Tuesday, February 2, 2010

"Your body's shitty"

So I have been debating whether to post this but I have decided to do it. So someone called Jack A. reviewed my dog walking business on Yelp! The problem is that Jack A. hasn't used my service. He focused on my disability rather than my dog walking.

This is his lovely review....

Oakland, CA

1/26/2010

If I could give the clients of this business five stars for humoring those who are differently-abled, I would. However, I feel like I have to write this as a warning to prospective clients (and all criticisms of my review will be ignored, because I know of the persistence [and stubbornness] of the person who owns this business).

"The Cool Dog Walker" (a.k.a. Eva) is a differently-abled person who is a non-verbal quadriplegic. Quite recently she experienced a loose, aggressive dog attacking one of her client's dogs on a walk.

Now, if you have seen any of her videos at all on YouTube, you will see quite clearly that TCDW cannot move/has severe palsy and relies on an assistant 24/7 to do anything physical. She has her assistant retrieve the dogs from the homes and attach them to her wheelchair for the "walk".

I am extremely differently-abled positive regarding life and work (being slightly differently-abled myself and knowing others who are para- and quadriplegic up here in Northern California) and support the rights of those who can do what is required of them in their jobs. However as someone who has worked with animal rescue myself, having a non-verbal person with severe CP as a dog walker who touts themselves as a dog walker is an incredibly (and urgently horrible) idea.

To take the responsibility of someone's dog, you best have the reflexes to keep that dog out of danger, and that means being able to break up fights and yank a dog out of unforeseen paths of oncoming vehicles (i.e., if a truck doesn't see you coming, or if the dog suddenly takes a dart to the left/right/wherever). TCDW does not have this capability at all and must rely on her assistant for anything physical to do with the dogs (just watch the YouTube videos for proof, under "disboi83"). TCDW touts on her website that:

"Also, I have been trained and certified by the S.P.C.A, (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) where I volunteer. I am insured and bonded through Pet Sitters Associates. I have been certified in pet first aid and my certificate is available on request. I also have a reliable and insured vehicle. I have worked with many breeds. My dog walking clients range from Chihuahuas to Rottweilers."

She may or may not be certified, but one thing is extremely clear: She cannot move from the neck down, so how on earth would she be able to perform canine CPR? She cannot drive her "reliable and insured" vehicle. Also on her website:

"I also have an assistant that accompanies me to retrieve the dog and leash them up. She also follows behind in case I need a hand. It's like two for the price of one!"

Her assistant is a 24/7 assistant that does ALL of her physical things for her. "Two for the price of one" is extremely unfair to the assistant, unless it's really the assistant who is 1) doing all the work (which is basically the case) and 2) getting the entire dogwalking fee for doing all of the work.

Again, I am not against differently-abled people having jobs, but having seen what "TCDW" has written about dogs (and she is an excellent writer, even if she fudges the truth often) while it's clear that she loves dogs enough, she is not exactly clean with the truth of her capabilities. If I were to hire a dog walker/caretaker for my dogs, it best be a person who can break up a dog fight (or PREVENT one from happening in the first place) and keep my dog from harm's way; anything else would make me an irresponsible guardian. I can see that a couple of clients are humoring her here, but come on--this is about our dogs' safety, and hiring someone means hiring that person, not their assistant.

So, I'm sure more people will humor TCDW/Eva, but before you do, please consider what it is you're doing here: This is your dog, a family member, and ask yourself these following questions:

-- Can this dog walker effectively communicate with my dog verbally?
-- Can this dog walker effectively communicate with my dog physically (I don't use leash corrections, but there are times I've had to yank my dog suddenly because of a careless oncoming car, and I've NEVER yanked on collars...my dogs wear harnesses)?
-- If my dog were in immediate danger (car, attacking dog, bicycle), is this dog walker capable of keeping my dog out of that danger?
-- If my dog -were- to end up in a fight, would this caretaker be able to handle the situation effectively?
-- Can this dog walker/caretaker obey all dog laws (leash and curb laws, re: poop scooping) of my city/town?
-- If for some reason there was an emergency, would this dog walker be able to effectively get in contact with or try to contact me ASAP? Be able to drive the dog to my vet/an e-vet? Perform CPR on my dog?

