S/O plane meltdown - animals in cabin?

[TranquilMind]

TM, you were responding to somebody who was talking about the quotes I had read, not any posts I had made. She was talking about the comment that somebody else had made. Your response just doesn't make any sense.

 

 

No, I can't.

 

Listen, I'm not particularly interested in reading another tiresome retread of this derail, and I can't imagine anybody else is either. If you have a problem with me, take it up with the mods. Or make your own thread. Or just, I dunno, stop replying to me? Seriously, there are soooooo many options.

 

 

Perhaps "Fido" dies in the cargo hold. I'm sure that will greatly exacerbate the stress of the situation.

 

You are doing it again here, right here in this post.  Look at your quotes, compared to everyone else's.

 

It is disrespectful to continue to quote people without attribution after being asked repeatedly to stop. 

Don't quote me without attribution. 

[creekland]

Inability to breathe does trump all else.  Full stop. 

 

 

How often does this really occur on airplanes though?  If someone knows they are that allergic, wouldn't they be contacting the airline rather than taking their chances?

 

How do these folks handle being in public?  I know I often have cat fur on me when I go to school.  No one (yet) has been harmed.

 

Even peanuts... there have been peanuts served on ALL flights I've been on the past few years.  It can't be that bad of an allergy for too many people.

 

When it is (either case) contact the airline and see what options there are.

[TranquilMind]

How often does this really occur on airplanes though?  If someone knows they are that allergic, wouldn't they be contacting the airline rather than taking their chances?

 

How do these folks handle being in public?  I know I often have cat fur on me when I go to school.  No one (yet) has been harmed.

 

Even peanuts... there have been peanuts served on ALL flights I've been on the past few years.  It can't be that bad of an allergy for too many people.

 

When it is (either case) contact the airline and see what options there are.

I have not seen peanuts in a few years. 

 

I don't know.  I have issues with cats.  So far, still alive. 

 

But if it is someone with a cat and me in a small area, one of us has got to go.  The person can still travel without a cat.  It isn't equivalent to breathing. 

 

There are loads of people with much worse allergies. 

[creekland]

I have not seen peanuts in a few years. 

 

I don't know.  I have issues with cats.  So far, still alive. 

 

But if it is someone with a cat and me in a small area, one of us has got to go.  The person can still travel without a cat.  It isn't equivalent to breathing. 

 

There are loads of people with much worse allergies. 

 

If you've been flying recently, I bet there have been dogs and/or cats on flights with you.  I can't recall one lately without, but most of our flights are with Southwest (always unless Southwest doesn't fly there), so perhaps that (and the peanuts being served) are aligned with specific airlines more often.

[ktgrok]

Right. A being in someone's house that owns a cat is different, as the cat has wandered all over and gotten dander everywhere. On a plane, the cat is confined to the carrier, as is the vast majority of the dander. Dander won't be flying 15 rows back, you know? And dander is what people are allergic to.

[goldberry]

It's sad really, because almost ALL problems related to this subject would be solved by people just being responsible human beings.

 

Don't pretend to have a service dog or an ESA when it is not legitimate = reduced number of animals in public places in general.

A legitimate service dog will be trained to behave properly in public = no aggressiveness or pooping on the carpet or excessive barking.

An ESA may not have to be trained, but if you are being a responsible human being, you won't bring an aggressive/pooping/barking animal in public.

If a landlord is required to accept your ESA, a responsible human being won't let said ESA destroy landlord's property.

 

I realize that doesn't solve the allergy problem entirely, but if only legitimate animals were out there, there would probably be far fewer actual encounters to start with.  I know the idea that all people just be responsible human beings is quite unrealistic, so it seems to me the best starting point would be stricter regulations and enforcement related to service dog and ESA qualifications, so that at least people with allergies, etc would not have to feel like most of the ones out there are taking advantage of the system.

 

Apparently there have been several petitions out there to regulate this better, but so far nothing has come from it.

 

 

[Catalytic]

How often does this really occur on airplanes though?  If someone knows they are that allergic, wouldn't they be contacting the airline rather than taking their chances?

 

How do these folks handle being in public?  I know I often have cat fur on me when I go to school.  No one (yet) has been harmed.

