Sorry we’ve been absent for a bit. Sid and I have been travelling back and forth between the city and the suburbs this past week for some activities with the family and haven’t spent much time online.
We have, however, spent a decent amount of time in transit or waiting for trains, which Sid doesn’t mind at all since he gets a the steady flow of treats while he’s in his travel bag.
Now put that tongue away so I can zip you up, dude – the train’s arriving!
Sid and I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday. As expected, Sid was spoiled with all kinds of tasty scraps and got lots of extra belly rubs from his grand-pug-rents.
This was an exciting Thanksgiving for us because it was the first time that Sid and I got to ride together on the Metra train to visit my family out in the suburbs.
You may remember, shortly after moving to Chicago, I discovered that pets in carriers were allowed on all Chicagoland public transit systems except the Metra trains that link the city with the suburbs. I met another person who had just started a petition as she wanted to bring her small dog with her to events in the city. So for the past couple years we worked together to get more and more signatures on the petition. We were able to get articles written about the issue in local news sources, we attended meetings of the Metra board and spoke during the public comments section, and this summer they finally implemented a pilot program to allow pets in carriers on one of the lines during the weekends. It was a success so they expanded the program to all lines during the weekends and holidays. I’m hopeful that by the end of the year the permanent policy will allow pets in carriers on all lines at any time, just like all the other public transit systems.
Sid is a traveling champ and once he gets in his red travel bag, he has no trouble kicking back and relaxing. I always provide him with an ample dose of treats while he’s in his bag, so of course he often doesn’t want to get out of the bag when we arrive at our destination. Most other travelers don’t even notice that I have a dog with me, and those that do ask me all about him and “ooo” and “awww” the whole time (most pugs are used to, and expect, this kind of adoration).
So this Thanksgiving we were especially thankful for all the Pets on Metra supporters, including all you lovely Pug Slopers that signed the petition, and the wonderful folks at Metra that made our dream a reality!
Well, I don’t mean the whole world – actually quite a small bit. Specifically the policy that doesn’t allow pets in small carriers on the Metra commuter trains that connect Chicago to its suburbs.
The photo above is of Sid was getting ready to hop inside his travel bag while at the airport last year. Most airlines allow small pets in the cabin as long as they stay inside an approved carrier during the flight. Same goes for all the buses and subterranean & elevated CTA train lines in the Chicagoland area. Somehow the Metra commuter trains, which connect the suburbs to the city, opted for a no pets period policy. Plegh. That’s a lot of P’s.
All of my family live in the suburbs and most of them are within walking distance from a Metra train stop. So if Sid and I want to visit them we have to rent a car, which for one is expensive, and, more importantly, defeats the purpose of living in a city with a great public transit system. We don’t want to contribute to auto traffic congestion – we want to ride the trains!
After doing a little research, I came across an online petition that had been created earlier this year by a like-minded individual who was looking for the exact same thing that Sid and I were looking for: a change to Metra’s pet policy to allow small pets in carriers (like everyone else!).
I know many of you do not live in Chicago, but if this issue hits home at all – perhaps the same type of policy exists in your city – please sign the petition. The more places we can bring our furry companions the better, right? THANK YOU!
Get your own hard-copy of the mini comic starring Sid. Only $1 (which includes 50¢ for shipping). 8 pages long in assorted rainbow colors!