When you ask these questions you ask them of the primary "dog walker", not the dog walker's assistant...and if your dog walker/dog caretaker needs an assistant to perform mere basic duties, then it probably isn't a good idea to employ that person to begin with.

Now I wasn't going to respond because what do you say to a person like this. I got Yelp! to remove it and I was happy. My aide really really wanted to reply and I was like ok and she got the below response (the things he quotes are from her email.)

I'm responding to this second part because it's heavily ironic that you wrote this:

"Eva explains how she walks the dogs on her website. There are videos. She does not keep her CP a secret. When the clients meet her for the first time, they can see her range of mobility. They can tell she is non-verbal. She is very up front with them about what she will be doing, what her aides will be doing, and what she won't be able to do. They ask questions, she answers, I interpret. "

Because I wrote that exact same thing on the website (in fact, I thought that's what you were quoting--me, until I reached the end of your paragraph) where she detailed the experience of HERSELF "pulling" Gracie off of the other dog. Maybe you're completely unaware of that site--which it sure sounds like you are, but she has talked about how SHE does things when it's quite clear that YOU do the things she claims she does.

"You need to rethink your position on the capability, strength, and competence of people with disabilities. You have no idea what she's been through to get what she has."

I don't need to rethink anything. I AM disabled and I know my limitations. And I do know "what she's been though", because she writes on and on and on about it online. She detailed the dumb idea of how she wanted to actually TRAIN a rambunctious pit puppy "herself" even though her parents have different training methods and how THAT worked out, even after a whole litany of people in the community that she asked advice from TOLD her that it would not work out (and you'd have to be completely blind not to notice what she can and can't do just by watching the videos that you take of her).

YOU might feel at ease with yourself by accomodating her whims, but by enabling her like this helps *no one*. I wrote in my review that she is an excellent writer (or something to that effect), and nowhere online have I ever written that she is any less of a mind than the rest of us. Her mind is excellent and she is a really good writer (and I also wrote that it is clear that the dogs love her and she loves them, hello), but her body is shit, and (this is all crap I've written before, so don't think you're special enough for me to be speaking out of my ass to you) that's incredibly frustrating. That's a no-brainer. But it takes more than just strapping a dog to a wheelchair to ensure the safety of the dogs OR to give them commands that they understand. YOU even admit that it was YOU who jumps in and saves the day/will be there (in the previous email thing). It's YOUR voice we all hear on the damned videos that are telling the dogs to "sit"/get off of Eva. So is it gonna be YOU who gives a dog CPR if need be? That's great for you, maybe YOU should be the head of the business, then.

If you really wanted to TRULY help her, you wouldn't be doing 99% of the job that is there to do. You would be encouraging her to find her niche in a subject that she loves where she is entirely capable to completing herself; like studying canine ethology and writing endlessly on dogs/dog behavior. And no, that DOES NOT mean that she never has to interact with dogs, but she would be able to do these things *herself*, without your damned help all the time for 99% of the physical stuff. You said she doesn't hide her CP--well, that's what I freaking said. But there ARE limitations on what someone with her severity of CP can do, and people who are afflicted like that should NOT be selling themselves on a website as if they could drive their reliable and insured van/that someone is NOT with them all the damned time. They should NOT fool themselves by thinking that they can train a dog to do anything when they are non-verbal/can't move. Dogs are extremely physical creatures that rely on vocal commands *at the very least*. Training by proxy (proxy meaning YOU) might be something to consider down the line; perhaps she could be a trainer OF trainers. But to say that she can "train dogs" is misleading. And FTR, I DO know at least one quad up here but HE is verbal and he CAN at least give basic verbal commands.

You're pissed at me, ok. But think about the entire situation. If she loved dogs THAT much, she (and you) would be doing whatever it takes to never, ever put dogs in a situation that can get ugly real fast (and sadly, that happens every day, with the non-disabled too), and cue in on Eva's strengths (writing, education, her mind) instead of dwelling on something that can't be helped.


Now, onto the reply to this one.

