Pets on Long Distance Trains

[HenryK]

Why is it that Europeans take their (almost invariably well-behaved) pets everywhere, on public transport and in restaurants, and there is no barking and caterwauling from fellow Europeans about it? What is it about us Americans, anyway?

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Why is it that Europeans take their (almost invariably well-behaved) pets everywhere, on public transport and in restaurants, and there is no barking and caterwauling from fellow Europeans about it? What is it about us Americans, anyway?

I think you almost invariably answered your own question parenthetically.

 

[niemi24s]

I'm thinking there's always the grim possibility someone will show up with a dog like Kyle from the movie Despicable Me:



As far as "What is it about us Americans, anyway?" I think it's that we fritter away far too much time on frivolous pursuits such as participating in various internet forums - with the exception of this one, of course.

 

[HenryK]

Devil's Advocate seems to have a problem with me. Niemi24s, you are absolutely right.

 

[fillyjonk]

As a matter of fact, I was speaking with a Conductor yesterday who put a passenger and her pet dog off the train. She just couldn't understand why she couldn't have the dog sitting on the seat next to her (out of the carrier). She would put it in the carrier, only to remove it as soon as Conductor left. She eventually told the Amtrak police to get the Conductor out of her face as she was not hurting anyone. She was removed from the train at next station. Amtrak management then promptly allowed her to board the next train to continue her trip....

THIS. This kind of behavior - the "I'm special, the rules don't apply to me, I will only give the appearance of following them when I am observed" - that makes me so opposed to pets on every car of the train. I know people too well.

A special "pet car," where people know there will be pets and are fine with that, fine. Pets in every car? No. I would not want to occupy a roomette after someone's long-haired cat had been in there; I have cat allergies and would be miserable. Could I ask Amtrak for a refund of part of my fare because I'm hived up and sneezing? No, probably not.

 

[tonys96]

Although tonys96 dislikes cencorship, I also dislike what I see as racial slurs on A.U.... ?

Calling something or someone "Mexican" isn't a slur in Texas. Where I live people of Mexican heritage represent the vast majority of citizens, both documented and undocumented, and don't generally see such heritage as negative or shameful.

Here in Texas, there are a plethora of Mexican bus companies that move pax to and from border cities. Looks like Amtrak is striving to reach their level.

I don't see the word Mexican as a slur... I read the tone of the post as infering that Mexicans were happy with a lower level of service. I apoligise if I misread that intent.

I wouldn't say they're happy with it. The Mexican bus companies are notoriously dismal spendthrifts that run poorly managed services on improperly maintained hardware between dilapidated stations with sloppy drivers. I think the main crux of the point was that Mexican bus companies represent the bottom of the market, not because they're owned/managed/operated/patronized by Mexicans but simply because of the market to which they cater and their stingy fly-by-night attitude toward safety and maintenance.

Being a Texan, you are aware of the many bus companies that take folks from population centers to border cities. A huge number are as you described. But there are some which are quite luxurious, albeit a small number.

 

[tonys96]

As a matter of fact, I was speaking with a Conductor yesterday who put a passenger and her pet dog off the train. She just couldn't understand why she couldn't have the dog sitting on the seat next to her (out of the carrier). She would put it in the carrier, only to remove it as soon as Conductor left. She eventually told the Amtrak police to get the Conductor out of her face as she was not hurting anyone. She was removed from the train at next station. Amtrak management then promptly allowed her to board the next train to continue her trip....

THIS. This kind of behavior - the "I'm special, the rules don't apply to me, I will only give the appearance of following them when I am observed" - that makes me so opposed to pets on every car of the train. I know people too well.

A special "pet car," where people know there will be pets and are fine with that, fine. Pets in every car? No. I would not want to occupy a roomette after someone's long-haired cat had been in there; I have cat allergies and would be miserable. Could I ask Amtrak for a refund of part of my fare because I'm hived up and sneezing? No, probably not.

