Several class-action lawsuits have currently begun in California, following the landmark decision in neighboring Oregon that movie theaters have to better accomodate wheelchair-bound people in stadium seating theaters.The class action lawsuits include:
- 24 Hour Fitness is being sued on the grounds that their treadmills do not meet the Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines. The plaintiffs are demanding that wider treadmills be installed, so that those in wheelchairs can ride their wheelchairs on the treadmills. Also, ramps up to the treadmill surface need to be installed.
- Several gyms with artificial rock-climbing walls are being sued on the grounds that the rock walls lack elevators for the disabled to be able to reach the top of the walls.
- Adult night clubs are being sued on the grounds that their stages are not wide enough to accomodate wheelchair-bound strippers. Also, ramps to the tops of the patrons' tables need to be provided to allow the crippled strippers to table-dance.
Trial laywers have been boosted by the Supreme Court's decision not to hear defendants arguments in the movie theater stadium seating case, and have hastily assembled these class action suits in order to "cash in" on the judicial precedent.
A Los Angeles strip club patron, who refused to be named, had this to say: "I'm all in favor of treating people right. But there's nothing sexy, to me at least, about a girl in a wheelchair. What's next? Are they going to demand ramps so they can drive their wheelchairs up on my lap to give me a lap dance?"
