Amtrak ONLY Rail Transit to Not Allow Pets!

[bmorechris]

I think there are a number of issues at play, one is a varying set of rules depending on the service. Pets on corridor services could be feasible, but long distance is problematic because of possible trip length. Would there be a time limit that pets would be allowed to travel? Even on the NEC 66/67 approach a 15 hour trip time. Would there be a blanket ban on LD or would you enforce a 12 (or 8 or whatever) hour time limit? A kennel car is problematic in my view, is it a separate car? Not enough income could be made from pet handling charges to run an additional car. What about a subfleet of coaches with 1/4 of the seats removed for kennels? That would still be expensive and make matters difficult in having another car-type to worry about. I doubt there would be enough pet patronage to make up for the lost revenue from people. Size matters too, only small pets in carriers allowed? what constitutes small, it seems most NE commuter railroads allow small pets in carriers, but small is a very subjective term.

In my view it really boils down to this: Amtrak has decided not to deal with the headache of transporting pets because the cost of making policies and changes to allow them will not likely result in a net gain in income. They probably know they could very easily say small pets in carriers are allowed for runs under 8 hours or only on corridor services, but it just opens a can of worms they would rather leave closed. I do understand it much be difficult for some people who would like to travel and have to either take their pets with them or board them. We are lucky that we have numerous family and friends willing to watch our 65 lb ball of fur and energy while we go away, but many others are not that lucky. I just don't really see the policy changing anytime soon.

 

[SarahZ]

The pet industry is a huge and growing industry - and there are lots of folks like me that are child-free by choice that don't hesitate to spend thousands of dollars on our pets.

/high-five

Right there with you.

 

[George Harris]

Hello, Hello!!!! Did those that are continuing to complain notice this?

Correct, and IIRC there was a law passed setting certain requirements for baggage cars to be climate controlled, meet standards, carry water etc. that was not accompanied by any funding. I believe Amtrak was facing complaints from passengers and cleanliness issues in the sleepers as well, so all pet carriage was discontinued.

This is what brought pet carriage to an end. It was a change in LAW.

 

[D.P. Roberts]

Hello, Hello!!!! Did those that are continuing to complain notice this?

Correct, and IIRC there was a law passed setting certain requirements for baggage cars to be climate controlled, meet standards, carry water etc. that was not accompanied by any funding. I believe Amtrak was facing complaints from passengers and cleanliness issues in the sleepers as well, so all pet carriage was discontinued.

This is what brought pet carriage to an end. It was a change in LAW.

Well, that was true for baggage cars. No one, at least in this thread, is advocating for pets in a non-climate-controlled baggage car. Everyone seems to be advocating pets in the coaches and sleepers. The law wouldn't affect that.

 

[crescent2]

I have a dog-child whom I love as a true member of the family. I would love to be able to take him with me on trips, but I don't see a feasible way to do so on a long distance train. I would never let him travel in a baggage car, but even if he could travel in his small crate with me in a sleeper, he still needs to be walked periodically. (Even my most frequent traveling human friend won't travel on Amtrak because she must have more frequent smoking stops.) If I stay overnight in a hotel, I would have to find a pet-friendly one (probably possible to do). However, restaurants and many attractions don't allow pets, so what to do with him then? How much would HE actually enjoy traveling with me?

On first thought, taking a pet with you sounds wonderful, but there are multiple logistics issues that must be solved. Not saying it's impossible to solve them, but I don't see Amtrak being able to provide for pets any time soon. They have trouble getting enough funds to provide for human passengers, as already noted.

That said, leaving my dog-child is the #1 hindrance to my traveling. It is VERY difficult for me to leave him for more than a few days. I realize that sounds absurd to many, but pet lovers understand.

 

[sunchaser]

I have a dog-child whom I love as a true member of the family. I would love to be able to take him with me on trips, but I don't see a feasible way to do so on a long distance train. I would never let him travel in a baggage car, but even if he could travel in his small crate with me in a sleeper, he still needs to be walked periodically. (Even my most frequent traveling human friend won't travel on Amtrak because she must have more frequent smoking stops.) If I stay overnight in a hotel, I would have to find a pet-friendly one (probably possible to do). However, restaurants and many attractions don't allow pets, so what to do with him then? How much would HE actually enjoy traveling with me?
On first thought, taking a pet with you sounds wonderful, but there are multiple logistics issues that must be solved. Not saying it's impossible to solve them, but I don't see Amtrak being able to provide for pets any time soon. They have trouble getting enough funds to provide for human passengers, as already noted.

That said, leaving my dog-child is the #1 hindrance to my traveling. It is VERY difficult for me to leave him for more than a few days. I realize that sounds absurd to many, but pet lovers understand.

I agree with you, crescent2. We would face the same issues. And still, I assume that most here are discussing dogs and cats. I am talking about a very large, rather noisy parrot. Just because I may want to take my pet, doesn't mean I should, or that those around me would enjoy him being along. I understand the desire of some that feel it is a must to bring their pet, but as someone who has had many types of pets, I can say that out of all of them, including the dogs, only one very large dog would have done okay with it.

