Animals On Seats

[SargeNpton]

Of course, there are some people who should be nowhere near dogs, whether on or off trains.

 

[Jimini]

We take our pooch on trains all the time. He will normally sit under the table / chair and have a snooze, but occasionally he'll settle down on one of our laps instead. He's only a little fella so he's not exactly sprawled all over the chair. Does love a bit of fuss though if anyone wanders past and they take a shine to him!

 

[xtpe]

What I find annoying is when you have your dog on a train people think they have the right to stroke it without even asking, maybe they are the people that end up getting bitten as I have never been bitten by a dog but then I never ever pet an animal with out asking the owner if I may and if the dog won't mind

 

[Bletchleyite]

Supposedly 31% of households own a dog. You might be right.

And plenty of people, e.g. me, like dogs but don't own one as it wouldn't be practical for their lifestyle. Didn't know ownership was that high though!

Not against dogs on trains (I don't like them but accept they need to be allowed if we are to cut car use and get more people on trains) but they shouldn't be on seats and neither should shoes.

Yes, if we want people to give up cars it needs to be possible to do all day to day activities by public transport, which would include e.g. taking a pet to the vet's or a petsitter, or for a day out in the hills, or whatever. Thus, dogs need to be allowed on trains even if some won't like it.

Of course, there are some people who should be nowhere near dogs, whether on or off trains.

I am to be fair very much in favour of dog licencing in order to control issues caused by irresponsible owners, and one could argue it to be a valid grounds for removal of a licence to be caught more than once with a dog in an inappropriate place, e.g. on the seats on a train.

 

[londonbridge]

It says a lot about our country when people think it is acceptable to have dogs on the seats of trains. (Same with feet).The man with the dog eventually got out a towel and placed it on the seat for the dog to sit on. Goodness knows which side of the towel the dog had previously been sitting on but I don’t think that is acceptable either.

Probably the same people who increasingly think it acceptable to take their dog into a shop (specifically food shops). I’ve been verbally abused for refusing to serve customers with dogs on more than one occasion. The usual argument is that they can’t/wont leave it tied up outside because dogs have been stolen from outside shops. Sorry but if you’re on your own and/or there is no-one to stand outside with the dog whilst you get your shopping, then don’t bring it with you.

 

[bramling]

Unpopular opinion... I've generally found that people who don't like animals are not to be trusted. I understand when the person is allergic or scared of them, but to not like them for no other reason than not liking them I find very telling. This has been proven true anecdotally time and time again in my experience.

As is usual with these things, it’s not the animal which is the problem, but the owner.

I must admit to getting thoroughly sick of dogs locally to me, either with owners who can’t control them, or who think it’s acceptable to trip people up with their leads. I would never take it out on the dog, but the owner is another matter entirely.

Like many things it’s another thing which has got worse since Covid.

 

[LittleRedTrain]

My partner and I regularly take our dog on trains (both heritage and main line) as we don't drive.
She's so used to it that she'll head for the first bay of empty seats and curl up on the floor to claim her space, get comfy and make us fit our legs around her!
Most passengers who hadn't seen us get on and off wouldn't know she was there!
I suspect the same is true of many other dogs and owners, but of course, it's only the bad ones that will be noticed, in the same way, you'd never notice the quiet children or people using headphones properly.

One thing we do have for her is a harness with green 'Friendly' stickers on it. That way if she goes up to anyone, or catches them by surprise, they can quickly see that she's not going to attack them and is quite happy to receive some fuss!

 

[mike57]

Dogs (or any other animals, unless in a pet carrier) on seats - never - person and animal should be removed from the train if they dont comply when asked

Dogs on the floor, fine as long as they are not blocking the gangway.

I am not a great fan of dogs, been bitten more than once over the years, so I will actively avoid sitting near or next to someone with a dog. But that is my problem not the fault of dog or owner.

Am I mis-remembering but as a child I seem to recall seeing dogs in the guards van, were they passengers dogs or unaccompanied like parcels

 

[SargeNpton]

Am I mis-remembering but as a child I seem to recall seeing dogs in the guards van, were they passengers dogs or unaccompanied like parcels

Both.

