what about small animals in carriers?

[Dutchrailnut]

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServe...d=1080080554551

Only service animals permitted: We allow trained service animals accompanying passengers with disabilities in all customer areas in our stations, trains and Amtrak Thruway motorcoaches.

We permit no other animals onboard at any time.

Control of your animal: You must keep your service animal under the control at all times and comply with local animal safety regulations. The animal should always be on a leash or in a carrier, except as required for boarding or detraining.

Please note that if at any time you lose control of your animal, or your animal causes a significant disturbance, the train crew may in its discretion remove the animal from train and turn it over to local animal control officials.

Walking your animal: If the train schedule permits, you may walk your service animal at station stops provided that you stay within reasonable proximity to the train and re-board promptly when the conductor notifies you that the train is about to depart. If you plan to walk your animal during the trip, please notify the conductor when you first board the train.

 

[xx]

I think we need a little lateral thinking here.. How about a strong sedative for the cat, and wear it around the neck, as a stole..
Ed B)

A cat might qualify as a service animal, except most I've seen would rather push

you in front of a train than keep you safe from one.

Devious, evil creatures, they are.

 

[Neil_M]

Personally, I have no problem with pu$$y on the train.............. :lol:

 

[WhoozOn1st]

If I heard a dog barking, I would feel this overwhelming need to get up and take him/her for a walk.

I would feel this overwhelming need to get up and throw him/her off the train, preferably at speed.

 

[Alice]

If I heard a dog barking, I would feel this overwhelming need to get up and take him/her for a walk.

I would feel this overwhelming need to get up and throw him/her off the train, preferably at speed.

Service dogs, besides having a requirement for serving a person with a disability, are supposed to be trained. I would argue that a barking dog on a train is not trained. The dog/owner should be put off at the next small crossing, like they do with smokers. One thing that is hurting the ADA is people taking advantage of flexibilities built into the law (like training their own dog) to create loopholes (pets in blue vests) ... makes it harder for people who really have a service animal to get treated with respect and not have to argue or threaten legal action to go in a mom-and-pop restaurant (for instance).

(Aside: The former postmaster in Port Costa, population a couple of hundred, no station or transit or even public phone, a long walk to anywhere inhabited, reports that smokers sometimes came in asking for help after being put off the CZ, CS or Capital Corridors. He thought this was entirely appropriate and only gave walking directions.)

We've gotten a long ways from the original question, taking a pet cat in a carrier (other than those hilarious ideas from a couple people). I hope the original poster knows to just forget it ... leave the cat at home or take a car.

 

[RailFanLNK]

There's a big difference between "need" to bring my kittie and "want" to bring my kittie. A person "needs" to bring thier insulin, but I "want" to bring my portable cd player. I love dogs, cats are ok, but the train is NO place for this kind of stuff. We were on our way back from CHI in March and some woman had a "service dog" that was an ankle biter and was all foo-fooed up. Could not figure out how a dog the size of my hand could open and shut doors etc on the train for thier keeper. I never heard a peep out of the dog which is good.

 

[WhoozOn1st]

some woman had a "service dog" that was an ankle biter and was all foo-fooed up.

The technical term for that sort of animal is "Rat Dog," and in my view they should never be allowed on public transportation of any kind. How that woman got away with it is a mystery. I'm an inveterate dog-hater, so my opinion can be discounted somewhat. But there are people like ThayerATM, whooz kids are allergic, and who has legit issues with animals on trains and elsewhere. Leave the pets at home.

 

[Guest]

Not addressed is the liability that Amtrak faces if your animal bites someone. (I've been bitten twice, both times immediately following the words, "he won't bite". Warm blooded animals carry rabies. Not every owner is responsible and Amtrak doesn't need to be in the business of checking rabies tags.

After one of the above bites from a neighbor's elderly dog I didn't go to the doctor because the neighbor said that her dog would be automatically put down as it was its 2nd bite. I like the neighbor. Subsequently, I was in another state and went to the doctor (military) for something else. I was told that if they noted the dog bite that every county that I had been in between there and my home state would have to be notified because of the threat of rabies.

Leave Miss Kitty at home with caring friends or family or drive.

 

[Walt]

Not addressed is the liability that Amtrak faces if your animal bites someone. (I've been bitten twice, both times immediately following the words, "he won't bite".

I have owned many dogs over my life, and yep, I have been bitten a few times. Well, maybe nipped at would be more accurate. All my dogs have been easy going, and very even tempered. But dogs, like people, have bad days. One might come home, and have your spouse "bite your head off" because you put the salad folk on the wrong side of the dish. A dog might not be feeling good, and really doesn't want you touching them.

