Here we are in 101 degrees in October Arizona: We are going on a trip to visit daughter #2. This made me think of my last trip home from Maryland. My question, is it unfair to place animals alongside paying passengers?
The topper flight home from Maryland was last year...Thanks to United Airlines!
I felt we were in trouble when I saw the dark clouds in the distance as we drove to Dulles airport. After we arrived at the designated gate D3, we were shuffled down the boarding area to another gate a 15-minute walk away. And thus began the adventure. We boarded the plane about one hour late.
Our seats were up front and in our row was a woman in the window seat. "You don't mind do you...I have a dog in a crate under the seat." I immediately responded, "I'm very allergic to any animal hair." I don't care was her attitude, and she said, "He's an Airedale terrier. No one is allergic to a terrier."
I thought, "just watch me."
We had been sitting on the tarmac for about 40 minutes when she began to complain. "Oh, I'm so hot, my dog is hot, he's going to suffocate and die." As a steward walked by, she yelled blowing fetid breath across my face, "Do you want this dog's death on your conscious?"
The moaning and whining about the heat and a dying dog began again in earnest. "Isn't it against the law to make us be on the tarmac this long, we should be going back to the gate until the storm passes. We could die from the heat and lack of air." she repeated over and over to any crew person who passed by. Then the captain came on and said, "We are going back to the gate as we need to re-fuel and some of the crew need to be replaced."
Back at the gate the dog lady exited after she got other passengers who were exiting to carry her dog. She said, "I need my cane." I never saw a crew member leave, nor did I see any additional fuel going on-board. Aha! I knew it, I hope she stays off and keeps her little dog too! (I was feeling a little bit witchy. But Alas... Oh not so!
By the time we were in the air, dog-lady had her animal in her lap and my allergies kicked in. My eyes began to itch. I took out my contacts, applied ice to my rapidly swelling eyelids and could not see to read or do much of anything for the next five hours. When we landed, I was having difficulty taking a breath.
We arrived in Phoenix after midnight, and it took a while to find a ride because we were too late to catch the Uber we had reserved. We noticed dog lady running to catch a cab. She was dancing along with her dog crate on wheels. She must have lost that cane as there was not one in sight!
Questions for United Air and all Air lines:
Do air-crew persons have a right to change annoying passengers and their dogs from one seat to another at the expense of other passengers? (I learned two other passengers had refused to have her sit in their row.)
Are there more people allergic to peanuts (1%) than animal hair (10%)? or is it just that more people have sued about peanuts on planes?
Do dogs and their owners have more rights to a seat on the plane than other passengers?
Do plane companies have the responsibility to ask passengers if they are allergic to animals before they seat them next to the pet parade.
Should dog or cat owners sit in the back row all together with their animals...and bother each other? Yes I think so!
