mobility Assist Dog (also called a Service Dog), is the arms and legs for a disabled person. The dogs with those heavy set women are just pets I’m sure that they don’t want to leave at home. I usually see them a lot in the store as well but I just pay no attention to them because if I do say something then they will cause a huge disturbance and that’s something that I would like to steer clear from.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1483088965 Amanda Joy Panell

    Were not allowed to do that at my store. We are to assume that any animal is a service animal, were defiantly not allowed to question people about them.

    Then again things have changed since 2009 I bet.

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