People with guide dogs have been denied flights and a hamburger

by Jamie Rhein on

Guide dogs are nothing new. Most commonly known for helping people who are blind navigate the world around them, they are gaining use in helping people with other types of disabilities. Also called service dogs, some are now being used by war veterans with post traumatic stress disorders. The more service dog use increases, the more likely they will be part of the traveler’s scene. Unfortunately, not everyone who works in the service industry knows the laws and rules that protect service dog owners. This has created a few snafus.

There is a current lawsuit against McDonald’s for a situation that started with the refusal of service. When Luis Carlos Montalván, a former U.S. army captain who was wounded in Iraq, came to a McDonald’s in Brooklyn with his service dog, he was told he could not bring the dog inside. Montalván complained to the company CEO which resulted in a sign installed at the restaurant indicating that service dogs are welcome.

The lawsuit came about after this incident because Montalván claims that when he returned to this McDonald’s after the sign was installed, he was denied service by a different manager. When Montalván later came back with a camera to take a picture of the sign that said he should be able to have service, two employees accosted him.

In another recent guide dog incident, a blind couple and their dog were denied boarding on a Jetstar plane in Australia even though the airline does allow people with service dogs to fly. [Jaunted]

In both of these cases, the problem arose because the people who worked for the organization weren’t aware of the rules of an organization or the law. I would bet they hadn’t come across someone with a service dog before either. As much as a service dog looks like a regular dog, it’s not. Guide dogs are not pets.

What are the laws anyway? In the U.S. the Department of Justice outlines them quite clearly. In essence, a person with a service dog cannot be denied service. Period–except from what I can tell from reading the guidelines, if the dog is barking during a movie or if it acts up somewhere. Since service dogs are taught not to bark or act up, such behavior would be unlikely.

If you do see a service dog, don’t pet it when its harness is on. That means it’s “working” with an important job to do.

Iceland ditches McDonald’s

by Tom Johansmeyer on

It’s been a tough year for Iceland. Thanks to foreign money, crazy lending and borrowing practices and a real estate bubble that amazed the world as it grew and when it popped, the small northern country has suffered severely through the global financial crisis … which was predicted by a walking tour guide prophetic viking. Now, a year after Iceland went bankrupt, it’s losing something else – fast food. McDonald’s is leaving the island nation.

Reykjavik, the capital, is home to all three of the country’s McDonald’s restaurants … but not for long. The decimation of the Icelandic krona and declining profits are forcing the franchise owner to call it quits. Magnus Ogmundsson, managing director of Lyst Hr., which holds the franchise in Iceland, told The Associated Press, “The economic situation has just made it too expensive for us.” His situation was made difficult by the McDonald’s requirement that the store’s goods be imported from Germany. So, he had to spend in euros, which became incredibly expensive because of the krona’s plunge.

To get a sense of how bad the situation became, check out the price of a Big Mac. It already costs $5.29 in Reykjavik, and to turn a profit, it would have to go for $6.36 – making it the most expensive in the world. Currently, the title goes to Switzerland and Norway, where a Big Mac costs $5.75.

Ironically, the first person to taste a Big Mac in Iceland was David Oddson. At the time, he was the prime minister but later moved into the position of governor of the country’s central bank, where oversaw the rise of the bubble. He was forced out of office by lawmakers earlier this year.

McDonald’s has had a presence in Reykjavik since 1993 but has no plans to return in the near future. Theresa Riley, a company spokesperson, released a statement saying, “The unique operational complexity of doing business in Iceland combined with the very challenging economic climate in the country makes it financially prohibitive to continue the business.” She added, “This complex set of challenges means we have no plans to seek a new partner in Iceland.”

Lyst, however, isn’t finished. Ogmundsson plans to reopen the stores under the name Metro and use locally sourced materials and produce, keeping the company’s 90 employees in jobs.

In the meantime, you can still get a solid hotdog in Reykjavik with fantastic mustard.

