Dogs in restaurants

I believe I now know how the folks who were/are adamantly against guns in restaurants feel.  Nashville Council Lady Karen Bennett has offered a bill to allow dogs in the outdoor dining areas of restaurants. The City Paper has some of the details here. Here's the actual bill BL2010-761. I'm going to be as wary of those restaurants as some people are about entering one that allows guns. And like them, I won't be dining there. 

It does no good for anyone to tell me that little "Fifi" won't bite...I don't trust your dog, don't want to be around your dog and don't believe in 'fur kids'. Dogs are unpredictable. They cannot be controlled absolutely.  Allowing them in close public quarters where the unexpected happens is asking for trouble. The only dogs I trust half-way are guide dogs who are specifically trained to handle, appropriately, the unexpected.

Frankly, I'll feel safer with gun carriers than dogs. No gun is going to get startled by the clattering of a dropped tray, or take offense at some small child innocently tugging on its tail. It'll stay in its holster, it won't be petted by the server who then brings me my food, it won't smell bad or drool.  And based on my own experience, someone is going to need to leave the dog at the table and head into the restaurant for some reason: use the rest room, refill their salad plate, take a moment to say high to a friend and the dog will be unattended. Actually, I'm betting that if the dog is small enough, they'll carry it in with them and be highly offended if you dare to give them the hairy eye-ball for doing so.

And I fully expect cries of discrimination coming from cat, parakeet and iguana owners across the county. 

No, this bill is not a good idea. But if Metro Council insists on passing this bill, make sure I can see the "Dogs are Welcome" sign from the street so I can move right on by.