What about the coach passenger with the same allergy who is assigned the seat where a passenger and his/her cat just sat a few minutes ago?

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

I agree with fillyjonk--a special pet car would be fine.

I love animals, especially dogs, but allergies are a very serious problem. I am highly allergic to cats. Even the pet carrier wouldn't help. When I visit friends who have cats, I cannot be in their homes for more than half an hour before my eyes are red and itchy, and I start coughing (and no, I do not pet the cats--the allergy is there anyway).

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Devil's Advocate seems to have a problem with me. Niemi24s, you are absolutely right.

I thought my answer was a cleaver if silly response rather than an intentional rebuke. Point being well trained healthy animals with responsible owners are generally far less of a problem than the sort of 'my cherished pet can do no wrong' attitude we're more familiar with over here. Meh, you win some you lose some.

 

[Trainmans daughter]

My dog would just sit on my lap.

 

[HenryK]

Trainman's Daughter, what a sneaky way to finesse the Amtrak requirement that pets cannot sit on the seat! :giggle:

Yes, I know the pet must be in a carrier, and that the whole caboodle cannot weigh more than 20 pounds.

 

[I always rode the Southern]

Devil's Advocate seems to have a problem with me. Niemi24s, you are absolutely right.

I thought my answer was a cleaver if silly response rather than an intentional rebuke. Point being well trained healthy animals with responsible owners are generally far less of a problem than the sort of 'my cherished pet can do no wrong' attitude we're more familiar with over here. Meh, you win some you lose some.

I love puns and thought it was clever, and silly as in funny, not meant to be a dig at the poster.

Parenthetically | Define Parenthetically at Dictionary.com
dictionary.reference.com/browse/parenthetically
Dictionary.com
of, pertaining to, noting, or of the nature of a parenthesis

 

[me_little_me]

Why is it that Europeans take their (almost invariably well-behaved) pets everywhere, on public transport and in restaurants, and there is no barking and caterwauling from fellow Europeans about it? What is it about us Americans, anyway?

The WELL BEHAVED Europeans take their pets everywhere. The non-well-behaved Americans demand the right to do what they want no matter what the rules. There are too many non-well-behaved Americans and many well-behaved Europeans. In my travels, I have never seen non-well-behaved European pet owners although I have seen the results on the ground at times but have avoided stepping in them.

It has nothing to do with the behavior of the pets.

 

[MattW]

I may have my tongue in my cheek, but I also don't want Fido or Fifi to have free reign. Perhaps Tony has watched Planet of the Apes too many times? If they didn't let him travel it would be discrimination,,, in my humble opinion the term does not apply to non humans. Discrimination is not on merit but some perceived unreality. When pets get treated like humans, we have gone to far.

Here is my point.....

I do not at all agree with the decision to let pax take their pets on LD trains. This has way too many possible downsides for other pax that IMHO do not merit the few upsides. A single rider with a pet in coach could, on a full train, cause a rider with an allergy, as someone above said they have, to sit next to the pet. Or behind. Or in front of. Or there is a real likelihood of an " aroma" emanating from a pet carrier after seven or more hours.(the seven hour limit refers to scheduled travel time, not actual travel time, and there are often delays). There is also the yapping, both day and night. Imagine seating a dog and a cat by each other.......

But, that is now a done deal. Pets are allowed in all coaches. If you have pet allergies, you may not even find a car without a pet in it....

Unless you spring the extra bux for a sleeper!

There lies the rub......

My problem is with limiting it to coach. Why do coach pax only get the opportunity to "enjoy" this new rule? If it is such a great deal, why is it restricted from sleeper class? Great deals should be available to all pax, right? Conversely, if it might be troublesome for some, why is it allowed only in coach? Are coach pax supposed to accept a less than desirable trip solely due to being in coach?

I truly believe it should be train wide or not at all.

The airlines have allowed pets for many years with no issues, why is Amtrak any different?