McDonald’s to move in next to Louvre

by Tom Johansmeyer on

McDonald’s is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary in France by opening a new location in the Carrousel du Louvre. This underground mall connects to the storied museum that is home to the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. So, if the latter had arms, she could sport the former’s smile with a Big Mac.

France is McDonald’s biggest market outside the United States, despite the vocal local minority, and planting a fast food joint next to the most visited museum in the world is a no-brainer. The chain already has more than 1,000 restaurants in the country, and the one on the Champs-Elysees is the most profitable McDonald’s in the world.

The Louvre wouldn’t say anything about its prospective neighbor. So far, no date has been set for the opening.

Gadling Take FIVE Week of March – April 3

by Jamie Rhein on

Perhaps you noticed our annual April Fool’s offerings. Although there are some odd TRUE stories here at Gadling every once in awhile–sometimes daily, nothing this past Wednesday was true. At least, I don’t think China is planning to put an escalator up Mt. Everest.

Here is a sampling of what has been true this week.

  • Annie has happily continued to sample jerky. This week’s post on Oberto Beef Jerky made me hungry and itching for a road trip.
  • If you have not taken the time yet to watch the video in Jeffrey’s post “Afghanistan, an accordion, ‘Elvis’ and Johnny Cash,” do. It’s a wonderful example of an unexpected cross cultural-exchange.
  • For anyone 30 years or younger, Allison has news about a way you can win a trip through STA. There is a free trip being given away every day this month. With several days left, you might get lucky.
  • The golden arches of McDonald’s are almost a world-wide icon, although every country has its own version of some menu items. Aaron names some of them like Israel’s The McShawarma. He didn’t say if he tried some on his trip there.
  • In his post on tourism’s effect on the Amazon, Kraig talks about his upcoming trip to Peru where he’ll be traveling on the Amazon in a riverboat. We’re looking forward to what he discovers on this venture and shares with us here at Gadling.

And here’s one more. In case you missed this bit of news, our favorite pilot Kent Wien and his wife Linda won the Competitours race in Europe. Set up like an Amazing Race challenge, Competitours is offering a unique way to travel that Kent and Linda were happy to try. We’re certainly proud!!!

The McCurry, the McShawarma, the McLobster, and other McDonald’s regional specialties

by Aaron Hotfelder on

When I’m traveling abroad, nothing reminds me of the efficiency (and the obesity) of the United States more than spotting the golden arches of a McDonald’s in some out-of-the-way spot. But as Rolf Potts noted in his article on the love-hate relationship travelers have with this ubiquitous fast-food chain, McDonald’s has a way of adapting itself to the country in which it’s located:

“In China, where familial identity is a core virtue (and where a sexually ambiguous bachelor-clown mascot might seem a little weird), Ronald McDonald is known as Uncle McDonald, and he has a wife, Aunt McDonald. In parts of Bangkok, where the laid-back Thai concept of sanuk (lightheartedness) threatens fast-food efficiency, McDonald’s staff members use James Bond-style digital countdown clocks to ensure the food arrives in a timely manner.”

One of the interesting parts about visiting a McDonald’s in, say, India (yeah, roll your eyes, hipsters) is seeing what regional specialties they’ll have on the menu, like the McCurry, the Chicken Maharaja Mac, and the McAloo Tikki Burger, to name a few.

A must-read post over at a site called Gunaxin has dozens more examples of McDonald’s regional fare. Some of the most (and least) appetizing:

  • The McLobster (found in Eastern Canada and New England)
  • SPAM, Eggs, & Rice (Hawaii)
  • Poutine, which is fries with gravy and cheese (Quebec)
  • The McLaks, a salmon burger (Norway)
  • McSpaghetti (the Philippines)
  • The McShawarma (Israel)

For more of the bizarre, the delicious-sounding-but-probably-not-very-good, and the downright unappetizing, check out the whole post here.

[via Marginal Revolution]