I still remember years ago. I was out walking my first dog very late at night. One of my neighbors walked up to me from behind, and surprised me. Suddenly, my easy going, laid back, dog went into attack mode. That was the first and only time I had ever seen him growl and bare his teeth. One just never knows.

 

[Guest]

Not addressed is the liability that Amtrak faces if your animal bites someone. (I've been bitten twice, both times immediately following the words, "he won't bite".

I have owned many dogs over my life, and yep, I have been bitten a few times. Well, maybe nipped at would be more accurate. All my dogs have been easy going, and very even tempered. But dogs, like people, have bad days. One might come home, and have your spouse "bite your head off" because you put the salad folk on the wrong side of the dish. A dog might not be feeling good, and really doesn't want you touching them.

I still remember years ago. I was out walking my first dog very late at night. One of my neighbors walked up to me from behind, and surprised me. Suddenly, my easy going, laid back, dog went into attack mode. That was the first and only time I had ever seen him growl and bare his teeth. One just never knows.

OT, a long time boyfriend was doing the midnight kissy embracing thing when his German Shepherd chomped down on my rear end. I developed a bad case of "I TOLD you so".

You hate teaching owners about their dogs, but I now go on alert when they tell me "he won't bite". To me, that means they aren't going to be watching the dog's behaviour, so YOU have to. All dogs with teeth can bite. I've owned both cats and dogs (lab mixes) and cats get temperamental, too. Face it, traveling and being around strangers can be stressful on animals.

So, dogs and cats don't belong on trains except where required by law.

 

[Rafi]

OT, a long time boyfriend was doing the midnight kissy embracing thing when his German Shepherd chomped down on my rear end. I developed a bad case of "I TOLD you so".

Heh... look at it from the dog's perspective—he/she probably thought the master was under some sort of attack!

Rafi

 

[Guest]

OT, a long time boyfriend was doing the midnight kissy embracing thing when his German Shepherd chomped down on my rear end. I developed a bad case of "I TOLD you so".

Heh... look at it from the dog's perspective—he/she probably thought the master was under some sort of attack!

Rafi

I'm going to be really tacky here. The dog was going after the same thing as my boyfriend

 

[Walt]

I'm going to be really tacky here. The dog was going after the same thing as my boyfriend

I have owned many dogs over my life, and yep, I have to agree.

 

[MattW]

Though I do agree that no passenger should be involuntarily subjected to an animal just for riding Amtrak, perhaps there is a happy medium. Someone suggested a designated pet car. I'll confess the only train I've had experience with is the Crescent, but what about either having a designated car either at the very head of the train just behind baggage, or very rear. That way, people don't have to walk through a pet zone just to take care of going to the restroom or eating unless they indicate that they don't care if they sit in the pet car.

This could create some equipment troubles for Amtrak however as they couldn't recycle that particular car back into regular service without a REALLY REALLY REALLY thorough cleaning first.

For long-distance travel, there's only the airlines which might as well be flying space-capsule prisons, driving, or Amtrak. And airlines force pets into possibly unpressurized, uninsulated baggage holds, and if you drive, you have to choose either the pet or the luggage sometimes.

 

[sky12065]

A cat might qualify as a service animal, except most I've seen would rather push you in front of a train than keep you safe from one.

Devious, evil creatures, they are.

Not my little capon, his sister hen or his mother hen!. In terror, the three of them would make like a bat out of hell away from any approaching train and hide in hopes that the train won't be able to find them and gobble them up! :huh:

 

[VentureForth]

Greyhound has the same policy.

Unless you're moving residences, find a kennel or baby sitter.

Baggage area on airliners are NOT unpressurized. They carry about the same cabin altitude as the cabin - about 8000 feet elevation when the plane is really at 35,000 ft. Dogs and cats typically don't survive without oxygen. Where you could get into unpressurized, uninsulated situations are on small prop-commuter lines that don't fly above 10,000 ft. But the pax cabin isn't pressurized either.

Flying pets are the best way to go, with many airlines allowing in-cabin, checked, or cargo-shipped transport of pets (depending on type and size of animal). But keep in mind - most US flights are less than 3 hours long (there are many that are more, but that's the average), so if the pet is a handful (even beyond the 'rules' set by the carrier), exposure to the pet by other pax is limited. Being next to a fine feline for 48 hours plus can be gruesome.

 

[Walt]

Baggage area on airliners are NOT unpressurized. They carry about the same cabin altitude as the cabin - about 8000 feet elevation when the plane is really at 35,000 ft. Dogs and cats typically don't survive without oxygen.

The baggage area is OPTIONALLY pressurized. It is up to the captain.

