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Cabbies banned my guide dog
A BLIND man has hit out at two cabbies who refused to carry him and his guide dog.
Jon Prashar, 45, was turned away twice outside Rochdale railway station as he tried to travel to a conference with his dog, Amber.
A quick-thinking colleague took a note of the taxis' registration numbers and an investigation was launched by council officials. The drivers, Talib Hussain, 51 and Mohammed Idress, 37, were tracked down and prosecuted in a landmark case for Rochdale council.
Jon, who has been blind since birth, said: "When we approached the first taxi I could hear the driver say 'no dog'.
Boot
"He then said Amber could go in the boot. I asked if it was an estate car because that would have been fine but it wasn't. There's no way she was going in a closed boot - she'd have freaked out.
"He then went to speak to the driver behind him and the pair of them drove off. Fortunately my colleague got their registration numbers. We had to get a black cab."
Jon, who works in marketing, said: "To be fair to the drivers they were both very pleasant.
"When they knew I was taking action one drove to my house to apologise. I don't think they were being malicious and they do a very unpleasant job. But something needs to be done to stop this from happening again."
A number of Muslim drivers have expressed concern about carrying guide dogs in their cabs. Dogs are generally not allowed inside Islamic houses as they are considered unclean.
Mosques
However, the Muslim Council of Britain has issued guidance saying Islamic law DOES allow guide dogs to be carried in cabs. They have even been allowed into mosques in the past.
Mike Tyerman, from the Greater Manchester's Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, agreed. He said: "I think it tends to be individual drivers and a misunderstanding from a religious context.
"We get a lot of concern from the Muslim community but when you talk to anyone well versed in Muslim texts they say guide dogs and working dogs should be no problem."
Mr Hussain, of Chevron Close, Marland, Rochdale, was fined £125. Mr Idress, of Bolton Road, Sudden, Rochdale, was fined £100. Both were ordered to pay £128 costs at Rochdale Magistrates Court.
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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin
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FAQ
A nice animal though, big but gentle, I only hope I never meet a bad one. 