Niquab is different. . . I can see how some people might not feel as comfortable, particularly if you're dealing with people who speak a different language than you. I know that with many accents I need to be able to see their mouth moving to fully understand what they're saying! And in hospitals, that's even more important!

I'm not saying this lady was right, but there's a difference between her saying no to abaya or hijab and to full abaya and niquab, depending on the setting and the clientel.