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Pet industry to lobby for carrying pets on Amtrak trains
Many Amtrak trains of more than 1 car in length have no baggage car, such as the corridor trains. That means pets, properly stowed of course, will be in the overhead racks in coach. If a Superliner train has no separate baggage car, pets will be in the luggage racks by the restrooms. Every time someone comes down the stairs to use the restroom, the barking choir will start. Congress once again shows it has no clue.
Pets are an “industry?”
The authors of the bill and some commenters share a common malady which is failure to consider the details. There would need to be two cars with the same level of service on the train, not one coach and one sleeper, and the arrangement of the consist would have to allow passage to and from lounges and diners without having to walk through designated pet cars. As some point out, the type of pet needs to be defined, and finally, with a maximum length of 750 miles, the long distance trains would not have pet services.
Awesome! Now I can take my gerbils AND rubber sheets in one bag!
Can everything previously transmitted indicate that, between these opinions, that::
Your pet animals right’s are written in the United States Constitution?
Your pets can contribute to the ledger’s costs, but magically do not extend costs?
Your pets should extend the cost?
Pay for special extra means and costs.
Cruelty?
What standing ere animals that aren’t us humans? Vast subject.
Angels on the head of a pin?
Pets traveling on government regulated transport?
If a pet is the option, fuh gutta’ bout it!
Seeing-eye dogs, service animals…absolutely, acomodate those with them.
Question that?..
Pets should be transported at additional cost.
How cruel can I be?
Transport, your Mom’s baby at the cost of moving that portion of the 'planes weight?
So, (Pets) should ride within the human’s contract for the additional pound’s per mile of fuel cost for transportation?
Questions?
Answer that question.
Pets should not be allowed in passenger cars. Maybe in baggage would be okay.
Many people are allergic to pets, some people are scared of pets. Why should they be subjected to such abuse of putting up with pets.
Pawn the pets off to somene for a week or two, or take them to a kennel.
Let me offer a contrarian view. If a prospective passenger, wanting to buy a transportation service, wants to take their dog with them, that person will look very long and hard at taking Amtrak. If Amtrak is the only transportation service that will allow a passenger to take a pet in their car with them, this might a one more argument in favor of Amtrak’s long distance trains. It will expand Amtrak’s audience somewhat.
So, the 1 in 10 people who have severe allergies to dogs and 1 in 4 who have severe allergies to cats will now have to put up with this, and they hope to “expand” their ridership base Instead, they’ll have a horrid experience of sneezing, watery eyes with NO way to get off temporarily to grab some allergy medication as the allergens permeate the train.
OK, I’m done with AMTRAK…thanks for making it easy for me to decide. Was thinking about a long-distance trip next year…won’t happen now.
Why won’t comments on pages 2 and 3 display?
I own two dogs and I would not want to subject them to being caged and riding in a baggage car. This would not be a nice experience for them what with all the noise at stops where baggage is worked. If I’m traveling the dogs either go into our favorite kennel or they travel with me in my RV. Overall I think it’s a bad idea for Amtrak, and to the representatives sponsoring this bill, I’d say they have more pressing issues, such as the budget.
Why stop at cats and dogs. That is discriminatory. Make it all pets. That includes boa constrictors, mice, rats, and frogs, on up to chickens, sheep, goats, cows, pigs, and horses. Of course for somebody I know, Amtrak would have to raise the roof a few feet. Brabants are six feet at the shoulder. On the other hand, if the locomotives break down, 4 brabants could easily pull the entire train and have fun with it.
To GILBERT SEBENSTE: You’ve got to smarten up and a attain higher reading comprehension level. You squarely blame Amtrak for this idea even though it comes EXCLUSIVELY from lawmakers. I hope you will stay off the trains as your space will gladly be filled by pax who enjoy riding trains and supporting Amtrak.
Hey I’d like to move some furniture on Amtrak! Is that next?
Please stop using Amtrak for politics and allow Amtrak’s management run it as a business. Amtrak should handle pets if and only if they can find a way to do it that increases ridership and/or revenues enough to justify the expenses of housing them in the baggage car. For the sake of other passengers, please do not allow them in passenger areas (except service animals). Maybe if politicians stop micromanaging Amtrak, its need for a subsidy will diminish.
If this passes I bet it’ll be another mandate that the feds won’t pay for (e.g., gun lockers in baggage cars).
what a joke. give me a break. another bad smell on a train
Amtrak can retrofit the gun cabinets to transport pets! 
DANIEL CARLETON from FLORIDA said: Pets are an “industry?”
Yup. Start with cat and dog food, go from there, and you’re probably talking billions. Lots of jobs, too.
Service animals YES. “Comfort” animal and pets NO.
As someone who was attacked by a dog as a 2-year-old and is still terrified of dogs to this day, I would definitely consider traveling by any other means if this were to come to pass.
Of course, since it seems the FAA will soon allow you to talk on your phone during flight (and who DOESN’T want to be next to someone talking nonstop on their phone during a 6-hour, cross country flight?), maybe the best option will become taking your own car everywhere…or just staying home!