Amtrak Pets on Board Trial

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RyanS said:
You'll be singing a different tune when your hamster ball is filled with zebra crap.
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I don't think there should be any singing at all. Especially those clowns that sing with their guitar thinking everyone wants a show in the SSL. Terrible!
 
I find that fun. And I love singing Allan Sherman songs in the lounge car.

Salesmen come and salesmen go,

But I have lost the best, I know,

And If I can't get him back to me,

I'll have to sell the factory!

Gimmee Jack Cohen, I don't care,

Gimmee Jack Cohen, I don't care,

Gimmee Jack Cohen, I don't care,

Cuz the bahstid's gone away!
 
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SarahZ said:
Oh, and Exhibit F (people who get on the train smelling like a dirty ashtray).
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I saw someone get kicked off a train for this, more or less. The passenger's definition of "finished my cigarette" differed substantially from the car attendant's definition. The dude threw a fit, and got thrown off. I didn't write to Amtrak, but I did make it a point to tell the conductor how appropriate and professional the attendant had been, and what an obnoxious jerk the passenger had been.

Also, airlines allow penguins. I wonder if Amtrak will?

Jimmy said:
I don't think there should be any singing at all. Especially those clowns that sing with their guitar thinking everyone wants a show in the SSL. Terrible!
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I agree with this wholeheartedly. All those guitarists say "But everyone always says that they love my guitar playing!" Yeah, and everyone always tells your aunt that they love her fruitcake. It doesn't mean that it's true.
 
Since service animals are already allowed, the issues relative to allergies to dogs/cats/whatever is not really valid. The animals can already be there. Most service animals are well above the 20 pound animal as well. Just because Fido stayed home does not mean the Fido-owner did not have some quality lap time with Mutsky for a goodly time before leaving or give the hound a good hug and experience a good face licking just before walking out the door. Since exposure to an animal that sets off the allergy can be and probably usually is unexpected, the person must always be prepared with an epi-pen or whatever their short acting anti-allergy medicine is. And as noted, the exposure could be second hand, not direct exposure.

The reason that pet carrying ended was two fold: One, the SPCA and others got regulations put in force requiring climate control and other features not practical on trains. The other was slob pet owners. The restrictions on carrying animals in baggage cars is close to being an example of the saying that, "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions."

Sarah, as to not subjecting a pet to carriage in airport baggage compartments, that is not as simple a decision as it may seem. We did it three times. First, was a transpacific move. Our 16 year old dog had never know life with anybody else and was thoroughly bonded with the family. The final decision was that bringing her with us was the better choice. It took here a couple of weeks to forgive us, but she ultimately did. The other was a four hour trip each way after a not so happy for her experience at a pet motel, and not a cheap one, either. Being able to carry her in a cage or on a leash for a 4 hour trip would have saved several weekends of car rental.
 
George Harris said:
Since service animals are already allowed, the issues relative to allergies to dogs/cats/whatever is not really valid. The animals can already be there. Most service animals are well above the 20 pound animal as well. Just because Fido stayed home does not mean the Fido-owner did not have some quality lap time with Mutsky for a goodly time before leaving or give the hound a good hug and experience a good face licking just before walking out the door. Since exposure to an animal that sets off the allergy can be and probably usually is unexpected, the person must always be prepared with an epi-pen or whatever their short acting anti-allergy medicine is. And as noted, the exposure could be second hand, not direct exposure.

The reason that pet carrying ended was two fold: One, the SPCA and others got regulations put in force requiring climate control and other features not practical on trains. The other was slob pet owners. The restrictions on carrying animals in baggage cars is close to being an example of the saying that, "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions."

Sarah, as to not subjecting a pet to carriage in airport baggage compartments, that is not as simple a decision as it may seem. We did it three times. First, was a transpacific move. Our 16 year old dog had never know life with anybody else and was thoroughly bonded with the family. The final decision was that bringing her with us was the better choice. It took here a couple of weeks to forgive us, but she ultimately did. The other was a four hour trip each way after a not so happy for her experience at a pet motel, and not a cheap one, either. Being able to carry her in a cage or on a leash for a 4 hour trip would have saved several weekends of car rental.
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Having to stab your self with an epi pen all throughout a trip is a joke.
 
Crescent ATN & TCL said:
Aside from a true service animal leave the things at home. We have three cats and a dog they are fine with someone at home.
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Not everyone has someone to stay home with their pets & not everyone can afford to pay for care.I don't think people should take their pets on trips just for the fun of it, but I do understand there are times pets need to travel with their owners.

I'm neutral on the pets issue.
 
