Dick's Sporting Goods

[IcanGlide]

I don't know if there is one near you, but this afternoon I went into our local Dick's Sporting Goods store. I have been in there a few times before without any problems and I went in the first time today canoe shopping without any trouble either. It was when I went back an hour later that I was stopped at the door.

"I can't let you in here with that, sir" the manager said.

I said, "You can't?"

He said, "No I can't, if you fall over-I'm dead."

I started reaching for my Draft cards when I thought-I'll talk first, then pull the card if I need to.

"Did you know that this is protected by Federal Law?" I asked.

"It is?" he responded.

"Yep, the Americans With Disabilities Act" I said.

He looked back at the blue placard mounted on the front of my Segway and said, "Handicapped?"

"Yep" I said.

"Oh............OK" he said. And with that I was off, scanning the canoe section again. I will admit, it took a little bit for the hair on the back of my neck to settle down, but I won that round and it felt good too.

So thanks to Draft and to all of the other trail blazers on this forum for all the work you've done ahead of this and for all the advice I've read here, it really came in handy.

Frank

[Tarkus]

Frank,

The hardest part of all this is to remember that anything new will meet resistance and you have learned how to play the game. Sometimes it doesn't take much to get these guys to fold and you played your hand well.

Sometimes you eat the bear, sometimes the bear eats you.
Thats life with the Segway as a mobility aid !

Stay after them.

Be Big,
Alan

[jehemer]

Frank;
Congrats, just like the fabel the sun not the wind got the man to remove his jacket. A polite calm explanation I have found works wonders and educates the public simultaneously. I bet the next time the manager encounters someone on a Segway he'll ask first if they are disabled, we can hope.
I once had a security guard stop me in a store and demand that I use one of their electric carts " for people like you". My wife came unglued. I settled her down and calmly escorted the guard to his supervisor then watched as he got his *** reamed out for being a idot. We received a note from the manager appoligizing for the miss informed guard and a 20% discount on our next purchase.

[IcanGlide]

Oooh, man, that would have been tough. I have thick skin-most of the time and I agree with you, just be calm and to the point. There are a lot of ignorant people out there that just don't know anything about the ADA. I work in a hospital and I use my Seg throughout, and every now and then I get the classless jerk; like a few weeks ago: "What do you call that, a lazy machine?" I just told him that it's a neat way to get around and kept moving along. I don't argue with stupid people.

Frank ♫