 

Even peanuts... there have been peanuts served on ALL flights I've been on the past few years.  It can't be that bad of an allergy for too many people.

 

When it is (either case) contact the airline and see what options there are.

 

I have had to leave a plane (on a stretcher) in the  early 80s due to someone who was carrying horse dander on them.  I have had to leave supposedly pet-free hotels over dog and cat dander.  I have had to decline homes that have had pets in them if the animals urinated all over or if the carpet isn't cleaned well enough.  I usually can't go in pet stores that sell pets with fur, particularly ferrets.  I can't go near B&BW, Yankee Candle, or the like,  which keeps me out of most malls.  I have had to leave two formal events due to perfume, and I can't count the number of times I've had to leave stores due to it.  I despise flying, so I avoid it whenever possible, but I do know I have flown with pets before (not my pets), it was pretty common to have dogs in the cabins on flights in Alaska.  Fortunately my big trigger is horses, so they are mostly easily avoided, with cats usually just causing non-stop sneezing fits.  I can tolerate most dogs fairly well, but breeds with fur like pits, Bostons, etc do tend to aggravate me.

 

I have had to leave grocery stores that have seafood departments, because my son was starting to react to the shrimp, even if we went nowhere near the seafood department.  Shrimp on a plane would probably kill him.  Thankfully, his peanut allergy is mild.  (I thought my son was having psychosomatic reactions to shrimp in grocery stores, until the allergist told me that the slightest scent could be enough to set him off)

 

 

It's sad really, because almost ALL problems related to this subject would be solved by people just being responsible human beings.

 

Don't pretend to have a service dog or an ESA when it is not legitimate = reduced number of animals in public places in general.

A legitimate service dog will be trained to behave properly in public = no aggressiveness or pooping on the carpet or excessive barking.

An ESA may not have to be trained, but if you are being a responsible human being, you won't bring an aggressive/pooping/barking animal in public.

If a landlord is required to accept your ESA, a responsible human being won't let said ESA destroy landlord's property.

 

I realize that doesn't solve the allergy problem entirely, but if only legitimate animals were out there, there would probably be far fewer actual encounters to start with.  I know the idea that all people just be responsible human beings is quite unrealistic, so it seems to me the best starting point would be stricter regulations and enforcement related to service dog and ESA qualifications, so that at least people with allergies, etc would not have to feel like most of the ones out there are taking advantage of the system.

 

Apparently there have been several petitions out there to regulate this better, but so far nothing has come from it.

 

Agreed.  As a landlord to a house I intend to live in in the future, I wonder whose rights would win out in court...my allergies or my tenants' ESA note.  Ugh, I hope I never have to find out.

[creekland]

I  despise flying, so I avoid it whenever possible, 

 

I can certainly understand that with so many allergies.  I suspect most people with numerous major allergies need to avoid flights, because even if you get a pet free one, it won't stop perfumes or dander coming in on clothes, etc. There's nothing airlines can do about that even if they wanted to.

 

I would think it could be near impossible to work in many places too - checkout counters, or really anywhere where one comes into contact with numerous random people.

 

I would suspect your documented allergies would "win" over someone's need to have an ESA since they can live elsewhere, but it's far more difficult for you to "trade properties."  I would hope you would win anyway.  I guess one never knows.  I'd hope a tenant would check with you before just bringing in Fido.  I've heard stories that many people who sneak pets in just do it.

[Terabith]

The problem is that there are so many things people may be allergic to, that it really is almost impossible to accommodate all of them. I have a child with a life threatening allergy to fish. That's easily avoided, and while airborne smells make her uncomfortable, they do not threaten her life. But do we ban all foods from public places? Nobody can have nuts or milk or wheat? No big 8 on public transportation? What about more rare food allergies? Or scents? I truly am compassionate, but I'm not sure how to accommodate all possibilities. Should guide dogs for the blind be banned from public because of allergies? It's a legitimate issue.

 

I did once take a kitten on a cross country flight in the cabin. We drugged her and she was in a carrier under the seat in front of me as we flew from Texas to Virginia. We were moving, and I was also flying with a 2 year old and a 3 year old. The cat was quiet the whole time. I would have been mortified to find out someone was allergic. I didn't have a real alternative, but I can't imagine doing that for fun.