A few years ago, several Samoyed dogs were killed, on their way to their yearly national show, because the captain "forgot" to pressurize the baggage area (he claimed he wasn't informed that any live animals were traveling in there for that flight). And, the captain thought it was best to announced to the passengers that their dogs all just died, while still in route.

 

[Dutchrailnut]

Why is it some people think this is Airplane chat or bus chat ?

lets stick to Amtrak and their no pet policy.

 

[Ryan]

Why is it some people think this is Airplane chat or bus chat ?lets stick to Amtrak and their no pet policy.

Why is it that some people think that this is another popular RR forum where any posts that aren't completely about amtrak are completely without merit and unwelcome?

lets stick to polite conversation and leave the moderating to, well, actual moderators.\

On edit (because it's the very next thread I read): Here's an actual moderator, making a post completely about "what airplanes do", so it looks like your opinion isn't shared by at least one of the moderators, Mr. Railnut.

 

[VentureForth]

Why is it some people think this is Airplane chat or bus chat ?lets stick to Amtrak and their no pet policy.

You're grumpy. :angry:

We're comparing policies of Amtrak to other forms of transportation. A very decent comeback from you could be "Hmm... The very restrictive airlines seem to finds means by which they permit folks to not be without their beloved pets. Why can't Amtrak seem to find a way?"

Where were you when folks were just talking about cats and dogs? And about all a male dog wants? Where were you when it had nothing to do with transportation at all?

I think someone needs to go to Disneyland and find their happy place.

 

[VentureForth]

Baggage area on airliners are NOT unpressurized. They carry about the same cabin altitude as the cabin - about 8000 feet elevation when the plane is really at 35,000 ft. Dogs and cats typically don't survive without oxygen.

The baggage area is OPTIONALLY pressurized. It is up to the captain.

A few years ago, several Samoyed dogs were killed, on their way to their yearly national show, because the captain "forgot" to pressurize the baggage area (he claimed he wasn't informed that any live animals were traveling in there for that flight). And, the captain thought it was best to announced to the passengers that their dogs all just died, while still in route.

Now then, as an aircraft engineer who designs some pretty big airplanes, I think that a "few years back" would have to have been pre-707 days. In my experience, there is only a single cabin 'altitude' control on the flight deck. That control actuates a single outflow valve somewhere in the back of the airplane (usually in the back). Fresh air is then brought in from the outside, mixed through an exchanger that bleeds air off of a jet engine and introduced into the cabin. Now, that being said, the pressure and temperature in the baggage area could be slightly different than in the cabin, much like a room in a house where the thermostat is in one room, another room with all the doors closed might have a slight difference in temperature (this correlation only goes so far - the pressure would be pretty close).

If the baggage compartment was optionally pressurized, then there would be all sorts of liquid containers blowing up. There's a degree of that anyway with a flight from sea level to a cabin altitude of 8000 feet, but nothing like what would happen if everything were taken all the way up to 35,000 ft. Today, in Savannah, the temperature on the ground is around 95 degrees F. At 35,000 Ft, that temperature is close to -45 degrees.

So, respectfully, I must disagree that baggage compartments are optionally pressurized. Don't know why the dogs died, but I don't think it was the captain forgetting to pressurize the cargo compartment.

 

[Guest]

Related (at least like 6th cousins) are the conditions in the baggage car. Thumbing through the Timetable, I noticed that human remains can be carried by Amtrak. Wouldn't that have to be temperature controlled?

Wouldn't that be the same likely place as pets could be carried?

Are baggage cars temp controlled?

..just wondering.

 

[VentureForth]

I don't think human remains need to be temp controlled after being embalmed. I know that baggage cars aren't temp controlled. That, specifically, is the reason why pets are not carried in the baggage car according to Guest Services when I called them about it a couple years ago. Besides, I've seen how stuff is thrown about in a baggage car and I wouldn't want a pet in there.

 

[Guest_timetableflagman_*]

If VIA Rail Canada can carry pets in baggage and airlines can carry them in coach class (alergics could be affected by even short-term exposure), AMTRAK could certainly allow pets with a combination of their strict policy with service animals and VIA's policy as a guide. I've known enough would-be AMTRAK passengers who have sworn off AMTRAK because of the no-pets policy. I can't ride them much either for the same reason.

The estimated $49.8 billion needed to retro-fit baggage cars for pets could easily be made up by two to four passengers per train turned away because of AMTRAK's onerous no-pets policy. An accumulation of such restrictive policies by AMTRAK can amount to their lack of ridership and revenue. Yet, we're supposed to tax everyone who thus can't ride AMTRAK to pay for it?!

 

[PetalumaLoco]

The estimated $49.8 billion needed to retro-fit baggage cars for pets

Surely this is a typo.