 

[Linda T]

I don't see that this has been covered here, but it appears as though there is currently a House bill to allow pets on Amtrak. H.R. 2066, the Pets on Trains Act of 2013 a news article is located at http://dcist.com/2013/05/house_members_propose_bill_allowing.php From what I can see they would not be allowed on any portion of an LD train, just on the NE Corridor and other shorter routes, but it's not perfectly clear. They're talking about a designated car for pets -- does Amtrak really have that kind of equipment lying around? I just see more headaches for Amtrak , and not a lot of advantages.

 

[Ryan]

Just more Congressional micromanagement.

Think that they'll give Amtrak any extra funds to execute the mandate?

HA!

 

[Linda T]

Just more Congressional micromanagement.
Think that they'll give Amtrak any extra funds to execute the mandate?

HA!

Of course not. In my opinion, it's absolutely ludicrous. I love my pets, but they're animals and not people, and I love how when I get home after a trip how happy they are to see me and want to hear all about it while they get petted and loved.

 

[the Other Mike]

Really, it's not practical to carry animals by train.

Then why does EVERY OTHER RAIL SERVICE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD allow it? Please don't talk nonsense.

Thats true, and look at how many of them allow passengers to ride on the roof or hanging off the sides.

But I digress,

So, where are the animal cars used in hurricane evacuations ? The storm AFTER Katrina had box cars / reefers with AC and high speed trucks so that people with animals would evacuate. If memory serves me, the cars were blue...light blue in color and at least 2 of them on each evacuation train. I'm not suggesting that they be used but I wondered where they are stored and if they are Amtrak cars or FEMA cars......oh no, the FEMA car debate :giggle:

 

[amamba]

I don't see that this has been covered here, but it appears as though there is currently a House bill to allow pets on Amtrak. H.R. 2066, the Pets on Trains Act of 2013 a news article is located at http://dcist.com/2013/05/house_members_propose_bill_allowing.php From what I can see they would not be allowed on any portion of an LD train, just on the NE Corridor and other shorter routes, but it's not perfectly clear. They're talking about a designated car for pets -- does Amtrak really have that kind of equipment lying around? I just see more headaches for Amtrak , and not a lot of advantages.

If I'm reading the article correctly, it sounds like they would just designate one coach in the consist to be the "pet car" - like the quiet car. It wouldn't require any additional equpiment or specialized equipment.

I have previously mentioned my desire to take my dog with me on the NEC. I would take him from PVD - NYP or PVD - PHL. My dog could easily last for 4-5 hours on a train without needing to go to the bathroom or anything like that. The best part is that it would enable me to travel via amtrak around the holidays when I visit my family for a week. It would be great to take another car off the highly trafficked route of 95 during that time period.

 

[D.P. Roberts]

Oooh, I don't like that bill.

1) 750 miles doesn't sound like much, but could easily include overnight trips. Easily 12-14 hours or so. And what happens when the train is late? A dog has to go, and many platforms just aren't equipped for pet walking. And you can't walk a cat.

2) So, the pet car will get stinky - what happens when the dog or cat can't make it the whole 12-14 hours? Since the cages have to be in an overhead bin / shelf, that could get messy very quickly.

3) Fido or Fluffy whines constantly in the cage. I'll just take him out of the cage for a few minutes, just to calm him down. Six hours later, he's still in my lap.

4) Which car is the pet car? I'm allergic, nobody warned me about this car. I need to be moved. I just don't like pet smells, and I WANT to be moved.

5) 90 days to redo Amtrak's reservation system to accommodate all of this?

 

[afigg]

Just more Congressional micromanagement.
Think that they'll give Amtrak any extra funds to execute the mandate?

HA!

If Congress were to pass this bill, they would provide Amtrak with the same amount of funding Amtrak when it was required to allow guns to be checked as baggage. Which, of course, was none. Amtrak has to spend capital funds to buy a bunch of gun lockers.

 

[AlanB]

I love my pets, but they're animals and not people, and I love how when I get home after a trip how happy they are to see me and want to hear all about it while they get petted and loved.

That depends on the pet, of course. Funny story, but a cat now sadly long gone that my wife & I had wasn't like that at all. She was my wife's cat prior to our marriage, and remained so afterwards. Normally I couldn't pet her for more than 30 seconds without getting bit. And if the wife left the room, the cat followed. After a day of work, the second my wife's keys jingled in the hallway, that cat made a beeline for the front door of the apartment. She couldn't have cared less when I got home.

However, when my wife went away without me, when she came home that cat was my best friend for 2 to 3 days. She would absolutely ignore my wife and would follow me if I left the room. It was quite clear that she was punishing my wife for having left her.

 

[amamba]

Alan my dog does the same thing. He gets so mad if I go out of town and punishes me by hanging out with my H.

