Blind man turned away from restaurant sparks anger on TikTok

A man from Seattle took to TikTok to share the humiliating experience of being denied entry with his guide dog after a staff member questioned his blindness.

In a clip that's racked up a staggering 16.5 million views, Paul Castle (@matthewandpaul) told fellow TikTok users that a member of staff at an unnamed restaurant approached him and his dog entering the premises and said: "'No pets allowed, only service dogs.'"

In response, Paul reassured them Mr Maple was a service dog.

"He looked at me, he looked at Maple and he said 'emotional support dog?' – No like a guide dog for the blind," Paul added.

The TikTok creator then revealed the harness, clearly labelled "Guide Dogs for the Blind." In response, the waiter allegedly remarked, "You don’t look blind," before adding, "You're looking right at me," according to Paul.

Paul clarified that many people in the blind community "still have some functional vision."

In response, the waiter allegedly shrugged it off, saying it wasn’t "his first rodeo" and then asked, "Do you see any other dogs in this restaurant?"

The TikToker offered to bring in paperwork as proof, but the staff member responded by saying if he returned, he'd call the police.

It didn't take long for thousands of fellow TikTokers to flood the video in disbelief, with one writing: "HE ASKED IF YOU COULD SEE THE OTHER DOGS??"

Another wrote: "This makes me so mad. I'm so tired of people lying about service dogs or ESA dogs because it now creates these situations. I'm so sorry this happened to you."

Meanwhile, a third quipped: "I would go back to the restaurant with the papers and wait for the police. Seriously he deserves it."

Paul later shared an update with his followers in a separate video on Instagram, where he explained that he spoke with the manager. He emphasised that he didn't want to press charges or get the waiter fired.

"I just want people to understand the spectrum of blindness and the importance of service animals," he stated.

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