 

[D6975]

Unpopular opinion... I've generally found that people who don't like animals are not to be trusted. I understand when the person is allergic or scared of them, but to not like them for no other reason than not liking them I find very telling. This has been proven true anecdotally time and time again in my experience.

Dear me!!
What absolute bollocks.
There are many people living in the UK now who come from countries where every dog has to be regarded as a potential source of rabies and are consequently very cautious of dogs. This doesn't make them criminals.

 

[devon_belle]

And plenty of people, e.g. me, like dogs but don't own one as it wouldn't be practical for their lifestyle. Didn't know ownership was that high though!

Very true. Personally I don't like dogs but don't have a problem with most of them -- dog owners are usually more trouble than their dogs. I do think dogs on trains should require a (cheap) ticket though, but that would only be if I could trust the rail operators to spend the additional revenue on commensurate extra cleaning measures.

RE: the statistics, the sample size is 8,901 so probably some form of selection bias playing into the large figure of 31%. Especially if the survey was conducted by a company who is likely to have a larger audience of pet owners. Ahh, data science. Based on my personal experience, people in my generation having a dog in the household seems to be more like 5-10% (although the sample size of my friends is considerably smaller than 9k!)

Hadn't seen this page before, but the National Rail website has some guidance on travelling with pets:

Do​

• Keep animals on leads or in pet carriers
• Bring plenty of treats and water
• Reward good behaviour

Don’t​

• Put pets on seats
• Let dogs stand on escalators – they must be carried
• Allow animals near the tracks

and the suggestion that you can only travel with 2 pets before a fee may be incurred:

You’re welcome to bring up to 2 animals with you, at no extra charge. If you want to travel with more animals than that, there may be an additional fee.

 

[BJames]

I have a dog and he comes on the train with me and my family fairly regularly. He sits quietly under the seat/table/in front of us - never blocking the aisle, and never on a seat - I wouldn't dream of it. I saw a dog sitting on the seat on a London Overground train the other day on my local line - it wasn't busy enough to say something but if it was I would have asked the man to move the dog. It was a very placid looking dog and he wasn't bothering anyone, but I don't believe he should be on the seat.

 

[Archvile]

Dear me!!
What absolute bollocks.
There are many people living in the UK now who come from countries where every dog has to be regarded as a potential source of rabies and are consequently very cautious of dogs. This doesn't make them criminals.

Which is a valid reason to be cautious and which, if you'd read the bloody post properly, you'd see it doesn't apply to

 

[Peter0124]

Which is a valid reason to be cautious and which, if you'd read the bloody post properly, you'd see it doesn't apply to

What about not liking being near other peoples dogs incase they slabber/sneeze on you or lick you?

Some dogs have very drooly mouths which can gross me out.

 

[Archvile]

What about not liking being near other peoples dogs incase they slabber/sneeze on you or lick you?

Some dogs have very drooly mouths which can gross me out.

Unpopular opinion... I've generally found that people who don't like animals are not to be trusted. I understand when the person is allergic or scared of them, but to not like them for no other reason than not liking them I find very telling. This has been proven true anecdotally time and time again in my experience.

Although I think there's an argument that given some of the riff-raff of the human kind you find on public transport, I'd be more grossed out sitting next to one of them tbh!

 

[Farigiraf]

I'm less of a dog person but I'm fine with them on trains (although not on seats, hygiene) but when I head out onto the rural lines I occasionally see a dog walker jumping on but they always put down a blanket and sit at the back.
Haven't experienced animals on busier trains/metros but I do think that maybe larger pets should be restricted from atleast the deep tube lines as there's not much space (or air, bad for the animal) and if a problem occurs it would be harder to deal with

 

[yorkie]

I travelled on a GWR train on Saturday and a man had a dog walking on the seat. Needless to say that when I said that dogs should not be on the seats, I got a load of abuse.

I would report it; speak to staff who should - unless there are exceptional circumstances such as the train being extremely busy and unable to get through - speak to the customer.

