Blind Louisiana Man Sues McDonald's for Refusing Him Drive Through

originally posted by: Benevolent HereticOverall, it's great that businesses are not permitted to discriminate against the disabled, but this one guy is clearly twisting the intent of the law and I don't think he has a case at all. He's taking advantage of the system.

I vehemently disagree, and here is my rationale...

I believe that private businesses should be able to run their businesses however they want, including discriminating against anyone for any reason whatsoever, whether it be one of the 'legally protected' classes (ie, race, sexual orientation, etc), or even some made up class - ie, if I wanted to refuse service to people with blonde hair, that should be my right.

Government has ZERO business making these decisions for anyone else. I should be able to allow smoking in my place of business if I want, or ban smoking if I want. I should be able to hire or fire anyone I want, for any reason I want.

PERIOD. IT IS MY #ING BUSINESS, NOT YOURS OR ANYONE ELSE'S.

Now... ask me if I think it is a good business decision to discriminate against any of the aforementioned classes (or any other made up class/distinction). I don't. I think that the free market would settle all of this fairly quickly and painlessly. The 'White Power' and 'Black Power' establishments would either go out of business or be forever relegated to barely scraping by, while the businesses that did what most businesses want to do - do whatever they can to earn the business of as many people as possible, regardless of skin color or who that person #s at night, or whether they have penis or vagina envy.

But I am sick and tired of the entire concept that government - meaning someone other than ME - has the right to tell me how to run my business OR live my life.

originally posted by: boomstick88
Last week we were invited to the fun place, one of the attraction is kart.

I had a buddy with RP, he was about the size of an ox, had been a college football defensive tackle when he lost his sight.

Jack, having never BEEN blind, didn't have any blindisms, remembered how to drive but just couldn't see anymore. He didn't LOOK blind, so we could get away with it.

One of the really fun things was to take him to the big go-kart place and stick him in a cart. One of us would get ahead, one behind and we'd scream to him what to do as we tore around the track. He'd get out laughing so hard he couldn't stand up. The track operator finally came over and asked if Jack was drunk. Hell, no, he's not drunk, he's BLIND. And we all broke up again.

With some assistance, non-sighted people can do go-karts with great enjoyment and very little carnage. And a lot of fun for all, except the go-kart owner.

originally posted by: tanstaafl
I believe that private businesses should be able to run their businesses however they want

So, it's OK with you if a restaurant serves water tainted with lead? Or questionable meat? It's OK if the plant down the street from your children's school dumps their waste on the property adjacent to the school? It's OK if Christians aren't permitted in a certain book store?

It's certainly your right to have that opinion, but we (as a country) have been there, done that and suffered the consequences and learned by our stupid mistakes.

I think that the free market would settle all of this fairly quickly and painlessly.

Not if the issue is lead in the water or waste dumped in your child's school. Or if the restaurant that refuses Christians is in an area where only a few Christians live.

Regardless how YOU think it should be, people have rights. We have the right to be served by a business that serves the public.

a reply to: Bedlam

Lol. I have a book called "world's dumbest criminals" in it they have a case of a guy who happens to be blind. He goes to the bar with his girlfriend and seeing eye dog. The girlfriend drove them there in a vehicle he owned (not the girlfriend) they get in an argument and she leaves him at the bar. Hes drunk and wants to go home. So he gets in the car and has his seeing eye dog bark or notify him of the green lights and when to stop for red.

Cops auickly pull him over, suspecting him of being drunk. Didnt know he was drunk and blind. To the dogs credit the cops said he was stopping at the red lights just that he was on the wrong side of the road. So the dog was doing his job.

He was refused drive through for not having a car. Has nothing to do with him being blind. Go get a car and come back. Maybe he can sue God for making him blind.

a reply to: Joki42

how can a blind man drive?

originally posted by: BIGPoJo
a reply to: Joki42

I had been out partying all night and was staying in a motel across the street from a late night Taco Bell that kept their drive thru window open until 3AM but closed their lobby at midnight or so (this is back in 2002 or so). Me and my fellow party goers were starving for some Taco Bell so I decided to walk instead of drive because I smelled of alcohol. I learned real quick about the policy of no pedestrians in the drive thru. Its a safety concern because you can get run over.

It sucks that the guy is blind but that doesn't make him immune to company policy. This case will go no where.

It's not only company policy it's a requirement by insurance companies. Any padestrian areas crossing your drive through must be marked. And parking areas are not supposed to be placed near your drive through.if they are your insurance goes way up if you have people walking through your drive through area. And in many locations it's illegal and can fail you with codes. That's why there are no sidewalks on most drive through other than the entrance to the store.