"without ever personally seeing her walk her dogs"

Uh, no...you said quite clearly that there are videos, and I've seen them. You tie the dog to the heavy chair. Does she ever say "let's go" or "leave it"? Nope. Pretty obvious who's doing what here, unless now you're going to tell me that the videos are false (though I wouldn't be surprised if you ripped them down after this because G-d forbid that any of us actually SEE what you're talking about).

"To say that she "experienced" a loose aggressive dog attacking her client insinuates that she was powerless and incapable in the situation which could not be further from the truth. The fact- which you would have found out if you had asked her rather than basing your argument on her silly twitter post-"

I don't do Twitter. In fact, those words were paraphrased quite accurately from her own post, NOT on Twitter.

"was that I (her aide at the time) IMMEDIATELY ripped the loose dog off and put it behind its gate. While I did this, Eva drove off with the other dog to keep them separate and to stop them from flailing around and trying to get at each other."

LOL, that's not what she wrote. She said she's the one who pulled the dog off, and that the attacking dog was trying to bite her.

http://community.livej...

So now you know just how much she inflates her role in the dogwalking. And yeah, but sorry, I don't buy that her chair can go 0 to 20 in under 3 seconds, either.

"I was not hurt and neither dog has so much as a SCRATCH- that's how fast we acted. In fact, if I (the able-bodied strongman of the duo) had had to pry two dogs apart on my own- without Eva helping to separate them- it would have been a lot messier and harder to handle."

You just said it lasted all but 3 seconds and minimized the attack to begin with. Sounds like you would've done just fine, so stop rationalizing everything.

"Oh and I would LOVE to know just how any capable person could "prevent" a dog from jumping out of nowhere and attacking another dog."

I never said that, but I did say that situations are preventable. You can, you know, NOT put yourselves or any lives in harm's way by choice, but instead you choose to risk these things by creating the situation in the first place.

"The fact is that Eva will ALWAYS have someone with her and they will ALWAYS work as a team. There are ALWAYS a pair of hands there when needed. However, when you say that "her assistant....does ALL of her physical things for her" this is misleading. She is the one walking the dog. Not me. She decides how far we go, what path to take, when to stop and let the dog have a break, when to give him water, when to let him jump on her lap, etc. Yes, I am the one who would dress the wound of a bleeding dog- but she's the one who took the class and would direct me be TELLING ME."

How cute. A "team". I sure hope you get *team* salary, since it is you who does all the work (and perhaps it's not you she bitched about having burnout this summer, but situations like this only create resentment unless you're a slave for...well, a slave). And funny, but it sure didn't look like Eva was telling that big pittie much of anything when he came out to greet her/slobbered all over her face (your voice again, I think?).

And you are right--she will ALWAYS have someone there/always have a pair of hands when needed. That means YOU have to be that pair of hands to pull dogs off of her (aggressive or not). Did you think the rest of us watching this didn't know this already? We're not blind, but apparently you are, at least to the fact that Eva knows this and is incredibly frustrated by it and that she constantly plays it down to the point of complete denial/lies.

"And don't pull that bullshit that she'd take to long to spell it out because all of her aide are extremely skilled at this."

I never did, did I. No, I didn't. So maybe I'm not the one being an assumptive ass, but you're so defensive at the moment that you feel like you need to pre-empt something that isn't coming in the first place, because you didn't take the time to read past your anger at my review.

"The subtext of what you wrote just screams out "Don't hire Eva because she CAN'T keep your dog safe. And you might as well hire a robot since she can't show your dog any affection." Total bullshit."

Maybe that's what YOU got out of it, but that's not what was written, and there is no subtext. I have NEVER written anywhere that hiring Eva is akin to a robot; in fact I've gone out of my way to emphasize what an excellent writer she is/how great her mind is/how big her heart is.

