Amtrak ONLY Rail Transit to Not Allow Pets!

[stntylr]

The dog in the picture rode from Tucson to Austin. He took a break at every smoke break.

 

[calwatch]

Well I did have the girl with a python riding from Lafayette to San Antonio on the Sunset Limited. She tucked it under her shirt and in her jacket. No one noticed and she hid it when Amtrak staff was coming around.

 

[maxtheax]

I believe that the Amtrak policy is too rigid. I can see excluding animals from the coaches but if a passenger wants to bring a dog or cat into a bedroom there is room for them and it should not be a problem. A dog can be walked at any of the stations with extended stops while a portable throw-a-way litter box can be put out for a cat. Like many hotels do, Amtrak can charge an extra $10 or $15 a night for the extra cleaning required to remove any pet hairs or dander and also charge the passenger for any damage to the room caused by their pet. It's doable but unlikely to happen.

 

[AlanB]

I believe that the Amtrak policy is too rigid. I can see excluding animals from the coaches but if a passenger wants to bring a dog or cat into a bedroom there is room for them and it should not be a problem. A dog can be walked at any of the stations with extended stops while a portable throw-a-way litter box can be put out for a cat. Like many hotels do, Amtrak can charge an extra $10 or $15 a night for the extra cleaning required to remove any pet hairs or dander and also charge the passenger for any damage to the room caused by their pet. It's doable but unlikely to happen.

Of course the problem is that many times there isn't enough time to do an extra cleaning at the end of the run. And if someone say buys a ticket from Chicago to Denver with a pet, then there is not only no time to clean the room properly for someone boarding into that room, much less time to do the extra cleaning that a pet would require.

 

[Nathanael]

Well I did have the girl with a python riding from Lafayette to San Antonio on the Sunset Limited. She tucked it under her shirt and in her jacket. No one noticed and she hid it when Amtrak staff was coming around.

Awww! In general, pet snakes are far better behaved than cats and dogs, though if they get loose they can get lost or injured very easily, so it would really be better if there were an official way to carry them in a pet carrier. Sigh.

 

[dlagrua]

I believe that the Amtrak policy is too rigid. I can see excluding animals from the coaches but if a passenger wants to bring a dog or cat into a bedroom there is room for them and it should not be a problem. A dog can be walked at any of the stations with extended stops while a portable throw-a-way litter box can be put out for a cat. Like many hotels do, Amtrak can charge an extra $10 or $15 a night for the extra cleaning required to remove any pet hairs or dander and also charge the passenger for any damage to the room caused by their pet. It's doable but unlikely to happen.

Of course the problem is that many times there isn't enough time to do an extra cleaning at the end of the run. And if someone say buys a ticket from Chicago to Denver with a pet, then there is not only no time to clean the room properly for someone boarding into that room, much less time to do the extra cleaning that a pet would require.

Alan: Your logic makes perfect sense and you may have hit on the reason. Unlikely to happen probably says it best but if there is one train that could use a pet car it would have to be the Autotrain. Much or perhaps most of the passenger traffic on this train are senior snowbirds that are dual residents of Florida and the NE (or even Canada). The snowbirds are not the typical Amtrak recreational travelers like many of us here, but people who move their residences twice a year. It would be nice to accommodate them and their pets in the bedrooms. Many of these folks are in their 70's and 80's and because of their pets they are excluded from the train and have to take the long drive in their car. The Autotrain is stationed for 4-5 hours between departures so there should be time for the extra cleaning but a future plan to include a kennel car on this train might prove a boom for business,

 

[irv]

If you believe websites which are dog-friendly, you'll think small pets in containers are ok on MARTA.

If you believe MARTA's posted rules (and an ex-MARTA employee - me) they are not.

 

[MattW]

If you believe websites which are dog-friendly, you'll think small pets in containers are ok on MARTA.

If you believe MARTA's posted rules (and an ex-MARTA employee - me) they are not.

You mean the rules posted on the MARTA website here? http://itsmarta.com/how-to-ride-marta.aspx?terms=pets#pets

 

[Wildcat]

Neither the Chicago Metra (rail), CTA (rail and bus) nor Pace (bus) allows pets on board. Service animals, of course, but they mean real service animals, not "comfort" animals. No cages, no portable kennels. Just the way it should be.

