New Seasons Unfriendliest Store experience ADA compliance issue

(for nonportlanders, New Seasons is normally the most awesomely cool Green Organic store around, other than selling too much NONVEGAN stuff.

back in 2005-6 MGMT affirmed the "it's all about the money" strategy regarding all the UNVEGAN animal exploitation food.

so now, on to human relations and the ADA . . . . )

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: mary eng 
Date: Mon, Jul 28, 2014 at 11:57 PM
Subject: Seven Corners Unfriendliest Store experience ADA compliance issue
To: amyb@newseasonsmarket.com, media@newseasonsmarket.com, talktous@newseasonsmarket.com

Hi! 

My partner suffers from severe cognitive disabilities due to Left Eye Total Blindness Visual Impairment and Penetrating Traumatic Brain Injury and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_traumatic_encephalopathy

he was cornered and accosted by a New Seasons staff at seven corners about 10:55 pm by the flowers as we went out to the store.  the staff claimed to manage the bottle return and threatened that we might not be allowed to come back to recycle bottles.

we had left a few of the non-recyclables near the station, unsure what to do with them.  we then hurried inside where we planned to have two scoops of rice, to take home to go with our black beans at home. we hurried because the store was near closing and we were worried there would be no rice.

when we were cornered by the scolding staff man who claimed to manage the bottle return, we were in the presence of the tall reddish beard fellow who was very pleasant and nice with us.  he appeared uncomfortable to see his shorter male colleague cornering and scolding us and threatening to revoke our bottle recycling privilege. 

it was our first time recycling bottles at this store.

i marveled at how clean and pleasant the recycling machine area was.  

as i am still unaccustomed to portland's recycling culture, i find it confusing understanding why certain bottles are recyclable or not.

i was blaming myself for your staff's rudeness, suggesting it was our attire. 

perhaps, your staff wanted to humiliate my partner in front of a girl, as we were obviously having our dinner out, thrilled and surprised that New Seasons was open so late.

the experience to me indicates NOT to ever return after 10pm as people are getting quite grumpy.

when we asked for Rice, the man said it had been tossed in the Compost. i asked if it was retrievable.  he did so.  and then the cashier tried to bill us six dollars for two scoops of rice, which two days ago had a price of one dollar a scoop.  

could you let me know at what time it is too late to ask for things like rice? 10:45? we arrived at the store at 10:38 according to my clock.

another problem with the ADA accessibility of your store is that, my partner due to the Dyslexia and Vision Impairment limitations he experiences cannot read signs well, and was not able to understand what to do with the last remaining bottles.

you can reach us at

Mary 1234567890

and

Ben 12345678900

and we would like to find a way to feel safe at your store again, with no harassment or misunderstanding or ADA violations.

i have completely lost my appetite for the rudeness of your staff and can honestly say it was the first time i felt i was treated in a mean-spirited way at New Seasons.

one time in 2013 a staff person at the Hawthorne store spoke of punching someone's "teeth down his throat" as we rang out our purchase. i found it disturbing, but never called it in. i have not seen him there again.

if this is the wrong complaint email---please forward this or email the best phone or customer support line.

we loved the Kombucha sale and had a nice talk with the red bearded man about what a great sale it was and how we stocked up.

sorry for trying to buy rice and recycle at your store tonight.

i have read "friendliest store in town" press blurb to Ben and he understands it is not your policy to scold and harass disabled people. 

hope you can get some training on this for that store.

if we had been asked nicely or told how to more properly recycle it would have been palatable.  it was the way he said it that was so rude, cornering, and directed at my partner.

i tend to be his advocate for legal things relating to things like when the Portland Police beat him up.  this bullying abusive behavior has followed him his whole life, but he has a growing resilience relating to his disability rights and fair civilized society.

thank you for all the many pleasant times (besides this unpleasant experience) we have been in your store it has been a great chance for me to share my interest in natural foods.

I am really Proud of how he survived being bullied by your staff tonight. he stayed cheerful and we kept moving on. But we talked about it, and it made us both feel lousy.