"If I (the person that has accompanied her on most of her dog walks this year) decided to quit and then asked her clients if they'd rather hire me instead of Eva, I GUARANTEE they would all say no."
Of course not, because YOU are not the novelty that will allay peoples' sense of guilt over mocking the differently abled (this is not how *I* see it, it's how *they* see it). The ability to say "Hey, I got a story for ya, my dogwalker is..." is just as bad as "Hey, I got a story for ya, my President is..." It doesn't matter that she can't move or talk--she walks dogs!...Well, okay, so her aide ties the dogs to her wheelchair and she can't give them verbal or even hand commands, but she walks dogs! Isn't that just awesome?

"I am not the "fabulous dog walker". She is. I don't let the dogs love on me or jump on me and I certainly would not walk a chihuahua or a mini poodle."

If that's the mentality of either you OR Eva, then you both shouldn't be in the dogwalking business, end of story.

"I would NOT go work if someone gave me like 3 hours notice that they wanted their dogs walked."

Except that you would (and do, likely), because you would *have* to be there to be "part of the team", since Eva can't do anything physical without *your* help.

"You say that a dog walker needs to be able to "yank a dog out of unforeseen paths of oncoming vehicles (i.e., if a truck doesn't see you coming, or if the dog suddenly takes a dart to the left/right/wherever)." I don't know where to begin with this. Do you assume that she walking in the middle of the road?"

Are you saying that you guys NEVER cross the street and only walk on the sidewalk? That's a mighty big sidewalk and a real fun walk.

"Oh her AIDE will have to do jump in if there's a fight!- you're goddamn right I will. Her job is to keep the dogs safe."

Yeah, you said it right there--it's HER job to keep the dogs safe, but she can't do it because YOU do it. Gotcha. (I guess the weed must be pretty strong down there in the south.)

"Does it matter that its my hands and not hers? Yeah, I pick up the poop and she keeps the whole fucking fee- how unfair. Poor me. But she's the one that started the business, that spends countess hours advertising, that pays for insurance, pays for the gas, writes up the invoices, keeps in contact with the owners, etc etc etc."

If the real world was really like this, we would *all* be "hiring" people to do our jobs and getting the full price for what our "hirees" do (and hey, in some parts of our world, they DO do that, so why not just hop a plane to China?). So how's it like to be treated as a slave? I wouldn't know, I've never allowed myself to be treated like that by anyone, but apparently you're a-o.k. with it. But as a customer or potential customer, I would like to know who's going to be doing the job I'm paying them for and to be able to pay THAT person for the work that they do.

I have written extensively on this already, and I have to reiterate that I have never said that Eva is completely incapable to deal with dogs. Quite the contrary. But I HAVE written that there is a point where one has to recognize and accept ones' limitations, no matter how painful and frustrating. OBVIOUSLY she had to've come to SOME recognition of her limitations when she had to give that pittie that she adored so much back. But to keep on enabling her desires when it's so sadly clear that there are things that just can't be done with a body that just sucks so much ass is NOT doing her any favors. I'll make my own assumptions here: That the refusal to realize what can and can't be done is what is leading to the constant posts over the years (at least five years now, maybe more) that she will get out of her parent's house and strike out on her own only to end up back at her parent's house is what is continuing this cycle of denial and build-up of frustration. I know what she's written, because she's a great writer and posts all over the place. She was supposed to've been UP HERE studying at the IHSHS, so what happened to that? It sucks because it didn't happen due to whatever circumstances, but that doesn't mean that she has to *give up*/resign herself. She's got to realize (and have people around her to encourage it) what her own limitations are and where she can build upon her strengths, and it's obvious that her strengths are in academia.

So before you come back with another rantish screed about how I just know nothing about her situation and what she does, think twice. I don't *presume* to know what's best for Eva, but I can make a reasonable judgment from your videos and her writings (some of which, as you have now seen, are peppered with white lies) what would be a better situation for the dogs in a commercial setting.


Wow! I kinda feel bad for him that he has so much hate. I wasn't really bothered by it because what he says is completely false. He hasn't tried to repost on Yelp! but I wouldn't put it past him. My aide wanted to reply but I was like, "No, don't give him the satisfaction."

P.S. Sorry for the long post but you can't put cuts in blogger.

38 comments:

  1. huh. so he is all ok with the "differently abled" and says *he* is differently abled but thinks the clients find you a novelty... so? he wants a job as a dog walker but no one will help him out? seriously, i think he must have a crush on you, or is verrrry jelous. prick.

