Should dogs be allowed to sit on seats on the TTC?

Dogs & large bags should only be allowed to sit on TTC seats if a fare is also paid for them!

I say no, because of allergies but that picture is amazing!!

what he said --> allergies

I know that some of the pro-dog people out there aren't going to be happy until dogs have the same rights as people, but they forget that some people are really allergic. Also, some people are just scared shitless of big dogs, so that kinda comes into play too.

I think the TTC should demand that all dogs ride in either the first or the last car, and that way people can avoid the dogs all together if they have a medical issue (you know, allergies)

Should naked people who haven't showered or have opposable thumbs that enable proper bum wiping be allowed to sit on the Subway?

This is the dumbest BlogTO trolling attempt I've seen in ages.

I'm allergic to perfume... but not to dogs... so I'll sit besides the dog and you can sit besides the stinky humans.

It's recently been shown that pet allergies are overblown to a certain extent. Many people are really just allergic to pollen or ragweed and assume its pets.

Besides, there's a larger issue than allergies. Religion. Many Muslims aren't really fond of dogs, and some may refuse to share the same space as them. I once had a cab driver refuse to drive me from the veterinarian because he thought I had a dog in my covered pet carrier. Only until I showed him it was only a cat did he let me get into his cab.

I honestly don't know where I side on that particular issue, but thought it was worth noting.

I'm not sure this is such a big issue, but I would say no. Small dogs are okay on laps, bigger dogs should sit on the floor. I don't think they even enjoy being on seats that much.

Dogs smell better than some many of the people that ride the subway, so sure, give them a seat. In all seriousness, I don't really care. If the train is empty enough where it can sit without bothering anyone around it. Go for it.

My dog is currently undergoing the TTC interview process.

He's being trained to sniff out assholes like most of you who posted in this thread.

I see dogs on the subway all the time. They usually sit on the owner. I would agree that it's no dirtier than the type of people that take the subway.

Also, if you have to take the subway, you shouldn't be getting pregnant. You're just contributing to the cycle of poverty. Wait until you get back on your feet and then breed.

i like dogs .. but i dont even think dogs should be allowed on the subway to begin with. I hate it when people bring their dogs to none dog place (like Home Depot)

We were at Whistler last week and some moron asked the front desk if his dog could use the pool

i just saw a dog riding a Vespa on Queen. He too is sick of the fucking TTC.

Most of the dogs I see on seats are from street kids, who don't give a shit. Other people, like me, will keep our dogs on the floor, and try to find an area where people won't have to step over him often.

The more rage inducing, and much more rampant act of seat injustice are people using their bags to take up seats on full streetcars and subways. Occasionally, you'll see someone out of Eaton's Centre with five bags pilled on a number of seats during rush hour. Once in a while someone will stand up to people, but most of the time, they don't even ask them to move.

Yes, if a dog is able to sit on a seat then he/she deserves it. Dogs spread positive vibes wherever they go.

ps - I love dogs. So I may be biased.

Dogs on the subway are cute and make the trip more enjoyable.

I have allergies as well, and am a dog owner. I'm sure all dog-owners carry dander on our clothes. So you're just as likely to be allergic to me as my dog. I take anti-histamines everyday, use my inhaler, and suffer. I'm allergic to dust. Can you imagine? DUST!!

should fat people be allowed to sit on TTC seats?

kevin In replying to a comment from MrPotato / August 5, 2011 at 5:49 PM

"can you seriously die in a fucking gutter?"

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Question for Kevin: What kind of a shitty name is Kevin?!

DWEEB ALERT! Kevin wins!

A dog is a dog, not a human being. Seats on the TTC are design for people. If your dog has issues being on the floor then either carry them or have them sit in your lap. Just like TTC riders shouldn't be standing, or putting their feet up on other seats.

Allowing dogs to sit on seats in the subway is an important issue because it's a slippery slope. Many people increasingly seem to hold the opinion that dogs share the same rights as humans or, similarily, that animals have rights equal to human rights. The problem with that view is some people suffer from severe allergies to animal dander, usually dogs', and the nature of the reactions is fundamentally different from what most people typically associate with "allergies". It doesn't merely - and usually doesn't - involve itchy eyes and a runny nose. Difficulty BREATHING, asthmatic attacks and anaphylaxis are the problem - try breathing solely through a straw held in your mouth for several minutes and this might approximate the feeling, which involves a central aspect of your central nervous system shutting down.

Granting animals unrestricted access to public shops and, especially, public transit, is problematic because it effectively values an animal's right to go anywhere it (or its owner) pleases more than some humans' rights to visit those same places without suffering the effects I've described above. And that's not right.

Agreed. While im all for animal right, people also have to understand that there are such thing as severe allergies. My cousin had to ask my other cousin to put their chiwawa in the cage across the room since she started to feel the itchy feeling in her throat.

@PankoCoated I've seen dogs in the TTC atleast once a week for the last couple months.

@CDR exactly - once a week. Not exactly a whopping problem. Right now the amount of dogs on the trains and sitting on seats would be the exact same amount of dogs on the trains and sitting on seats should the TTC endorse or ban dogs sitting on seats (a topic not even on their agenda that people have chosen to argue about). I don't foresee the TTC launching a mass media campaign and working with the government issuing tax breaks to riders to increase dog ridership, in turn striking fear into sufferers of allergies due to an overwhelming onslaught of dogs on seats. Conversely, should dogs sitting on chairs be banned, I don't foresee a Special Constable anti-K9 unit patrolling cars for dogs sitting on seats and issuing citations. This is an issue that doesn't matter either way, it is so trivial and minute. Yes, even for you riders with the sniffles of death. And it isn't even on the TTC's radar.