 

[HenryK]

I feel that I must share the following vital knowledge with all members of Amtrak Unlimited:

Theoretically, one could take a pet from Chicago to Emeryville on the Zephyr despite the 7-hour limitation. All one has to do is get off the train and stay overnight in Ottumwa, Holdrege, Fraser, Grand Junction, Elko and Truckee, and buy a new ticket every day.

I said theoretically. Fraser, Grand Junction and Truckee might be interesting places to spend time, but I don't know about the others.

You are all welcome.

 

[tonys96]

I may have my tongue in my cheek, but I also don't want Fido or Fifi to have free reign. Perhaps Tony has watched Planet of the Apes too many times? If they didn't let him travel it would be discrimination,,, in my humble opinion the term does not apply to non humans. Discrimination is not on merit but some perceived unreality. When pets get treated like humans, we have gone to far.

Here is my point.....

I do not at all agree with the decision to let pax take their pets on LD trains. This has way too many possible downsides for other pax that IMHO do not merit the few upsides. A single rider with a pet in coach could, on a full train, cause a rider with an allergy, as someone above said they have, to sit next to the pet. Or behind. Or in front of. Or there is a real likelihood of an " aroma" emanating from a pet carrier after seven or more hours.(the seven hour limit refers to scheduled travel time, not actual travel time, and there are often delays). There is also the yapping, both day and night. Imagine seating a dog and a cat by each other.......

But, that is now a done deal. Pets are allowed in all coaches. If you have pet allergies, you may not even find a car without a pet in it....

Unless you spring the extra bux for a sleeper!

There lies the rub......

My problem is with limiting it to coach. Why do coach pax only get the opportunity to "enjoy" this new rule? If it is such a great deal, why is it restricted from sleeper class? Great deals should be available to all pax, right? Conversely, if it might be troublesome for some, why is it allowed only in coach? Are coach pax supposed to accept a less than desirable trip solely due to being in coach?

I truly believe it should be train wide or not at all.

The airlines have allowed pets for many years with no issues, why is Amtrak any different?

And they are allowed in first class.............so why not sleepers?

 

[jebr]

I may have my tongue in my cheek, but I also don't want Fido or Fifi to have free reign. Perhaps Tony has watched Planet of the Apes too many times? If they didn't let him travel it would be discrimination,,, in my humble opinion the term does not apply to non humans. Discrimination is not on merit but some perceived unreality. When pets get treated like humans, we have gone to far.

Here is my point.....

I do not at all agree with the decision to let pax take their pets on LD trains. This has way too many possible downsides for other pax that IMHO do not merit the few upsides. A single rider with a pet in coach could, on a full train, cause a rider with an allergy, as someone above said they have, to sit next to the pet. Or behind. Or in front of. Or there is a real likelihood of an " aroma" emanating from a pet carrier after seven or more hours.(the seven hour limit refers to scheduled travel time, not actual travel time, and there are often delays). There is also the yapping, both day and night. Imagine seating a dog and a cat by each other.......

But, that is now a done deal. Pets are allowed in all coaches. If you have pet allergies, you may not even find a car without a pet in it....

Unless you spring the extra bux for a sleeper!

There lies the rub......

My problem is with limiting it to coach. Why do coach pax only get the opportunity to "enjoy" this new rule? If it is such a great deal, why is it restricted from sleeper class? Great deals should be available to all pax, right? Conversely, if it might be troublesome for some, why is it allowed only in coach? Are coach pax supposed to accept a less than desirable trip solely due to being in coach?

I truly believe it should be train wide or not at all.

The airlines have allowed pets for many years with no issues, why is Amtrak any different?

And they are allowed in first class.............so why not sleepers?

My best guess is that they can't monitor a sleeper room to ensure a pet isn't taken out of its carrier. If it's in the carrier properly, it shouldn't be a disturbance, but if it's out of the carrier the hair, dander, etc. is not contained and could cause issues (especially for cleaning and the like.)