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  2. There are so many negative people out there... the older I get, the less time and attention I'm willing to give them. The guy sounds like he's incredibly angry ("her body is shit" - what the hell?) and threatened by your efforts.

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  3. Wow, that is a lot of anger right there. I'm always so surprised when these types of things crop up -- particularly that someone out there has the time and energy to review a business he never used because he's concerned about your... morals? Abilities? This reads suspiciously like a, "won't someone think of the CHILDREN?" post.

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  4. Wow. So you should never try to do anything because you might need help with some physical aspect of the job, and this guy apparently finds that morally repugnant? That's what I'm getting from this. Yeah, he's totally okay with the "differently abled" except that he thinks their bodies are shit and they should just stay in the house and never offend his sensibilities. That makes a whole ton of sense! I'm really glad you were able to get his initial review removed from Yelp!

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  5. Sooo, your body is 'shit'. It says a lot about what he thinks of disability and disabled people - whether he is or not.
    I am beyond stunned at his words above. I'm confused how it is even any of his business and surely those that hire you are doing so because they trust you and know that you can do the job. No one would hire a 'novelty' to walk their dog.
    Just wow.

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  6. That's a lot of anger that guy has. I'm guessing it stems from his disability, whatever it is. Maybe he's jealous because he feels you're getting some kind of free ride that he isn't? Maybe he just hates his body and needs to put someone else's down to feel better? I'm suspecting he wasn't always disabled, and is adjusting badly, probably complicated by the whole macho=brawn real-men-aren't-disabled thing. I am in no way excusing him, mind. He's being an ass. He'd probably be furious if he realized how loudly his own issues are coming through, here.

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  7. I love how he uses the term "differently-abled" (because, you know, that's so P.C.), and then proceeds to be completely ableist in an incredibly rude and ignorant way. Also, despite the fact that he says he's disabled himself (because of course all people with disabilities share the same experiences!), he doesn't seem to comprehend that a full-time aid constitutes a reasonable accommodation for a disability, in life, in the workplace, etc. He seems as if he's never heard of someone having a full-time assistant before. Bizarre, since he's so "differently-abled" savvy.

    Anyway, I could spend a while tearing his post and subsequent email down, but I won't, and honestly, I hope you don't spend too much more time on it either. Yelp removed it (which they rarely do, so they obviously found it ridiculous/offensive/discriminatory enough to warrant removal). He's obviously a jerk, and an idiot, but no matter how upset you get about this, that won't change him--it will only get to you. That's something I'm having to work on myself--realizing that some people are idiots and not worth my time or energy.

    Take care, Eva. I love your blog.

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  8. Wow - reading all this has just made me want to swear. What a complete asshole!

    He has serious, serious problems - anger being only one of them. I couldn't even begin to guess what his deal his.

    I agree with aelphaba_fae - totally not worth your time or energy!

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  9. Wow. There is a guy with WAY too much time on his hands. I feel almost lucky that my trolls can only manage a semi-literate line or two.

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but surely your aide gets paid? No matter what she's doing? Whether she's helping you walk dogs or helping you go to the shops or helping you redecorate your bedroom? You keep the fee for being a dog walker. She keeps the fee for being an aide. Sounds fair to me. Not sure where "slavery" comes into it.

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  10. I'm surprised that no one has agreed with the guy. Even if he was rude (very rude), I see his point. Considering that Eva can not move from the neck down, I have to assume that the majority of her clients *do* employ her because they feel her aide can do a sufficient job and they feel guilty or interested in the novelty--what other conclusion is possible? I suspect this blog attracts people close to someone with disabilities and that colors the comments to this post. I also was surprised that Yelp pulled his review down--any time someone gets a bad review they can just get it removed? Come on. I did not find his original (public) post particularly rude and people should have the opportunity to read that perspective. Eva has stretched the boundaries of her CP, but that does not mean it makes sense for her to play basketball. Find an occupation that uses the aide to enable a core talent (such as this blog)--then it is truly Eva contributing. This is at best marginally the case with her dog walking.

