A “cognitively impaired” woman with Down syndrome was taken from her home by a salesman in a bid to make her buy a car. The questionable gesture left the vulnerable person’s mother completely outraged. The incident prompted discussions on discrimination awareness and accessibility ethics.
Taking to her Facebook page on July 17, Angie Martin, a working mom of seven, shared a candid post recalling the “terrifying incident” that occurred at the Honda dealership in Abilene, Texas, USA.
“I’m still shaking from both fear and anger,” Angie wrote. “I’m posting on behalf of Hope, as well as on behalf of our local Upside Down Club community and the National Down Syndrome, National Down Syndrome communities at large, as well as others who have additional needs in our world. I’m an advocate, through and through!”
Hope Martin is Angie’s third youngest, who is 27 years old and has been diagnosed with Down syndrome.
Hope Martin, who has Down syndrome, was taken from her home by a salesman in a bid to make her buy a car
The distressed mom, who works as a therapist, wrote: “Today Hope somehow managed to figure out how to call Honda, where she spoke with Jodye Renfrow-Burke, informing him that she wanted to buy a car.
“This man took it upon himself to come to our home and take Hope, without my knowledge or consent, to Honda of Abilene to attempt to assist her in purchasing an automobile.”
Angie later told KTAB/KRBC on July 18: “My heart’s beating faster just thinking about it.
“I got a text from her father, and he was like, ‘I got a couple texts from someone at Honda.’ She had apparently called them multiple times and said I want to buy a car.”
As per the counselor’s Facebook post, Hope’s plans to purchase a car fell through. Nevertheless, Angie accused Jodye’s manager, Glenn Burkhart, in addition to other Honda employees, of being complicit in the “predatory and exploitative” endeavor.
Hope’s desire to drive is something she and her mother have discussed before, KTAB/KRBC reported.
Moreover, Angie reportedly said she believed she had adequately conveyed to her daughter that the decision was not up to her but rather to State motor vehicle institutions.
“When someone meets Hope, it is immediately apparent that she has Down syndrome, and due to their growing presence in media, the general public is quite aware of the limitations of people who have Down syndrome,” Angie wrote on Facebook.
The questionable gesture left Hope’s mom, Angie Martin, completely outraged
The dedicated Christian also clarified that Hope is unable to obtain a driver’s license, nor can she drive or “reach the pedals of any standard-size auto.”
“Hope has been declared incompetent by a judge, and I have full guardianship of her,” Angie stated on social media.
She told KTAB/KRBC: “As you are as a mom, I was so angry that this had happened and that a strange man would have the audacity to come and take my daughter, who obviously is cognitively impaired, out of my home without my consent, let alone to do something so drastic.”
On Facebook, Angie recalled: “When this strange man met her at our private home, once realizing that she obviously is mentally disabled, he didn’t choose to do the right thing and leave her alone safely or have her call her mom.
“Nope. He just took her.”
The mother revealed that while Hope had temporarily gone missing at the dealership, she had notified the local police and even consulted with two detectives.
Angie reportedly said officers consulted with their own special needs experts at the department and stated that “kidnapping is not kidnapping if someone agrees to go willingly.”
While the mother reportedly said that she disagreed, given that Hope cannot legally make major decisions, she said she was thankful for their guidance.
“The sale, apparently, is the only thing that Honda teaches their employees to consider,” Angie wrote. “Not decency, not kindness, not caution. Only the sale.”
Angie recalled the “terrifying incident” that occurred at the Honda dealership in Abilene, Texas, USA
Vice president of All-Star Honda, Nicholas Varela, reportedly said it was not uncommon at the dealership for their associates to provide transportation to potential customers if they call as Hope did.
Nicholas told KTAB/KRBC in a statement: “At All-Star Honda, we pride ourselves on our commitment to serving every customer with respect, dignity, and fairness— free of discrimination of any kind.
“Recently, an incident occurred that we feel it is important to address directly.
“We are prohibited by law to discriminate or refuse service to anyone based on their membership in a protected category, as outlined by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“We are currently addressing this matter internally to ensure that we uphold the highest standards of inclusivity and respect.
“As a family-owned dealership, we do our best to act in the best interest of our customers and deeply regret any harm this may have caused.
“We apologize for any concern this may have caused and appreciate the community’s understanding and support while we navigate this matter.”
Regardless of discrimination laws, Angie explained that Hope lacked the “inhibitions and limits” typically developing people have, and she is “always trying to thread that needle between her rights as a human being and her safety.”
“What legislation attempts to do is to call us to a higher standard, not give us an excuse for our failures,” Angie responded to Nicholas’ statement. “That’s not why it exists…I’m sure that they’re on the learning curve and that they’re rethinking things and examining things and I think that good will come of this.”
She continued: “[They told me] that their job is to sell cars, Hope wanted to buy a car.
“Their job is not to discern whether someone is capable of buying a car, which brings up so many alarming questions like what about someone with dementia?”
Hope’s desire to drive is something she and her mother have discussed before
The therapist’s initial outrage with the young salesman soon subsided, as she wrote on Facebook: “I’ve processed a lot of things this week, and I choose to believe that everyone was doing the best he could with the limited or nonexistent training he had received.
“I’m confident that those impacted by this event will choose to grow and learn, and this is an opportunity for Hope and me to continue to grow and learn as well.”
Nicholas told KTAB/KRBC in response to the incident that dealership sales staff will be educated on appropriate procedures in these types of situations, leading to better outcomes in the future.
Meanwhile, Angie, who currently owns a Honda, said she would continue to live her happy life with her family “Honda-free,” with her current car being the first and last from the Japanese brand.
As per the now-relieved mom, Hope is currently home and safe. “She will no longer be in possession of an iPhone, however,” Angie concluded. “And new cameras are going up at my home’s perimeter!”
“I can’t even imagine the terror of her being gone,” a reader commented
