Radio host Justin Kaufmann came well-prepared for our short interview on WGN Radio yesterday morning — we even got a couple of call-ins! If you missed hearing us live, you can hear The Air Carrier Act: How new procedures are impacting those visually impaired online now.
Whitney knows what to do on an airplane.
During the interview yesterday I told my story about the small dog wearing a “service dog” vest who barked and lunged at Whitney at Midway Airport, how the dog’s owner told me the dog keeps her calm and prevents her from getting panic attacks on the plane, and how when Southwest announced that people with disabilities could pre-board, the woman and her dog rushed to the front of the line to nab a bulkhead seat.
The sports reporter sitting in the studio weighed in then with a question about what Whitney does for me inside an airport, and I answered in detail — everything from getting me into the taxi, leading me to curbside check-in, following the red cap to elevators, through security, to the gate, down the jetway and finally, to our seat. On the flight with the yippy service dog, we sat in the 8th row window seat, Whitney, a 60 pound Yellow Lab/Golden Retriever cross, sat with her bottom under the seat in front of us, her head on my feet, and didn’t make a peep during the flight.
She didn’t make a peep while underfoot in the radio studio, either, and I was proud to point that out as the interview came to a close.
In light of the challenges people working with service animals are facing during air travel, The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is making plans to amend and clarify its regulations implementing the Air Carrier Access Act. DOT has issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rule Making (ANPRM) and is seeking comments from the public. I think clearer rules about traveling with service animals could help eliminate some problems, and if you think so, too, I hope you’ll comment there, too. Just make sure you submit comments by this Monday, July 9, 2018. Thanks for listening!
Service dogs seem to be snowballing. My irritation is snowballing, too. I was in a grocery store where a small dog was free to wander with his owner among the food items. There wasn’t even a phony “service dog” jacket on it. The checkout clerk basically implied that as long as a person CLAIMS it’s a service dog, they let it go. It’s less trouble than trying to kick them out. Online, there’s a pitition….um….petition to force Delta Airlines to allow pit bull dogs to be boarded as service dogs. I’m glad that Delta came to its senses and is limiting all the fake claims of “service animal”. The fewer phony service animals claims, the more room for VALID SERVICE ANIMALS.
Hope you comment on the Dep’t of Transportation page, Sheila.
This is so much my pet peeve of traveling, Beth. Because I know you personally and know what having Whitney with you means to you, I get livid when I see people slap a vest on the family pet and bring him onto the airplane. I think it’s quite clear from their behavior when a dog is a true, trained service animal and when the passenger is just trying to get out of paying a fee to crate and board their dog on the plane. I fully intend to follow the link you provided and let my opinions be known.
Oh, Mary, this means a lot to me. I’m guessing the people who wrote the law never dreamed anyone would pretend they had a disability in order to game the system. Perhaps I should look at this in a positive light: maybe people with disabilities have been so out and about after the ADA was passed that average folks think it’s not so bad?
Comment submitted – thanks for the reminder Beth!!
Thank you, for taking the time to comment there, Jenny.
Hi Beth,
I don’t know if you remember me? My name is Jane Scudder Mueller. We were classmates together. While I do understand your need for a service animal. All these dogs have made it impossible for me to fly. I have severe allergies to animals especially dogs and cats. Which means I can never fly out to California to see my youngest Daughter. I can never travel by plane, or train, or bus anywhere.
While I understand it’s necessary in some cases. It isn’t in all. When my Daughter flew home at Christmas she had no less then 10 dogs on that flight. Not even an epi pen would have saved me.
I know you need your dog, but 10 dogs on one flight seems a bit excessive.
It also means I will never see Italy like she wants me too,
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