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  11. Wow, he was so vicious :( I seriously cannot fathom why he would spend so much time attacking you over something that has no negative affect on him in any way. If you enjoy your job, and the dog owners are happy to employ you, and they are aware of your disability, then what's the problem? It has nothing to do with him.

    @Chaim, why would anyone agree with him? Eva wants to walk dogs, so she does.
    Why would you assume that her clients employ her out of guilt? Right now I walk my own dog, but if I was to use a dog walker I really don't care, how they walk him as long as the job gets done. If I found out my potential walker had a disiability, I would still try them out and if the dog was getting his exercise I'd continue to employ her. I have to assume the majority of her clients *do* employ her because they prioritise their dog's exercise and that Eva clearly makes sure the dogs are exercised, what other conclusion is possible?
    I don't know anyone with disabilities, I read the blog, because I like the way Eva writes, and the topics she writes about and I learn things from her.
    I think Yelp was absolutely right to remove the post, which was completely about her disability, and nothing to do with her services, if I was to employ a dog walker, all I would want to know is if my dogs will get walked.

    Finally, who are you to suggest what job she should have? Seriously, she can clearly make her own choices, so let her do that without criticism. If clients felt their dogs weren't safe then they woudln't employ her.

    If Eva is happy with her job, then who are you to say she should do something else?

    (apologies for the long comment)

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  12. by not giving him the satisfaction of a response, I applaud your karmic goodness. someday, I'll be able let things roll off my back like this, in the end and realize that some people aren't worth one's time, energy, thought, etc...

    (and it's not like your clients don't know your abilities when they meet your, or you're forcing them to hire you as their dog walker? isn't it, in the end, an economic transaction choice they're able to make on their own?! wtf?)

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  13. @Chaim

    I don't know anyone with a disability similar to CP, and I don't agree with you (or the obnoxious Jack A.). As I was reading this, I was thinking, "okay he has a good point". The dogs safety is paramount. But the thing is, Eva is completely covered using her and her aide's skills to walk the dogs. And why does he care so much about the monetary transactions between Eva and her aides. Shouldn't he just care about the customer's satisfaction and a reasonable price for dogwalking? It's not like I go to the grocery store to buy some fruit and ask about exactly how the farmers, packers and shippers, store employees, store managers and store executives are being paid. I just care about the price. I wonder if Jack A. is always so diligent about fair trade purchases and services...

    Seriously though. If Eva employed 10 people to help her everyday and still charged fair dogwalking prices, then who cares?

    And bottom line, if you don't like the way she works - don't hire her.

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  14. I'm not sure how I feel about this all, but to poke in about Yelp removing the review - they don't have the right to take down any negative review. I think the removal was allowed because he didn't actually employ her services and thus had no leg to stand on when reviewing.

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  15. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I personally don;t agree with you having the opinion deleted either.

    Feel confident in yourself and keep living your life the way you do. Who cares what that guy has to say..

    Such a liberal as yourself shouldn't be so quick to sensor others.

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  16. Oh, Eva. I guess we know that Jack A. is really short for Jack ASS. It's barely even worth dignifiying with a response. It's reminds me of that SNL skit with Tina Fey playing Sarah Palin. "Some of my best friends are homosexuals. I tolerate gay people. I tolerate the hell out of them!" This guy is trying SOOOOOO HARD to tolerate you but you just keep living your life like he has no say at all! Imagine that! Not only did you have the gall to start your own successful business without checking in with him first- you didn't shut it down once he expressed his disappointment in you. Top it off, you removed his thoughtful and clearly for-your-own-good review from Yelp! This man is going to save you from yourself, whether you like it or not. Oy.

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  17. I don't agree with the people who are saying that Eva shouldn't have asked to get the post removed. This guy had never used her services and was just going after her because she is disabled. "Warning" her clients about her disability? What bullshit. It's not as though she hides her disability from the people whose dogs she walks, so why provide the warning? Jack A.'s post was harrassment thinly disguised as helpful advice.

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  18. I agree as well that the post was completely justified in being removed. If he never used the services he can't review them. He just used Yelp as a soapbox to spout his opinion.