 

[PVD]

While they are allowed by most airlines in First Class, they ususally have a very tight limit of one or two in the F/C cabin. They are not private rooms like a sleeper. The issue of being certain the passenger is keeping the pet in the carrier and under the seat makes a coach only rule practical. It is no different than the airlines requiring the pet to stay in their carrier and under the seat. On airlines it is the seat in front of you, on a train, under your own seat. People should stop trying to invent rights and avoid personal responsibility, society would benefit greatly. People have no more of a right to a total pet free environment than pet owners have a right to transport animals that can't be kept secured. No carrier wants to be responsible for passenger encounters with uncaged animals. Take a Benadryl or ship a large animal as cargo. Life goes on for everyone else.

 

[Thirdrail7]

My pet python is filing a lawsuit to occupy the train. He's not known to make a lot of noise, molts at one time for easy clean-up, doesn't leave dander and doesn't take up much space. He agrees with Tonys96. When I told him he had to stay home while cats could travel, he hissed that this was a dessssssspicable act.

We think he should be allowed on the train. He always stays in his cage and likes attention. Just ignore the sign on his cage that says "my pet squeezed your pet to death and swallowed it whole."

 

[PVD]

If the snake fit in an appropriate sized carrier and stayed under your seat, it would not bother me one bit. They are misunderstood, suffer from bad public relations (they never really recovered from that Garden of Eden thing), but truthfully most of the objections to pets should not apply to them.

 

[andersone]

Don't miss the night in Ottumwa, an Iowa hotspot. A visit to the Airpower Museum and a round at the Cedar Creek links Your lodging options are awesome - Lexington, Days, American Quality Inns await as well as the Super 8 or the luxurious, downtown Hotel Ottumwa. Dining opportunities abound . You can have Canteen Lunch in the Alley go to the Bubba Q or the Tequila Grill, Jade Palace or Saints Pub and Patios, Courtside Bar and Grill, Little Bake Shop, Riverside or Second Street Café;s. Juanita's Restaurant of the Appanoose Brewing Company or my fav - The Recovery Room.

 

[neroden]

I actually have the same view about pet reptiles. They're usually *extremely* well-behaved and I'd have no problem having them in the train. (The sad reason for how well-behaved they are: if you aren't a very responsible pet owner, your pet reptile tends to die. Quickly. So the only people who have pet reptiles for long periods are very responsible.)

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

While they are allowed by most airlines in First Class, they ususally have a very tight limit of one or two in the F/C cabin.

Maybe this varies by airline, and over the years, but I thought if you brought your dog with you in First Class (the Rich and Famous Snob class?), you had to buy it a full-fare first class ticket. The airlines saw the dollars more than the animal. And if you could afford it, the dog probably is well pampered too (baths, manicures, etc).

 

[PVD]

Over the years first class has lost a great deal of its luster on the domestic side,. Lots of upgrade/high mileage elite business travelers. The real rich often fly private.

 

[fairviewroad]

I feel that I must share the following vital knowledge with all members of Amtrak Unlimited:

Theoretically, one could take a pet from Chicago to Emeryville on the Zephyr despite the 7-hour limitation. All one has to do is get off the train and stay overnight in Ottumwa, Holdrege, Fraser, Grand Junction, Elko and Truckee, and buy a new ticket every day.

I said theoretically. Fraser, Grand Junction and Truckee might be interesting places to spend time, but I don't know about the others.

You are all welcome.

Ha ha. Nicely done.

I suspect there are "better" ways to game the system that pet lovers will figure out. Such as booking the pet under Traveler A for the first 7 hours, then booking the pet under Traveler B for the next 7 hours, etc. (For parties of two or more)

You would probably need to figure out where the crew change points are and make that the place where you break up the tickets. Of course, not all on board staff switches out at the crew point, but it's the beginning of a strategy.

Not saying it would work. But I'm guessing someone, somewhere is dreaming up that sort of plan.