Friday, April 25, 2025
5:29 AM
Doha,Qatar
RELATED STORIES
Maya Makri said it has been a struggle to access venues since she moved to London.

Student is left in tears by Tesco employees


Evening Standard/London

A blind student was left in tears when she was refused service in a Tesco supermarket - for bringing her guide dog inside.
Maya Makri, a student at London’s Central School of Speech and Drama, was buying groceries at the supermarket in Belsize Road near Swiss Cottage on Monday.
But when she approached the checkout with her friend and her dog, a cashier shouted “pets are not allowed”.
Despite the obvious high-viz guide-dog jacket worn by the black Labrador, named Jemma, Makri said staff would not acknowledge the animal was not a pet.
The other two cashiers apparently joined in and said there were “no exceptions”, before being told she could stay for the time being but could not return to the store in future.
Makri, 39, said: “I pointed out that this was no pet, but a guide dog. This should have been immediately obvious from the dog’s high-viz harness and fluorescent guide dog label on the lead.
She added: “I repeatedly said that I was registered blind and that this was a trained assistance dog, to no avail.
“Various customers tried to back me up, but we were shouted down. I burst into tears outside the store in sheer frustration.
“A woman followed me all the way to South Hampstead station, just to say how terribly upset she was about what she had just witnessed and that this had to be challenged.”
Makri, who previously worked as a conference interpreter and at the University of Leeds, said it was the latest in a series of difficulties she has faced since moving to the capital to study in September.
She also struggled to join her local gym and has been refused access to restaurants because of the dog.
Makri, of Queen’s Park, said Jemma, who has been in her care for six years, helps her become an “active member of society” and has been a lifeline since moving to London.
She added: “I went up to Leeds to do some teaching at the university yesterday and I truly dreaded coming back to London. This is not what I expected from our metropolis.”
A Tesco spokesman said: “This clearly should never have happened and we will contact Makri directly to apologise. We do allow guide dogs in stores and have reminded colleagues of that. We also offer customers with guide dogs help with their shopping, if they would like assistance.”
Last year a report released by charity Guide Dogs found people with guide dogs were increasingly being refused access to shops, transport, cafes and other venues. The charity said they were receiving more complaints from blind people struggling to access venues.


Comments
  • There are no comments.

Add Comments

B1Details

Latest News

SPORT

Canada's youngsters set stage for new era

Saying goodbye is never easy, especially when you are saying farewell to those that have left a positive impression. That was the case earlier this month when Canada hosted Mexico in a friendly at BC Place stadium in Vancouver.

1:43 PM February 26 2017
TECHNOLOGY

A payment plan for universal education

Some 60mn primary-school-age children have no access to formal education

11:46 AM December 14 2016
CULTURE

10-man Lekhwiya leave it late to draw Rayyan 2-2

Lekhwiya’s El Arabi scores the equaliser after Tresor is sent off; Tabata, al-Harazi score for QSL champions

7:10 AM November 26 2016
ARABIA

Yemeni minister hopes 48-hour truce will be maintained

The Yemeni Minister of Tourism, Dr Mohamed Abdul Majid Qubati, yesterday expressed hope that the 48-hour ceasefire in Yemen declared by the Command of Coalition Forces on Saturday will be maintained in order to lift the siege imposed on Taz City and ease the entry of humanitarian aid to the besieged

10:30 AM November 27 2016
ARABIA

QM initiative aims to educate society on arts and heritage

Some 200 teachers from schools across the country attended Qatar Museum’s (QM) first ever Teachers Council at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) yesterday.

10:55 PM November 27 2016
ARABIA

Qatar, Indonesia to boost judicial ties

The Supreme Judiciary Council (SJC) of Qatar and the Indonesian Supreme Court (SCI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on judicial co-operation, it was announced yesterday.

10:30 AM November 28 2016
ECONOMY

Sri Lanka eyes Qatar LNG to fuel power plants in ‘clean energy shift’

Sri Lanka is keen on importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar as part of government policy to shift to clean energy, Minister of City Planning and Water Supply Rauff Hakeem has said.

10:25 AM November 12 2016
B2Details
C7Details