    Jack A reeks of privilege and entitlement. It's absolutely disgusting to me to see others try to dictate how we should live, especially when they have no real knowledge about what it's like to live as another person. It's like he doesn't consider people real people if they can't do everything by themselves - and who of us CAN do everything by ourselves?

    It's completely isulting to suggest that you are only hired as "novelty" too. I don't really know anyone with a disability and that's not why I read this site. I read it because 1)I like the writing, 2) I care about human rights and 3) it's nice to hear from people who are so often silenced in society.

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  19. I particularly enjoyed the little sprinkling of racism when he suggested your aide "hop on a plane to China"...!

    Seriously, what a *@!& - I couldn't think of a non-swear word that quite covers it.

    He seems to have completely missed that your aides are paid (I assume). I can't see how it's any different to hiring a PA to do some of your work. The business owner gets all the profits from the business, and they pay a salary to any assistants. And employing people with different skill sets to you is just good sense. In your case the difference may be more tangible, but my boss hired a PA who knows how to work a computer because he doesn't, and I really can't see how that's any different.

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  20. Eva This is completely crazy. It is obvious to me your limitations and you deserve to do wat you want to do woth your life weather it requires assistance or not. This person is incredibly cold and if he is reading this in my etes a total ass. So does this meant that because i can not drive o do not deserve to go out of myy home or to appointments that keep me healthy and to stores to amuse my time. he is completely wrong. well i need to stop now before i get entirely angry. any way i have limitations as well and I know i deserve what i work for and get and you do as well. i do not blame your aide for wanyting to respond to this you have every right an I am glad that she did respond.

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  21. For those of you irritated that Yelp removed the review, I give you the relevant section of Yelp's policy on review removal: http://yelp.com/faq#remove_review.

    Jack A.'s review was arguably second-hand (he admittedly had never used Eva's service), a display of bigotry, and irrelevant (as it had much more to do with Eva's disability than with her business). As someone above noted, how was his review helpful to her potential clients? They would obviously learn of her disability when they met her. So his bizarre "warning" is completely unnecessary.

    As for anonymous above, saying that Eva as a liberal shouldn't be so quick to censor others, that's ridiculous in this context. Having a bigoted, irrelevant review that may have the potential to harm your business by virtue of its bigotry =/= thoughtless "censorship."

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  22. I have to agree with the guy's original review.

    And clearly with the dispute - both people's buttons' were being pushed.

    And your business is "Dog walking" maybe if you were employing people do to the walking the review would make less sense, but, you're trying to be self-employed, so your disability does effect your job in a major way, when your job is generally one that would be quite physical. The guy has a lot of legitimate points.

    -S

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  23. Good grief. That must have taken him forever to write.

    I don't understand why everyone is getting up in arms about. Do they think that your aides would rather if you sat inside all day and stared at a computer screen? That would certainly be MUCH more interesting for them...

    Besides, half the issues that he was complaining about (dogs falling over dead, crazy attack hounds lurching out of the woods)... Yeah, I'd be lost. Sure I could tug my dog away, but so too could the dog follow.

    Running? Hah! That would only encourage the hypothetical maniacal hound.

    Good luck with all of that. I hope it ends well. :)

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  24. Congratulations Eva, you've attracted your very own troll! I'd write a primer on the care and feeding of Internet trolls, but it's best not to feed them at all.

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  25. also- to anyone who thinks any one is hiring *a disabled person* is out of a sense of novelty you are speaking for yourself, as your self, betraying your own point of view. its not ok to just think disabled people who work are "novel" its discriminatory and demeaning-to not take action to change your point of view makes you a bigot

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  26. How unbeievably insensitive! It sounds like he was trying to be deliberately hurtful! What's this dude's problem?

    Your body may not be the most abled body out there, but if anything is shit it's his opinion about this situation. Your aides sound totally awesome, so I would think that you make pretty solid business decisions!

    I also noticed other ableist language going on - usage of "deaf" and "dumb" in his letters. What a jerkoff.