 

[Nathanael]

Neither the Chicago Metra (rail), CTA (rail and bus) nor Pace (bus) allows pets on board. Service animals, of course, but they mean real service animals, not "comfort" animals. No cages, no portable kennels. Just the way it should be.

Flatly false. 10 seconds googling:

"Only small pets in protective carriers are allowed on CTA buses and trains. Carriers cannot take up seats, seating areas or obstruct pathways on buses, trains or in stations and must be able to be carried on by a single person.

To ensure the comfort of others, animals in carriers need to behave in such a way that does not disturb others."

 

[Nathanael]

You are correct that Metra maintains the same blanket prohibition as Amtrak. So you've found the second rail provider IN THE ENTIRE WORLD who completely bans pets. I wonder if the prohibitions came from the same people.

CTA policy (pets in carriers only) is typical of public transportation, worldwide, and an entirely reasonable policy.

Intercity rail usually has the "pets in carriers only" restriction, and frequently has some additional restrictions (bedroom only in some places -- coach only in some places -- baggage car only in some places). Blanket prohibitions are pretty nearly unheard of, however.

 

[Henry Kisor]

We have only ourselves to blame for Amtrak's no-pets policy: we have allowed ourselves to become the most litigious country in the world. Of course Amtrak will cite reasons such as no kennel cars because of the possibility of overheating during the summer or freezing during the winter, but the real cause of the policy is the likelihood of expensive litigation if something untoward happens. If a dog looks cross-eyed at a kid, causing him to break out in tears, chances are that the mama will lawyer up and claim the incident caused grievous emotional damage. There is no use suggesting Amtrak adopt European railroads' "sensible" pet policies, not when we are a nation of hungry personal-injury attorneys.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

We have only ourselves to blame for Amtrak's no-pets policy: we have allowed ourselves to become the most litigious country in the world. Of course Amtrak will cite reasons such as no kennel cars because of the possibility of overheating during the summer or freezing during the winter, but the real cause of the policy is the likelihood of expensive litigation if something untoward happens. If a dog looks cross-eyed at a kid, causing him to break out in tears, chances are that the mama will lawyer up and claim the incident caused grievous emotional damage. There is no use suggesting Amtrak adopt European railroads' "sensible" pet policies, not when we are a nation of hungry personal-injury attorneys.

**AGREE**

 

[Shanghai]

We have only ourselves to blame for Amtrak's no-pets policy: we have allowed ourselves to become the most litigious country in the world. Of course Amtrak will cite reasons such as no kennel cars because of the possibility of overheating during the summer or freezing during the winter, but the real cause of the policy is the likelihood of expensive litigation if something untoward happens. If a dog looks cross-eyed at a kid, causing him to break out in tears, chances are that the mama will lawyer up and claim the incident caused grievous emotional damage. There is no use suggesting Amtrak adopt European railroads' "sensible" pet policies, not when we are a nation of hungry personal-injury attorneys.

I agree. We lived in Europe (France & the Netherlands) for five years and had a small dog. On small day trips, we took the dog,

but on longer or overnight trips we did not take the dog. Europe is much better equipped for pets than the US. Most hotels,

restaurants and public places had accommodations for pets. We were able to take our dog to church, in a proper carrier.

The New Jersey Transit and Long Island trains permit pets if they are in a proper carrier. Most of the time, the conductors

ask is they can pet Archie and tell me about their dog or cat in a very friendly tone.

I would not think of taking Archie on a long distance train as there are not facilities for pets and I know there may be

people with allergies nearby.

 

[guest]

Nevertheless, the situation aboard Amtrak is NOT the same as on European railroads. You can cross entire countries in Europe in the same time it takes Amtrak to get between two station stops (SL in Texas, for example). And frankly, splitting my time between the US and Germany, I have to say that animals in public are held to a FAR higher standard in Europe in terms of what kind of behavior is acceptable. Same with children...

 

[Shanghai]

Nevertheless, the situation aboard Amtrak is NOT the same as on European railroads. You can cross entire countries in Europe in the same time it takes Amtrak to get between two station stops (SL in Texas, for example). And frankly, splitting my time between the US and Germany, I have to say that animals in public are held to a FAR higher standard in Europe in terms of what kind of behavior is acceptable. Same with children...

