No. That's completely untrue. A racist or a bigot actively dislikes a particular type of person by *choice*, and considers them unworthy of respect or basic human rights.

Someone with a phobia did not make a choice to have the fear, and reacts on total, unreasoning instinct when confronted by the object of their fear.

I have a phobia of spiders. I totally understand that they are vital parts of the ecosystem, and can be kept as pets (in the case of tarantulas). I respect them as living creatures. But if I see one, I will freak the f**k out. Irrational fear = phobia. Disdainful disgust = racism.

Perhaps you are correct. I imagine we should give him the benefit of the doubt, but it is hard to believe that he is doing all this just to cause mcdonalds to start sensitivity training. Still, until we are shown otherwise there is no reason not to take him at his word.

PHOBIA: An unreasonable sort of fear that can cause avoidance and panic.

Have you ever had a phobia? Have you ever experienced what it is like to have an IRRATIONAL fear of something?

If not, then who are you to say how she should have acted? It is called irrational for a reason and it is not something you can just calmly walk away from and ask your manager to take care of.

It is most certainly something that she should look into getting help for, but to tell someone who has a phobia of something to act calm is like asking a hurricane to only blow a nice breeze.

I understand that he is not filing a lawsuit at this time, I read the article; however, his ignorance about her fear is just as bad as his assumption that she can't have a phobia about him because he is a human and needs education.

If you ever meet me and see me around a June Bug, just try to tell me to be calm. I will have run out the door and down the street before you can even get the first word out.

My assistant has a fear of spiders. As I'm sure it is with Rowangrey, she freaks the f**k out if she sees a spider. I mean screaming at the top of her lungs and knocking over anything or anyone that gets in her way. She panics and flees.

She doesn't like being this way, and in every other way she's fine. She is an adult with overwise a normal life.


In this case, I think she didn't see him coming, turned around, and was startled by him being right there. Had she seen him coming, she probably could have ducked into the back without causing a scene.

What does being called a midget have to do with? And who expects a friggin coupon when their order is messed up.

I think anybody with a phobia understands her reaction. I fear heights. If forced to deal with my fear, I could, but just barely. I bet it would be similar in her situation. She could interact with a little person, but she would be visibly shaken.

Sensitivity classes is not going to do anything to help phobias.

What would a phobia be if you where afraid of colored people? There is No such thing! She is lucky it was not a dwarf child.
I don't blame the Wade one bit I think it is more the way McDonalds treated him. Not everybody is out to get millions of dollars
It's an awareness thing more than anything. People are ignorant, plain and simple, If they could walk in a little person shoes for a week, they to would come to realize that it's not close to the same. I hope he teaches them a well deserved lesson. IF you go to WYFF.com you will see the part about the coupon was a joke.

You are incorrect. There has been cases of people developing a phobia of colored people.
Here is the URL:
Now I realize this stems from PTSD, but the fact remains that it DOES exist.
Also, I have comprised a list of other Phobias that involve fears of people or people from a certain region.
Androphobia- Fear of men.
Anglophobia- Fear of England or English culture, etc.
Apotemnophobia- Fear of persons with amputations.
Caligynephobia- Fear of beautiful women.
Cypridophobia or Cypriphobia or Cyprianophobia or Cyprinophobia - Fear of prostitutes or venereal disease
Dutchphobia- Fear of the Dutch.
Ephebiphobia- Fear of teenagers.
Francophobia- Fear of France or French culture. (Gallophobia, Galiophobia)
Gerontophobia- Fear of old people or of growing old.
Gynephobia or Gynophobia- Fear of women.
Hobophobia- Fear of bums or beggars.
Japanophobia- Fear of Japanese.
Judeophobia- Fear of Jews.
Novercaphobia- Fear of your step-mother.
Papaphobia- Fear of the Pope.
Parthenophobia- Fear of virgins or young girls.
Peladophobia- Fear of bald people.
Russophobia- Fear of Russians.
Teratophobia- Fear of bearing a deformed child or fear of monsters or deformed people.
Teutophobia- Fear of German or German things.



Perhaps the little person should walk in the shoes of a person with a phobia.

Not quite true. Midget was a medical term used to define a very short but well proportioned person.

Very short people with proportional distortion were medically called dwarfs to distinguish the difference.

Political correctness has changed both conditions to dwarfism.