What is the policy regarding animals on seats? Animals might carry fleas/bed bugs that could infect trains/passengers. They can also be smelly and dribbling and possibly bite people. They would probably have been sitting / walking on dirty pavements/platforms and would therefore deposit dirt on the seats.

Animals are not allowed on seats.

I did once ask an LNER guard (back before it was LNER but one of the previous franchise holders) who denied this rule; I emailed the company straight away who apologised and confirmed that they had addressed the matter with the guard in question.

Not against dogs on trains (I don't like them but accept they need to be allowed if we are to cut car use and get more people on trains) but they shouldn't be on seats and neither should shoes.

I completely agree with the part in bold.

As for the part in brackets, I don't agree with that because I do very much like to see well behaved dogs/cats on trains, but you are right that even if people don't like dogs, they have to be accepted (providing they are well behaved and looked after by responsible owners).

 

[Bletchleyite]

and the suggestion that you can only travel with 2 pets before a fee may be incurred:

The "Accompanied Animals and Articles" fare would technically apply (basically child rate if I recall), but I also seem to recall reading on here that due to it almost never being used it's been removed from the fares database and so can't be issued any more.

If it is the same price as child fare, though, they could I guess just change the rules so you have to purchase an actual child ticket for the third dog.

 

[peteb]

I'm allergic to cats but not to dogs fortunately. I do not like the smell of a very muddy or wet dog however as this can overwhelm the Aircon........!

 

[Envoy]

Many thanks everyone for your further comments. I am pleased to see that it is against the rules to have animals on seats and in hindsight, I should have reported the matter to the train manager. Hopefully, this thread will raise awareness of the issue and TOC’s will inform staff of the rule so that they can take action.

I have just come across a PDF from NHS Scotland regarding health and animals/people. How people can go kissing dogs and cats I don’t know?
dog-cat-infections-June-2014.pdf

" Giardia & cryptosporidium
These are parasites called protozoa that can cause gut disease. Direct contact with pets may cause people to be infected with these parasites".

 

[mike57]

Although not a fan of dogs I am fine with cats, and they usually like me. Brings to mind an incident from some years back on a journey from Yorkshire to London Kings Cross. The lady next to me had a cat in a carrier, which also had a sort of cat sized harness on. She asked me if I minded if she let it out, I said I was fine with it, and she opened the carrier and clipped a lead to its harness. It woke up, stretched, came out of its carrier looked around, and proceeded to settle on my lap, making bread for a few minutes before settling down. The lady was mortified but I said its fine, the cat stayed there until about 20 mins from London when I had to get up and use the toilet. The cat looked miffed when I gently moved it.

 

[berwicksfinest]

This about sums me up

 

[Lemmy99uk]

Unpopular opinion... I've generally found that people who don't like animals are not to be trusted. I understand when the person is allergic or scared of them, but to not like them for no other reason than not liking them I find very telling. This has been proven true anecdotally time and time again in my experience.

I think this says more about the arrogance of some dog owners than it does about those who do not like dogs.

 

[greyman42]

Even though some are cleaner than fare paying punters!!

Have you seen some of the cranks!

What I find annoying is when you have your dog on a train people think they have the right to stroke it without even asking, maybe they are the people that end up getting bitten as I have never been bitten by a dog but then I never ever pet an animal with out asking the owner if I may and if the dog won't mind

If the dog is likely to bite if it is touched then it should be muzzled.

 

[Purple Train]

The only animal that should be allowed on a seat is a goat, to lessen the chances of it eating the seat.

I am frightened of most dogs and never go near one that I don't know. Unfortunately, dogs seem to like me. As do cats, but then I like cats, though I've never seen one on a train (I have seen a very unhappy cat in a box at Bradford Interchange, evidently going to the V E T.) If putting one on a seat is against the NRCoT, then that is that in my eyes.

I wonder if any posters on here have seen any more exotic animals on trains? Any bigger than a large dog?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I travelled on a GWR train on Saturday and a man had a dog walking on the seat. Needless to say that when I said that dogs should not be on the seats, I got a load of abuse.