 

I agree, life threatening trumps convenience, but with so many things that are life threatening, I don't know how you balance it. Asking for accommodations seems the only practical way, but that leaves the allergic person vulnerable. Allergies suck.

[Catalytic]

I can certainly understand that with so many allergies.  I suspect most people with numerous major allergies need to avoid flights, because even if you get a pet free one, it won't stop perfumes or dander coming in on clothes, etc. There's nothing airlines can do about that even if they wanted to.

 

I would think it could be near impossible to work in many places too - checkout counters, or really anywhere where one comes into contact with numerous random people.

 

I would suspect your documented allergies would "win" over someone's need to have an ESA since they can live elsewhere, but it's far more difficult for you to "trade properties."  I would hope you would win anyway.  I guess one never knows.  I'd hope a tenant would check with you before just bringing in Fido.  I've heard stories that many people who sneak pets in just do it.

 

(I don't fly because I prefer my feet on the ground, hubby being military, we've had to fly more than a few times.  I just don't fly if it's at all possible to drive.)  My perfume allergy has actually gotten MUCH worse in the past 5 or so years.  As a teen, my mom wore Sand & Sable or White Shoulders.  She would have to go out in the yard to spray them.  After they had "settled" on her, I would be fine.  By the time I reached my early 20s, I could handle Sand & Sable but not White Shoulders, and I wore a little S&S myself through my mid-20s.  By my 30s, I could just handle Sunflowers, anything else set me off.  By 35, even B&BW body sprays were getting to me.  I haven't been employed outside the home in 20 years, so fortunately that hasn't been an issue.

 

My son, though, was offered a job yesterday.  He's been looking for over a month, but being 17, there's a lot of restrictions.  The job he was offered was at a restaurant that serves shrimp.  Of course, he's severely allergic to shrimp and lobster.  He's a bit bummed out.

 

Anyway, in my experience, allergies *can* be a disability, which is why I feel so strongly about this topic.  (And at no point have I said guide dogs, mind "you", to me they are a necessity.)

 

The problem is that there are so many things people may be allergic to, that it really is almost impossible to accommodate all of them. I have a child with a life threatening allergy to fish. That's easily avoided, and while airborne smells make her uncomfortable, they do not threaten her life. But do we ban all foods from public places? Nobody can have nuts or milk or wheat? No big 8 on public transportation? What about more rare food allergies? Or scents? I truly am compassionate, but I'm not sure how to accommodate all possibilities. Should guide dogs for the blind be banned from public because of allergies? It's a legitimate issue.

 

I did once take a kitten on a cross country flight in the cabin. We drugged her and she was in a carrier under the seat in front of me as we flew from Texas to Virginia. We were moving, and I was also flying with a 2 year old and a 3 year old. The cat was quiet the whole time. I would have been mortified to find out someone was allergic. I didn't have a real alternative, but I can't imagine doing that for fun.

 

I agree, life threatening trumps convenience, but with so many things that are life threatening, I don't know how you balance it. Asking for accommodations seems the only practical way, but that leaves the allergic person vulnerable. Allergies suck.

 

I haven't ever flown with an animal in the cabin.  I have put my parrot in cargo (about 6 years ago), and I've put my cockatiel in cargo (many eons ago for him).  I also put a large dog in cargo, but he wouldn't have fit under a seat anyway.  I don't know what I'd do if my cats had to fly, or my shih poo.  Probably would put the dog in the cabin since no one with allergies that has met her has had problems, but for everyone's sanity and allergies, the cats would go in the cargo.  Parrot would definitely go in cargo again, but she wouldn't fit under a seat, either.

 

Yes, allergies suck, and I don't think they trump service dogs, but I do think ESAs are different (as does the gov't and ADA).  On planes...whatever, they allow animals on flights, if they fit under like they should.  I don't think they should be allowed in a seat.  In hotels, however, that's a whole different ball of wax imo.  If a hotel does not allow pets, then I don't think an ESA should be allowed.  (JFTR, I rarely stay at hotels, only when absolutely necessary.  We purchased a travel trailer to avoid issues like this.)