Delta wants to introduce onerous new service animal practices on March 1

Delta introduces tighter regulations for support animals

Delta introduces tighter support animal regulations

RantWoman encountered the item above on Facebook unencumbered either in the article or in comments by what RantWoman would consider articulate commentary about the Department of Justice definition of service animal, the department of Transportation definition of Service Animal, the Air Transport act, and probably a bunch of other legal standards.

Oops. RantWoman needed to click another link to read Delta's reasoning.
Delta introduces new practices for customers travellingwith service and supoprt animals


One basic issue: what qualifies as a service animal for airline travel and do emotional support animals count?

Even with thoughts of voluntary compliance with some kind of standard,
President Gropeasaurus is busy shredding regulations left and right. So who knows what one can actually count on as far as legal framework. RantWoman is not a lawyer anyway. In keeping with the "mental housekeeping" aspect of this blog, the comments here are first-pass reflections. It's just that the reflections are longer than RantWoman wants to try to fit on a Facebook comment.

RantWoman is torn:

RantWoman thinks frequent flyers should be able to register some minimum level of information for free. This might include information about whether one travels with a service animal so gate staff would know whether to plan for an animal needing relief.RantWoman would be happy to think further about why have this info in a permanent database instead of handed off the day of flights; RantWoman also ardently HOPES ground staff are well enough trained to know where relief areas are located in different airports.

RantWoman thinks an outrageous fee and intrusive registration process would probably deter the sort of people who bring the kind of  poorly-trained animals everywhere. RantWoman for instance has in mind Wonder Hound, who is iffy at best about basic obedience, has snap and bite issues sometimes and RantWoman has no idea about behaviors with other animals. RantWoman does not think stopping such problems before they arrive at the airport or board a plane would be a bad thing. Of COURSE this approach presents barriers, which is probably why other options are needed.

RantWoman is SOMEWHAT willing to entertain discussion about other species as emotional support animals. But RantWoman would have a one strike and your are out policy about any form of excrement or behavior issue. That means if an emotional support animal misbehaves on the outbound leg of a trip, animal and handle have to find another way home.

Okay, RantWoman is trying to be broad-minded except RantWoman is trying to imagine where in the average aircraft one puts an emotional support llama. RantWoman is intrigued by llamas in general but does not get too excited about, say, sharing a bulkhead with one.

(Since RantWoman has taken up travel with Ambassador Thwack the white cane, RantWoman tends to get seated on the front bulkhead. RantWoman needs the legroom. Ambassador Thwack has managed to fold up demurely. RantWoman also has not thought to test how well Ambassador Thwack the Anger Management consultant would play in airline databases.)

If the emotional support turkey can wear a diaper and respond to commands, some of the time RantWoman is willing to consider. Some of the time.

Local jurisdictions have the option of recognizing specific species and granting them status as service animals. RantWoman thinks if someone has gone to the trouble to attain local recognition, interstate commerce regulations require other entities including other jurisdictions and entities to recognize the status and the animal should have free one-time registration the same as say guide dogs.

Besides a number of guide dogs who visit from time to time the Friendly Neighborhood Center for Extreme Computing has a couple customers with bona fide service dogs including some level of training, not just an official-looking vest. Unfortunately they are small dogs and therefore reactive to the kind of high-pitch noises emitted by some computers and also common around aircraft. RantWoman prefers not to have the resulting level of dog distress and the dogs handlers actually seem to concur. As far as travel, RantWoman would recommend considering other options if possible.

And the service lizard that can detect that its human is going to have a seizure in time to signal so the human can take anti-seizure meds. In the interest of economizing health care dollars, RantWoman is happy to travel with the lizard.

Which would RantWoman rather have in the seat next to her on a long flight, a flock of someone's emotional support chickens or President Gropasaurus? RantWoman would definitely go for the chickens!

Okay, now bring on the lawyers and the disability rights and consumer advocates.