This is exactly what TSA/DHS does!

There was an incident a few months ago at LAX that received a lot of press. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, there was a thread devoted to that incident in FlyerTalk, not sure if it was in the TS/S forum.

Actually, there's no movement. The x-ray takes a snapshot, and you can definitely see the outline of the animal as well as its skeleton. In fact, it sort of looks like a stuffed animal; however, the colors are more intense as opposed to the flat color of a stuffed animal.

Fighting rules like this is the duty of every citizen. If I ever have to subject my cats to the ministrations of the TSA, you can be sure the screener will be invited to carry said cat through the arch.

This sure sounds like what you want to do to/with Victoria is against the TOS, if not state and federal laws. :eek:

No dice. I'm a pet owner, and I clearly understand my responsibilities and accept them without any hesitation. Seems that some in here do not.

cat scratch fever....

Thanks to you all, this song is running through my head (like a cat in the midst of the afternoon crazies). Hopefully now it is running through your head as well.

That is a well crafted sentence if ever I have seen one. ^ :cool:

Let me rewrite for clarity:

As a pet owner your responsibility is to the welfare of your pet. Period. Removing the pet from the crate may, or may not, be in its best interests. These one-size fits all rules, indeed, most of the TSA rules, need to be fought. Period.

And in the interests of disclosure, my cats are indoor cats and only leave the house for checkups at the vet.

Wow. So you're a mind-reader, eh?

I won't waste anymore of my time with you; please don't waste mine by inserting words that I did not type and then attributing them to me. How intellectually dishonest of you and narrow-minded. And how disappointing.

There's been a case mentioned on here.

Now now. I clearly noted that I made the change in your original text. Still, I agree with your sentiment. We are unlikely to change each others minds.

I will, however, continue to point out when and where I believe DHS/TSA to be wrong in spirit and action.

Of course you won't.

Your boot is firmly in place on his throat, and you get paid. Why you even bother with trying to justify this arrangement of yours here is beyond me. It certainly isn't necessary after all.

All you have to do is flash your guns. Debate over. You win.

Were it not against his own interest to do so, Bart would grant you the freedom to leave your mutual disagreement at nothing more than that. Happens between individuals every day.

Unfortunately, Bart can't leave this issue at agreeing to disagree. That would mean the loss of his current job (or at least, having to perform the same job at the significantly lower rate he knows free people would pay for his currently overpriced (by government market distortion) service). So he asserts a right to power over you and airline operators, heavily against your will. And this is something he cannot deny; he can only attempt to convince you it is in your best interest (as he tries with everyone here). You appear to be smarter than that though, and good for you.

Here's a question - does a bird have to be removed from it's carrier/cage when transported as a cabin pet? If so, how do you keep the bugger from flying off? If not, then why apply a double standard?

I can just picture an irate parrot dive-bombing the hat off of an equally irate TSO :)

I continue to be troubled by this whole cat question and I am amazed at the number of posts that have been generated by it and the heat it has created.

In an effort to calm the rhetoric between FlyerTalk members I believe I have come upon a credible reason why TSO, in order to maintain a standard of the highest safety and security for the flying public, took the position that the cat had to be removed from the cage. I am contacting the news network that first covered the story in the hopes that they can validate my theory.

Could it be that the cat was a Persian?

Groan.


ab53

Our one experience taking cats through the WTMDs
 

In 2005 we moved from SAN to PDX; we have three cats. I would not put them in cargo, but one option was available -AS allows up to 5 animals in cabin on a flight. So we recruited a friend (who is also owned by a cat) and paid for his ticket, and all three of us took at cat as our underseat "personal item."

However, we also started planning for this a few weeks in advance. I grabbed a row of three at the back of the plane in case anyone had allergies and needed to be moved up front (and yes, that happened). And the most important piece, I actually got the TSA involved early. We were flying weekly back and forth between SAN and PDX getting things together, and the week before us and the furry creatures made the move, while flying out of SAN, I asked one of the TSA reps what we should do about the cats. The rep grabbed her supervisor, and he told us to come early, and he would put us and the cats in a seperate room with a closed door, and x-ray each carrier indivudually.

The day of the move came, our vet advised us *not* to sedate the cats, we checked in early and made our way to the WTMDs. I told the first TSA agent what the supervisor told us to do, and she had it down. She grabbed a partner, and the two of them put is in the room where they do the private screenings. They had our friend go through the WTMD first and wait on the other side; then we took one cat out of the carrier at a time, the carrier was x-rayed by one agent with the other agent watching to make sure that only the the cat went back in to its original carrier. Since the room was quiet, the cats didn't make much of a fuss. Once they were done, the cats were brought out to our friend, and then we went through the WTMDs.

The AS agent was great and pre-boarded us along with a couple of UMs who happened to be in the row in front of us. We told the kids which cat was under their seat, and every so often, one of the kids would dive down to say hi. Everything else on board was fine, except that Samson (who has since gone over the rainbow bridge) decided that he wanted to talk for a while, and once he realized that we weren't going to take him out of the carrier, eventually quieted down.

