Man claims he and his guide dog were thrown out of restaurant because he 'doesn't look blind'

A TikToker has claimed that he and his guide dog were kicked out of a restaurant because an employee didn’t believe he was blind.

Paul, who goes by the TikTok handle @MatthewandPaul, uses the social media platform to share adventures with his partner with his 2.1 million followers.

On Tuesday (May 7), the TikToker posted a video about his recent experience at a Seattle restaurant.

"I walked in with my guide dog, Mr. Maple, and immediately somebody rushed up to me and said, ‘No pets allowed, only service dogs,'” he said.

Watch Paul's TikTok below:

Paul revealed on the platform that he has retinitis pigmentosa, which according to the National Eye Institute is a rare eye disease that affects the retina - the light-sensitive layer of tissue in the back of the eye. 

Some people are born with the genetic disease or develop symptoms in childhood, which leads to them eventually losing most of their sight.

In the clip, the legally blind man explained to the staff member that his dog is a service dog, but the unnamed worker looked at them and questioned: "Emotional support dog?" to which the TikToker responded: "'No, like a guide dog for the blind.'

“I literally had this harness attached to him,” Paul continued, showing the words “Guide Dogs for the Blind” on Mr. Maple’s harness. 

“I showed this to him, I said ‘I'm blind.' He said, ‘You don't look blind,’ and I said, ‘A lot of people in the blind community still have some functional vision,’” he added.

Paul revealed that he tried to explain this at the restaurant but the worker allegedly contended: "'You're looking right at me.'

"I said, ‘Yes, but it's like I have a pinhole of vision — that's all I can see," he hit back at the employee, who told Paul that this wasn't their "first rodeo".

“What is going on out there that would lead this man to believe that I was lying?” the influencer questioned.

In an unintentionally hilarious exchange, the employee asked the TikToker: "Do you see any other dogs in this restaurant?" and Paul said: "Honestly, no. I'm blind. There could be.”

When Paul offered to come back with his dog’s paperwork, the staff member who denied him entry threatened to call the police.

“I'm speechless,” he concluded his video, which amassed 7.7 million views and 1.3 million likes on the platform.

Featured image credit: Jim Craigmyle / Getty