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  27. Eva's disabled? Really? She never mentioned that during our personal interview. I think I'll be charitable and hire her out of pity - the care and well-being of my Rover is secondary. [If a prospective client doesn't trust Eva with their dogs, they won't hire her. And I'm sure Eva knows when someone is hiring her "out of pity."] As for the aide being paid, that's between the aide and Eva. Should we not allow people with disabilities to use necessary accommodations to perform work to the best of their ability?

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  28. everything im thinking has been said...
    im sorry you had to deal with this complete a-hole
    Unbelieveble

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  29. First, the moment the client meets you, assuming they do before the first dog walk, this all becomes moot. Second, the guy claims to have seen all your videos and has been reading your writing for years ... interesting. Obsessed? Third, he does make some points that very well may be valid, but not in a forum such as Yelp. They belong on his own blog or whatever.

    Kudos for posting it.

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  30. Unbelievable. Also... incredibly creepy. He has seen all your videos, has somehow connected the dots between your different screen names to also find you on livejournal as well as your business web page (and this blog, I assume, seeing as he mentions your writing)? And then sticks his nose in where it isn't wanted to write a review of a service he has never utilized. Someone's got issues.

    As for the "valid points" - you are the founder of the business, put in all the advertising work, decide what will happen with the dogs and how, have the necessary training, and also happen to have an employee who assists you with some of the workload? How is that difference from any other small business with one or two employees? Your aide makes a really good point in that having two people there makes it much safer in the event of a dog fight/attack.

    What a creep.

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  31. I don't think there is anything valid about Jack's self-righteous rant. He isn't enlightening anyone. Eva's potential clients are making an informed decision if and when they hire her (and from what I understand, there are plenty of people who don't call her back once they learn all of her circumstances). This guy sounds like he doesn't believe Eva is fulfilling her true or real potential, which isn't for him to decide.

    His original assumption that he could have any say in the matter (besides on his own private or public forum) is based on her disability, not her peformance, which is why his targetted/discriminating post was removed.

    Anyway, I do know Eva personally, and this whole mess incenses me. Eva, you can come walk my dog any time, not because I am humoring you, or I think you are an f'ing novelty, but because I know you will be there when you say you're going to, you'll keep Clover at a heel (without breaking a sweat I might add), and you won't steal my stuff.

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  32. This guy has a lot of vitriol, but why? What is his motive? I can't imagine why he's devoted such an extraordinary amount of personal time to bashing your business since the dogs are obviously fine. Insecurity? Internalized disablism?

    Oh my goodness, Stephen Hawking hires assistants--I guess if he can't do everything himself, he shouldn't. And I shouldn't have ever worked in administration doing something my boss could do herself.

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  33. Both Jack and Chaim have revealed to us all SO much about how they think, how they see the world, their unconscious feelings and attitudes toward themselves. I wonder if they have ever heard the term "projection" or if they could grasp what it means.

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  34. What a tool the best is as you said this person has not used your service so how can you review some thing you have not used

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  35. Eva, I read this last night and I thought about it all night. I am horrified that this man took it upon himself to "protect" all of the dogs of the world. I know, from reading your blog, that you are a strong woman, don't let it get you. Whether you are handicapped or not handicapped there will always be haters. Congratulations, you got to hear from yours. Keep doing what makes you happy. Karen

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  36. If Eva's clients had a problem with her, I guess they wouldn't have hired her. Good thing we live in country where you can start your own business, and if people want your services, they will hire you. I would hire Eva...and it's not because I would be humoring her. If she and her assistant did a good job and took care of my dog, that's all I could ask for.

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  37. Wow, is a single post that doesn't read volumes between the lines of what this guy actually wrote asking too much? It sure seems that way. A lot of you seem infinitely more interested in his "anger issues," his "macho" identity politics, etc. than the actual perspectives he offered. I'm neither defending nor attacking the guy, as I have no horse in this race, but I sure hope I don't end up the victim of lethal projection simply for having made the decision to post this brief message.

    Anyway, you've got a great blog, Eva! I knew a very young guy with CP when I was much younger myself, and a lot of your entries remind me of the time we spent together and the often rude (but almost always engaging) reactions he'd get from strangers in public. The grace and humour with which you respond to such situations is genuinely delightful.

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