Chinese bus driver who refused to move with blind woman’s guide dog on board eventually rolls over
- Guide dogs are allowed by law on public transport in many Chinese cities but not all drivers and passengers are happy about it
- Blind masseuse Lu Fu says taxi drivers simply refuse to let her get in with her dog, Evay
A woman and her guide dog were stopped from getting on a bus in southeast China on Wednesday after the driver warned them the vehicle would not move with them on board, while passengers showed they were in no mood to be sympathetic.
Masseuse Lu Fu was on her way to a friend’s wedding with her dog Evay and human friend Juan Juan in Hefei, Anhui province, when the incident happened.
“I will not drive if you take the dog,” Hefei Evening News quoted the driver as saying.
Some of the other passengers began to fidget and get impatient, complaining about the delay, the report said.
Juan explained that Evay was a guide dog and permitted by law on public transport. The driver relented after checking with the bus company by phone.
Lu has experienced problems on public transport before. Typically, bus drivers let Evay get on after an explanation and some persuasion, but taxi drivers almost always turned them down flat, she said.
Hong Kong volunteer hopes to train more guide dogs for city’s visually impaired
Evay is the only guide dog in Hefei and began working with Lu at the end of last month after leaving the China Guide Dog Training Centre in Dalian, Liaoning province.
While many cities in China, including Hefei and Beijing, have passed regulations that allow guide dogs on public transport, their owners are often made to “prove” they are necessary.
A representative of a bus company was quoted as saying that as well as providing evidence of their disability, owners must present a certificate to show the animal’s official status as a guide dog and ensure it is wearing a harness.
Lu said she was always well prepared but said she often faced problems from other people.
“Passengers shout at me that dogs aren’t allowed on the bus,” even when Evay was wearing her “Guide Dog” jacket, she said.
Recent posts about guide dogs and the problems they face were read nearly 14 million times on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like service, and met with a largely positive response.
“Guide dogs will not beat people up and grab the steering wheel [of the bus] so there’s no reason to reject them,” one person said.
“Dogs are people’s friends and the eyes of the blind,” said another.