What is the policy regarding animals on seats? Animals might carry fleas/bed bugs that could infect trains/passengers. They can also be smelly and dribbling and possibly bite people. They would probably have been sitting / walking on dirty pavements/platforms and would therefore deposit dirt on the seats.

I do personally think just mind your own business. The train has the guard for that. Don’t take rule enforcement into your own hands, it’s so unnecessary, and especially poor when you don’t even know the policy yourself apparently.

 

[6Gman]

IIRC dogs used to have to go in the guards van, suitably muzzled, along with the bikes, parcels and pigeons........
Now we have no guards vans, bikes blocking gangways (not the cyclists fault if there's nowhere to store them) and dogs on seats.
Progress eh?

I'm not sure that was ever the case for accompanied dogs.

I certainly helped a friend take a dog from Redruth to Crewe which was no small task! It sat on the floor for the entire journey with the occasional bowl of water (not too much for obvious reasons).

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I wonder if any posters on here have seen any more exotic animals on trains? Any bigger than a large dog?

Six or seven years ago, I was in a West End show for which the first two weeks of rehearsals took place daily near to South Bermondsey, before we moved into the theatre itself and this required me to take the Southern service via London Bridge.

Twice, I encountered an elderly woman in a maroon shawl who was telling people she was a fortune teller, and she had a little cat in a carrier that she took out and it sat down and clawed at the astroturf seat covering on the 455. She patted it while telling the man opposite about his star signs, and then I distinctly remember when she got off, she put the cat back in the carrier and said to it “We’ve done well Stiffany, the past is now the future.”

I’ve told a few people that, I know @hexagon789 has definitely heard the story, but I’d love to know if anyone has encountered this woman.

 

[Calthrop]

I wonder if any posters on here have seen any more exotic animals on trains? Any bigger than a large dog?

Not a thing experienced by me first-hand; but I relish accounts of pigs-on-trains situations (I like pigs -- give me a pig in preference to a dog, any time). One such recounted in one of the books by the late Dervla Murphy, very definitely my favourite travel writer. Taking place in Romania, circa 1990 -- the author had a fondness for rail travel; and in the book concerned, expresses admiration for the Romanian state railways' continuing to run passenger services with fair efficiency, at a time when in that country, most things were decidedly shambolic.

On the journey concerned, she "travelled second class, opposite an endearing old couple with quite a large pig in a poke on their adjacent laps. He slept in transit but woke at each stop and squealed most piteously -- causing his owners to stroke him through the sack while crooning a sort of lullaby."

DM "took a break" during the journey, going into a first-class corridor for a smoke -- forbidden in coach compartments. (Part of my fondness for this author -- born 1931 -- stems from her refusal to toe the line of "modern-day prissiness", even when intellectually agreeing with some of its premises. She unrepentantly smoked during the majority of her long life; and was a strongly convinced "anti-germophobe" -- also, she was extremely fond of the whole animal kingdom, with the exception of spiders.) In the corridor she got talking to an English-speaking fellow-smoker -- a chivalrous young chap: "Noting my discomfort while standing, he obligingly moved to second class -- then horrified me by berating the old couple for inflicting their porcine companion on the travelling public. To me he complained, 'These people are too primitive, they give you a very bad idea of Romania !' 'On the contrary,' I said, 'I feel an affinity with people who have meaningful relationships with their pigs.' "

 

[6Gman]

Six or seven years ago, I was in a West End show for which the first two weeks of rehearsals took place daily near to South Bermondsey, before we moved into the theatre itself and this required me to take the Southern service via London Bridge.

Twice, I encountered an elderly woman in a maroon shawl who was telling people she was a fortune teller, and she had a little cat in a carrier that she took out and it sat down and clawed at the astroturf seat covering on the 455. She patted it while telling the man opposite about his star signs, and then I distinctly remember when she got off, she put the cat back in the carrier and said to it “We’ve done well Stiffany, the past is now the future.”

I’ve told a few people that, I know @hexagon789 has definitely heard the story, but I’d love to know if anyone has encountered this woman.

I've seen a pet rabbit (boxed) on its way from London to North Wales.