 

[MattW]

My dog would do the same when I disappeared, but he'd give ALL of us the silent treatment! Me for disappearing, and my parents for letting me! However, if one of my parents disappeared for a while, it was like "oh, hi, you're back, whatever."

 

[FriskyFL]

 

[Nathanael]

I don't see that this has been covered here, but it appears as though there is currently a House bill to allow pets on Amtrak. H.R. 2066, the Pets on Trains Act of 2013 a news article is located at http://dcist.com/2013/05/house_members_propose_bill_allowing.php

Found the bill text. It's really extremely reasonable.

In any train which has more than one passenger car, *cats and dogs in pet kennels* would be allowed as carry-ons in *one designated car*. (So, presumably you could request not to be in that car if you are allergic.) The kennels would be required to fit in the same space as other carry-ons.

Amtrak would be *required* to charge an extra fee for carrying pets, and the fee would be required to cover at *least* the full cost of administration of the pet policy (it would be allowed to be larger). So Amtrak could charge $500 per pet if it wanted to, under this law, to cover cleaning costs.

While this would apply to all trains, only passengers who are ticketed for less-than-750-mile trips would be allowed to carry pets.

Finally, Amtrak is given an escape clause with a "where feasible" clause, so if providing a "pet car" is unfeasible for some reason (perhaps there is too much time between cleanings on the long runs), they aren't required to.

There is a second section of the bill, but it is inoperative, because it only applies if Amtrak has climate-controlled baggage cars, which Amtrak doesn't. And it specifies at the end of the bill that nothing in the bill shall be construed to require Amtrak to buy new cars or modify old cars.

This is actually approximately the policy which Amtrak should have had all along on its own. Though I would specify a ticketed TIME (in hours) rather than a ticketed DISTANCE, and make it shorter. I'd make it 6 hours, because this is Jeff Denham, and looking at his district, he wants to take his pet on the San Joaquins, which are timetabled in a bit under 6 hours end to end.

If Amtrak changes its policy on its own, maybe it can do so and avoid the blunt instrument of Congressional legislation locking in a 750 mile rule.

As for the "90 days after enactment", that's how long Amtrak has to *propose* a policy, not how long Amtrak has to *finalize* or *implement* it, so don't worry about that.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

My concern with the bill is what if the only available seats when I board are in the pet car & I don't want to be in that car, especially if I'm allergic to cats or dogs. And no passengers in the non-pet cars are willing to trade places.

Guess they would need to revamp the reservation system so people can indicate they do not want to be in the pet car.

 

[amamba]

My concern with the bill is what if the only available seats when I board are in the pet car & I don't want to be in that car, especially if I'm allergic to cats or dogs. And no passengers in the non-pet cars are willing to trade places.
Guess they would need to revamp the reservation system so people can indicate they do not want to be in the pet car.

What happens to the same passenger when they are on a plane and someone carries on a pet? Do they ask to take a later flight? It sounds to me like this policy is just implementing what airlines have been doing for years.

 

[FriskyFL]

Just swell. More Congressional meddling.

 

[SarahZ]

I agree about time vs. distance. 750 miles can take anywhere from nine to fifteen hours, depending on which train you're on. There is no way I'd keep my cat in a carrier for longer than six hours, let alone fifteen hours.

 

[MattW]

Well, Amtrak could probably implement a time-based policy. It says on routes less than 750, does not say that the requirement must be 750 miles. To go 750 miles in 6 hours, the train would have to average 125mph...not even the Acela does that! So any route where Amtrak has imposed a time limit of at most 16 or so hours (at 45mph average speed), would be less than 750 miles and would probably fulfill the requirement of the bill. To be clear though, I agree that much longer than a single 6 hour trip would begin to push the bounds of comfort for most animals and hope that Amtrak recognizes this and sets around 6 hours as the limit.

 

[Nathanael]

For the record, I am unsympathetic to people who are allergic to cats and dogs because I'm allergic to polyester fibers in the air, and nobody's going to accomodate ME by having a "no polyester" rule. People who are allergic to nuts don't get accomodated with "nut free" trains either. This isn't like cigarettes, where the vast majority of people react badly to the smoke due to the sheer number and quantity of different toxins and allergens (which is in the dozens for 'industrial' cigarettes).

I think if Amtrak gets out ahead of this and designs a 6-hour rule that Denham would probably retract his bill. Well, I hope so anyway. But I don't know anyone at Amtrak to push my suggestion to.

 

[the Other Mike]

I've seen several replies that suggest a time limit to the rule. As a smart ### I have to ask, what happens when a train is delayed, lets say it's at 7 hours, one hour over the 6 hour rule, do you start throwing dogs and cats out the door ?

And since we already have the HOG law, what would this rule be called ? :blink:

Just wondering. Seems to me this opens a whole new "can of worms"....hey can I bring a can of pet worms ?

Ok, what about law suits about people complaining about the flea infested cars ?

I just see this as inviting trouble, which Amtrak has enough of.