Crescent ATN & TCL said:
Having to stab your self with an epi pen all throughout a trip is a joke.
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I could say the same thing about having to cover my nose and mouth with a scarf and use my rescue inhaler every hour because some idiot thinks their perfume should be shared with everyone on the train. I've seen people spritzing it in the air because they don't like the smell of the train. :angry:
 
Epi - pens are single- or sometimes double-use only, and usually have to be followed up by another dose of epinephrine at the hospital (in other words, they're for use in life-threatening cases only). So they're not really applicable to this (ridiculous) debate.
 
Ludicrous and preposterous are both synonyms for ridiculous, so we both win.
 
...?

Very few words are directly synonymous.

Ridiculous: deserving mockery

Ludicrous: so foolish as to be amusing

Preposterous: contrary to reason or common sense.
 
Crescent ATN & TCL said:
George Harris said:
Since service animals are already allowed, the issues relative to allergies to dogs/cats/whatever is not really valid. The animals can already be there. Most service animals are well above the 20 pound animal as well. Just because Fido stayed home does not mean the Fido-owner did not have some quality lap time with Mutsky for a goodly time before leaving or give the hound a good hug and experience a good face licking just before walking out the door. Since exposure to an animal that sets off the allergy can be and probably usually is unexpected, the person must always be prepared with an epi-pen or whatever their short acting anti-allergy medicine is. And as noted, the exposure could be second hand, not direct exposure.

The reason that pet carrying ended was two fold: One, the SPCA and others got regulations put in force requiring climate control and other features not practical on trains. The other was slob pet owners. The restrictions on carrying animals in baggage cars is close to being an example of the saying that, "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions."

Sarah, as to not subjecting a pet to carriage in airport baggage compartments, that is not as simple a decision as it may seem. We did it three times. First, was a transpacific move. Our 16 year old dog had never know life with anybody else and was thoroughly bonded with the family. The final decision was that bringing her with us was the better choice. It took here a couple of weeks to forgive us, but she ultimately did. The other was a four hour trip each way after a not so happy for her experience at a pet motel, and not a cheap one, either. Being able to carry her in a cage or on a leash for a 4 hour trip would have saved several weekends of car rental.
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Having to stab your self with an epi pen all throughout a trip is a joke.
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And a ridiculous, ludicrous and preposterous requirement for anyone to have to go through just so Fluffy can be close to Mommy.
 
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AmtrakBlue said:
Crescent ATN & TCL said:
Aside from a true service animal leave the things at home. We have three cats and a dog they are fine with someone at home.
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Not everyone has someone to stay home with their pets & not everyone can afford to pay for care.I don't think people should take their pets on trips just for the fun of it, but I do understand there are times pets need to travel with their owners.

I'm neutral on the pets issue.
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If you cannot afford to pay for pet care, you have two options:

1. Get rid of the pet

2. Stay home with the pet.
 
All of those definitions can mean the same thing, but if you can't handle both of us winning I'll just concede :)
 
tonys96 said:
AmtrakBlue said:
Crescent ATN & TCL said:
Aside from a true service animal leave the things at home. We have three cats and a dog they are fine with someone at home.
Click to expand...
Not everyone has someone to stay home with their pets & not everyone can afford to pay for care.I don't think people should take their pets on trips just for the fun of it, but I do understand there are times pets need to travel with their owners.

I'm neutral on the pets issue.
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If you cannot afford to pay for pet care, you have two options:
1. Get rid of the pet

2. Stay home with the pet.
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3. Drive.

4. Take a plane.

5. Take Amtrak (traveling Chicago and Quincy).
 
Allow me to start with 2 assumptions:

1) The members of this forum are some of the most ardent supporters of Amtrak to be found anywhere.

2) Other than that fact, the membership here mirrors in all respects the demographics of society at large. (I know that is most likely not the case, but let's pretend).

Given the amount of digital ink and emotions that have already been spilled on a trial that most of us won't even experience 1st hand, then I think Amtrak may be barking up the wrong tree here. If we, the self-appointed Amtrak fan club are this divided on the issue, I can only imagine what the larger traveling public will have to say. Fraught with danger this proposal is.

I have had the pleasure of traveling with a crated, well behaved canine of my seatmate's while flying. I've also been on a Guatemalan bus with the farmer and his at least a half dozen live chickens. New meaning of toture that one. I've traveled with my dogs. I've left my dogs home. I've changed travel plans because of my pets. This is a long winded way of me saying while I'm in favor of Amtrak allowing crated critters (their arbitrary weight limit seems about right), it isn't enough for me to get too worked up aboout one way or the other.

PS. I'll 2nd the vote for the penguins.
 
I think the only reason that Amtrak can get away with prohibiting pets is because of its relative insignificance in the big transportation picture in the US. AFAIK in every country where passenger rail plays a significant role in transportation pets are allowed in some way, shape or form. The details vary, but in all cases reasonable accommodation is made for pets a AFAICT.
 
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