I agree with everything you said, particularly the behavior of pets and children!!

 

[jebr]

Nevertheless, the situation aboard Amtrak is NOT the same as on European railroads. You can cross entire countries in Europe in the same time it takes Amtrak to get between two station stops (SL in Texas, for example). And frankly, splitting my time between the US and Germany, I have to say that animals in public are held to a FAR higher standard in Europe in terms of what kind of behavior is acceptable. Same with children...

The length of routes is probably the biggest reason for the ban. If rail had mainly day trips, then it would make more sense. Perhaps allowing pets on corridor/NEC trains would be a decent middle ground.

 

[Nathanael]

And frankly, splitting my time between the US and Germany, I have to say that animals in public are held to a FAR higher standard in Europe in terms of what kind of behavior is acceptable.

Oh good grief yes. Note that most of the public transportation policies in the US have these specific comments about "your animal had better not be obnoxious"? This is "taken for granted" in Europe AFAICT.

 

[Stefanie Weiss]

I am desperately allergic to perfume, but there is no law against people who are overly perfumed on Amtrak, at the airport, on buses, etc. I have to suffer through it, hives and all, so the "allergy" thing is complete bunk. That's not a good enough reason not to have pets on trains. There can be separate cars, ventilation, etc.

People who need to travel with animals should be required to pay a fee and keep the animals in a sleeper car, roomette, etc. For a gov't subsidized railroad that's bleeding money, it seems quite logical that charging $100 a pop for pets would be a very good thing indeed for Amtrak. I'd love to take the Crescent to New Orleans from New York with my cat, but I basically have no options because I don't want to put her through the stress of flying. Having her in a comfortable sleeper room on an Amtrak would be perfect. It's a serious disappointment and from what I've read online there are thousands that would be happy to pay extra fees to take their pets aboard Amtrak. Please, whoever is in charge -- consider the benefits of this and the amazing PR that you could get if you implemented a pro-pet policy. Perhaps only in one car per train, on a limited basis -- but imagine how much revenue this would create.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

There's no risk of perfume getting loose on the train.

There's no risk of perfume biting someone.

I won't compare the smells as I might prefer pet smells to some perfumes I've smelled.

 

[June the Coach Rider]

I want to go from Richmond, VA to Washington, DC, and Amtrak seemed at first a good way to go. Problem is Amtrak has a strict No Pets policy--not in even in hard sided carriers. Virtually ALL other rail transit companies I could find allow pet transit in some form or manner, including NYC, VRE, Boston, San Francisco, LA, Atlanta, Chicago--other transit systems that I've tried, so this discovery became a good reason to complain.
Here is the response provided Amtrak customer service in a reply e-mail:

While we certainly understand your wish to bring your pet on board Amtrak, we are not able to accommodate animals other than service animals for people with disabilities.

This policy was created to provide a comfortable environment for all our customers.

Many people choose to utilize independent pet transportation companies. While we cannot recommend one, they can be found in most yellow pages, through your veterinarian or on the Internet.

We hope this information is useful.

Sincerely,

Maureen

Frankly contrary to her words, I read neither an actual desire to understand, a willingness to be interested, nor any comprehension of what a pet owner is likely to do with their animal during transit. Just what does she mean by a comfortable environment for all our customers? Since the vast majority of other rail, airline, and ferry transport permit pets in carriers, does Amtrak think it understand passengers more than other system? Amtrak account balance sheet suggests otherwise.

I find it amazing that this response would claim that many people ride Amtrak and then use an independent pet transportation company to convey their small dogs--the largest constituency of pet owners. So, this claim is almost certainly not true. Rather, potential passengers find transit other than Amtrak, maybe renting a car or riding one of the many other urban rail transit systems.

It is quite apparent from this message that, unlike the many other transit system in the USA, Amtrak hasn't thoughtfully evaluated the transit opportunities for pet owners, and so looses yet another opportunity to raise revenue during a times of budget shortfall. Thanks for nothing Amtrak.

I have had pets all my life, I would never think of taking a pet on a train even for a short trip. I believe the sounds, sight and crowds on a train would be very scary for an animal and even though I would love to have my cats with me, I would never expect others to want them on a train for several hours.