Kudos to all those involved for coming up w/a common sense solution that met the needs of everyone, especially the stressed out furpeople.

I don't think birds are permitted as carry-on for precisely that reason, but I'm not sure. Could be that none of the 15-20 airlines that service our airport permit it but perhaps there are some that do at others.

There is no double standard. Same applies to any animal that is being taken aboard as carry-on.

I'm surprised the morons at TSA allowed the cat through security. After all, it most likely contained more than 3 oz of liquid. :p

Not a problem for one of my cats. When handled in stressful situations, like at the vet, it voluntarily rids itself of liquids and gels. :eek:

There have been two schools of thought about sedating Cats for travel and I'd like to know if it is recommended.

I asked my Vet and she said she would not do it. She's concerned the tranquilizer might make the Cat sick. Another vet said it's ok.

I salute all the Flyertalkers who have traveled wtih their Cats and other animals. As for yowling Cats... I never heard one in all my travels. I heard one Cat meow but that wasn't as loud as the guys yeowling in First Class, bound for Vegas and feeling NO PAIN (at 11 in the morning!)

And on an OMNI note... I LOVE that New Yorker Cartoon posted earlier!

Thanks for posting.

Love to get it in a picture frame because it represents two of the things I love in life: Travel and Cats. A little pricey for the print though!

(Also would make great notecards... New Yorker does sell Cat theme note cards via Barnes and Noble.)

Take another look at that link. Notecards are available. Maybe you could find a 5x7 mat / frame?

Thanks Scoow. That's another idea. I may also go to ebay to see if there's something for sale there.

I am guessing BBB or Pier One or Targhay (Target) has frames.

Then again, I can put the full size work on my list to the Kitty Santa! ;)

I'm guessing the cat didn't like getting a Retaliatory Secondary Pat-Down.

Mine sure didn't.

And TSA people wonder why we think some of them are complete idiots.

Just the thought of subjecting my cats to a TSA patdown makes me queasy. My male cat is extremely skittish. Doesn't like strangers (meaning anyone who isn't me or my husband). Hates his cat carrier. Any trip to the vet is a project because he develops several more legs as I am trying to get him into the carrier. I don't see me ever being able to take him on an airplane any time soon!!

We've had a handful of birds come though here. One was a large bird (I wasn't there so I don't know exactly what breed) that supposedly hopped onto the person's shoulder and hopped back into the cage after. Another was a large goose which was carried through. Otherwise, I believe a visual inspection is all that's needed. That's how we handle the umpteen turtles and hermit crabs that pass through here all summer.

And just to make one thing clear, just because I've never seen it doesn't mean we don't do it. In the six years that I've been screening, I have never come across a monkey. However, TSA devoted an entire section of the SOP to how to screen a monkey. Don't know what that means, but I guess somewhere in all of TSA it became a significant issue.

You mean they train you for monkey business?? :D :D

Baby is put into airport X-ray machine at LAX <-- Flyertalk Link

Live or frozen? Also, isn't a "large goose" larger than what will fit under a seat? All the geese I've ever seen are huge - and certainly would have to be crated like a "large dog" and fly in the hold.

Well, if it was a goose that lays golden eggs, no doubt the owner would want to keep it with them at all times.

LOL I don't know of anybody who's actually screened a monkey.

Well, she (?) looked large to me, but she did fit into a carry on crate. She was dressed with a ribbon around her neck and her tail feathers were long and curled. Her owner - who was dressed as Mother Goose - carried her through and put her back in the crate.

Penguins
 

Remember this one?

http://www.feld.com/blog/archives/000374.html

You screened Mother Goose? Wow... cool! Did she get SSSSd???

Is that a turkey in your suitcase, or...
 

this is a GREAT story..

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswi...owawaycat.html

Patting down a Cat? What possibly could a Cat carry that could be dangerous on a plane? A dead mouse? Hairballs?

If my precious Eddie had to go through a pat down the TSA agents would be in the hospital! :)

That incident with Ginger the Cat also reminds owners to double check the suitcase and your home (what I call "Cat" inventory) before leaving for the airport. Actually Cat inventory is good whenever you leave your home.

My beautiful Yaz used to go into my suitcase while I was packing and would not move. A few times he got tricky and buried himself in my clothes thinking I would not notice.

I did a Cat inventory and found Eddie but no Yaz. I opened the suitcase and there Yaz was looking at me. I told him "baby, I would love to take youto Paris but you would go into quaranteen or worse...)


Maybe Yaz wanted to meet the black Cat in those posters and ads from the turn of the century.

We call our inspection the cat count. One of us has to say CCC - cat count complete - before we leave the house.

:D We do the same thing, except it is a Cat Check issues challenge and response style.

Cat Check?

Cat Check Complete.