Disabled Veteran Denied Service at Starbucks
By Onan Coca / 10 February 2014 / 577 Comments
In an embarrassing situation for Starbucks, a disabled veteran was confronted and verbally abused by a Starbucks employee when he attempted to enter a Starbucks in Houston with his service dog. The Starbucks employee berated the veteran and would not allow him into the store - where the former soldier had a scheduled meeting. US Army veteran Yancy Baer is now telling his story in the hopes that it will enlighten others to the plight of disabled veterans and others who use service dogs.
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Fri Feb 07 20:41:17 PST 2014
Disabled veteran confronted by Starbucks employee about service dog
A disabled U.S. army veteran says he was confronted and embarrassed at a Houston Starbucks because of his service dog. Yancy Baer is sharing his story in hopes of educating others. view full article
“A gentleman from Starbucks meets me at the door and says I can’t have her in the store. He stated, you’re not blind. It was in your face, loud and bold. I got really nervous. I was shaking because I was being confronted. I explained what all she does, and his next comment was, 'Why can’t you do that yourself.”
baerMr. Baer was finally able to communicate his needs to another Starbucks employee, but not until being embarrassed and berated for his disability.
“People with disabilities, you can’t always see those disabilities. You never know what a service dog is for. Be careful about who you approach and how you approach it. You’ve got to be sensitive to people,” said Baer. “This isn’t acceptable. It can’t be acceptable.”
Starbucks was quick to apologize.
Starbucks corporate spokeswoman Laurel Harper released the following statement to KHOU:
“Starbucks always welcomes service animals to our stores, and this customer’s experience is not consistent with the welcoming and friendly environment we strive to create for everyone. We have spoken with this customer to apologize for his experience, and we hope to have the opportunity to serve him again. We have also spoken with our store partner about this situation and used this as a coaching opportunity for the future.”
Our veterans don’t ever deserve to be treated the way that liberals have treated them since the Vietnam War. They deserve our sincere thanks and our respect. While we may not always agree with the military choices of our leaders – the soldiers sent to fight don’t deserve to bear any animosity for those choices. The politicians do. Here’s hoping that this Starbucks employee learned his lesson and will be a bit more respectful to others in the future.
Read more at
http://eaglerising.com/4606/disabled-veteran-denied-service-starbucks/#uBZKhCAkP4jzio2e.99