My pets are like kids to me, so I think about their feelings and how they would be affected by having to travel in the baggage car of a train, you cannot expect everyone in coach from being ok with a barking dog on the train. Plus why should someone have to deal with allergy issues just because you want your pet with you on the train. Sorry, I love my pets, but this attitude just amazes me.

 

[sunchaser]

Guest_Stefanie Weiss_*, This Forum is not run by Amtrak.

You could call Amtrak and let them know your opinions @ 1 800 872 7245.

I think it is highly unlikely that Amtrak would allow pets on trains right now.

As much as I would enjoy taking a pet with me, I also realize it may not be fun for the pet or those around

me.It also would be no fun to use a sleeper room after a dog or cat has been there and it hasn't been

cleaned well.

Not just the usual stuff, but what about the fur for those who are allergic?

AmtrakBlue, I agree with you on these issues too.

Just like many don't like or are allergic to cigarette smoke, those that do are not allowed to smoke on the

train for the comfort (and health) of others.

 

[June the Coach Rider]

I don't want somebody coming on board a train with a pet, making noises, shedding hair/fur, relieving oneself, amd generally disturbing other passengers. You take about a hard kennel, well they could still cause problems for the crew and there's no designated place to put it. If put with the baggage, the pet might stink up all the baggage.

I have to agree, not only is there issues with the shedding fur which can cause allergic reactions, but during the colder weather, the baggage car is not heated. the pet would freeze, now you want them to spend more money to put heat in the baggage car just for your pet. I would then have to pay more for my tickets to pay for the upgrade of the baggage car. I love my pets, but they are my pets and I don't push them on others who are on the train or anywhere for that matter.

 

[battalion51]

The length of routes is probably the biggest reason for the ban. If rail had mainly day trips, then it would make more sense. Perhaps allowing pets on corridor/NEC trains would be a decent middle ground.

I think this is pretty close to hitting the nail on the head. Most flights are short enough that a pet won't need to be relieved en route, same goes for commuter trains/transit. However, the same is not true on long distance trains. At some point in a trip between NYP and MIA (for example) if not several times, the pet will need to be relieved. Sure they could theoretically be relieved at smoke stops, but the Conductors can (and will) get rid of smoke stops when the train is running late. Take for example train 91 of 04/01. This train is scheduled to stop in SAV for five minutes and it is designated as a smoke stop. However, the train got late and they made the stop in three minutes and I guarantee you there were no smokers allowed off. If you throw pets in the mix I can hear it now, "You're going to not let this poor helpless animal use the bathroom?" Let alone as others have said issues with passengers who are allergic or animals who don't behave. Amtrak has enough issues as is, why make it harder for Conductors and OBS personnel who already have a lot on their plate?

 

[MattW]

The length of routes is probably the biggest reason for the ban. If rail had mainly day trips, then it would make more sense. Perhaps allowing pets on corridor/NEC trains would be a decent middle ground.

I think this is pretty close to hitting the nail on the head. Most flights are short enough that a pet won't need to be relieved en route, same goes for commuter trains/transit. However, the same is not true on long distance trains. At some point in a trip between NYP and MIA (for example) if not several times, the pet will need to be relieved. Sure they could theoretically be relieved at smoke stops, but the Conductors can (and will) get rid of smoke stops when the train is running late. Take for example train 91 of 04/01. This train is scheduled to stop in SAV for five minutes and it is designated as a smoke stop. However, the train got late and they made the stop in three minutes and I guarantee you there were no smokers allowed off. If you throw pets in the mix I can hear it now, "You're going to not let this poor helpless animal use the bathroom?" Let alone as others have said issues with passengers who are allergic or animals who don't behave. Amtrak has enough issues as is, why make it harder for Conductors and OBS personnel who already have a lot on their plate?

Well make it simple then. Adopt similar requirements that unaccompanied minors currently have to suffer under. They're only allowed on daylight runs. So to allow pets, limit them to maybe 6 hour trips. That'd put most of the NEC spine within reach of most other stations of the NEC. About the only major stations pets couldn't reach would be Boston from south of Philadelphia, and vice versa.