Pax brings emotional support turkey on flight

I noticed that there is nothing in our FOM specifically prohibiting me from bringing a pet in the cockpit. Should I be the one who gets that rule written?


Of course. How else is one suppose to do a CAT I approach?

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This should be in the You're the Captain thread. I'm not sure I want a lose turkey on my flight. But when they have that piece of paper saying I have to let it on, what would you do?


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To deny boarding to an emotional support animal is to violate Federal Law. First step in denying boarding is to lawyer up cause the union and company are gonna drop you like a Tiauana hooker on a Sunday morning.
 
I question the sanity of someone who feels the need to have a turkey every time they go fly. A physical real, live turkey. And look at the way he's got his arm around it. I'd say it's a little creepy to the average guy, no?
 
Did they make him put the turkey on ground at his feet? ESA or not, if it won't fit/stay there, that's grounds for kicking him/it off.

I did have one FA tell me that someone tried to bring an emotional support donkey on once. That story currently remains unverified.

They purchased a ticket for it, so yes, it had its own seat. As for the donkey, I've seen a support pig and a miniature pony. Whatever animal diapers they tried to use sure didn't work like a pair of Depends.
 
I feel a little bad for people who actually have a need for an emotional support animal. Like how bad does your life have to be that a doctor prescribes to you an animal to take with you everywhere just so you can make it through the day. Hot dang man. Seriously, in a survival-of-the-fittest/adaptable situation, these people wouldn't make it. Seriously, they wouldn't. Smarter, calmer, cooler heads would say, "damn, this turkey right here probably taste pretty good and we need food!"
 
To deny boarding to an emotional support animal is to violate Federal Law. First step in denying boarding is to lawyer up cause the union and company are gonna drop you like a Tiauana hooker on a Sunday morning.
OK, I'll accept that prima facia. But how, where, when can a Captain draw the line? Are there any published rules for deciding what qualifies as an ESA? Who makes the decision? How? Let's take the ridiculous to make the point: What if, as @Derg suggested, someone wants to bring a cow on board? What happens when the Turkey starts clawing passengers or dumping on the seats? Really? the turkey is house trained? I seriously doubt that. You ever considered the size of a turkey's brain? Just barely exceeds a freaking ganglia. What if there's drugs inside the turkey's gizzard? What happens if the turkey is wired? Any procedures for security vetting this stuff?? Just read it's name! It's a ... Turkey! :)
 

The unfortunate fact is that 'cute & cuddly' lies in the imagination, often driven by visual stimuli. Seals, often considered right up there in the heirarchy of 'cute & cuddly,' are pretty ill-tempered in real life. Sure, they LOOK cute, but that's in the eye of the beholder.

Most of us would rule snakes off this list (even if we're not herpetologically phobic), but not all. How would you fare taking an Emotional Support Pit Viper onto a plane?

This feels like political correctness carried to a ridiculous extreme. It also triumphs the right of the few over the safety and comfort of the majority.

Reminds me of the story about classical cellist Lynn Harrell. When traveling for a concert, he bought a second seat for his mega-bucks cello. Many musicians, of all stripes, do this so (a.) their instrument gets there when they do, and (b.) it arrives in the same number of pieces as when it started (Baggage handlers evidently have tin ears, for any kind of music). Harrell, who racked up frequent flyer miles galore, registered his cello by name for Delta's Frequent Flyer program, as well as his own name and separate account. After all, Harrell paid, often at premium prices, for the cello's right to a seat next to him. In 2012, Delta denied that claim, took back the cello's mileage AND Harrell's, and banned him for life (Wikipedia attests!). Delta has the right to set its own rules for its Frequent Flyer program, and it also has the inalienable right to be petty and stupid about it.

People name their pets. Would Delta's approach apply to an Emotional Support Animal? Some lawyer somewhere is just waiting...
 
To deny boarding to an emotional support animal is to violate Federal Law. First step in denying boarding is to lawyer up cause the union and company are gonna drop you like a Tiauana hooker on a Sunday morning.

So it's federal law to allow an ESA on board, no questions asked? It's a freaking turkey. What if it goes crazy in flight? What if it decides to use the seats as a toilet? This turkey isn't trained or restrained in any way. I'm totally cool with small dogs and cats or even a hamster. But you gotta draw the line somewhere.


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