As mentioned earlier, dog "ridership" is low and shows no sign of increasing or decreasing based on any "endorsement" or "banning." It is ultimately the responsibility of the individual to be prepared for the rare chance encounter with an animal or it's lingering dander in public transit, especially since animals such as service dogs could be present anywhere. One would think we were discussing a dog-on-subway version of the 1980 Mariel boatlifts.

firstly, i would like to say that the dog in the photo is my best friend's dog and is the coolest dude ever. he lived with me last week and we shared more than ttc seats, he slept in my bed... and it was magical. the photo that headlines this article was actually taken when he was on the way to stay over with me, and it was midnight and the car was EMPTY.

really and truly, this shouldn't be a debate. this is a matter of common sense. seats should go to the people who need them - the elderly, disabled, pregnant, etc. following this, to humans. humans work long days, dogs don't. AGAIN - this is common sense. while on this topic, i would like to add that on more than one occasion have i seen seats NOT being offered to young pregnant african-american women, while in the same ride, a seat was offered to a pregnant white woman (one instance) or a senior (other instance). maybe we should be more concerned with this structurally- and socially-accepted aberration to what we consider "manners" and "decency" than to the odd dog sitting on a chair.

the reality is, you will not see a dog on a seat INSTEAD of a human. as an earlier commenter mentioned, it is way more likely to have seats taken over by bags, arms, legs, etc.

this whole topic is just rabble-rousing. dogs are not taking seats from people. no dog owner (who isn't a hoodlum) would refuse a seat to a human so their dog could take it. i have NEVER seen this, EVER. perhaps we should be more concerned with the very odd seat distribution on subways, streetcars but *most importantly* BUSES that make seating for everyone an impossibility. i'm sure there is a better layout that is more efficient.

so bottom line, change the question.
"should dogs be allowed to sit on seats on the TTC?" misses the point. no one should care if dogs do or don't; they should care if this seating is taking away from their own opportunities. to this, i assume people practice common sense, making the original question void.
as for allergies! if i sit on a chair, i -as a human- will cover it in my dog's hair and dander. sorry about that. reality of urban public living.

another point to add: dogs are not allowed on the TTC for most of the morning, and between 3:30pm and 7pm. fact.

by the way, the owner of the dog in the photo agrees with everything i've said. she would never allow her dog a seat if there were humans that were denied. dog owners are not crazy anarchists.

People wipe their butts then wear clothing.
Do you think the dog in this story wiped its butt???

"Also, if you have to take the subway, you shouldn't be getting pregnant. You're just contributing to the cycle of poverty. Wait until you get back on your feet and then breed."

You can NOT possibly be serious. Taking public transit does not denote financial status in any way, shape, or form especially in the middle of downtown Toronto. Sometimes it's simply the more logical and practical route. I don't like children and at the present moment, I defintely do not want to have to children but your tone is striking as highly offensive and damn near classist. "Wait until you get back on your feet and then breed"? That has what exactly to do with taking the subway?

It saddens me that this question even needs to be asked.

there is a flaw in your logic by the way. I am allergic to dogs and peanuts. But i only have a attack when i eat peanuts, but if i breathe in the hair of the dog i get an attack. So comparing the two is like apples and oranges.

Not all dogs cause allergies. There are hypo-allergenic ones. I think Obama has one.

so since we can't ban cologne, peanuts, etc, from ttc lets continue adding to the list of things people are allergic to but aren't banned? dogs allowed to sit on public transit? what is this the next retard peta campaign?

animals should be banned from the ttc period. i saw a dog take a shit on the subway and when a person pointed it out to the owner he just shrugged and got off at the next stop. if it was winter and i had gloves i would have taken the shit and smeared it on his face.

someone once woke me up while i was sitting on the subway so pregnant lady could sit. what an asshole.

I don't know about others, but my dogs are cleaner than most people. I am very responsible for my dog as well, and if he had, for some bizarre reason, an accident, I would responsibly take care if it, people themselves are pretty gross, I've seen a mother change her child's diaper on a streetcar seat, and that's far more filthy than my dog could ever be. If the transit is busy, he will sit on my lap. If not, he gets a seat! Deal with it.

You can't use the allergy argument on this one - dogs are allowed on the TTC, so if you are that severely allergic, you should know to stay away from the TTC due to the risk of exposure. And the seat or floor argument is a moot point here as well - if you are that sensitive to dogs, it doesn't matter where they are, seat or floor. You'll be reacting to them no matter what. But they are allowed on transit, and there are no rules about where they can sit. Deal.

It's impossible to create an allergen-free public place. Perfumes, nut residues, dogs, etc. - They are everywhere. If you have allergies that severe, you should not be taking the TTC in the first place.

I sometimes take the TTC with my small dog, and she gets extremely nervous, so I let her sit in my lap. If the subway car is empty or close to being empty, I let her lie on the seat beside me if she wants, especially if we're traveling a long distance.

Claiming that dogs are dirtier than humans is totally ridiculous... especially in an urban setting. I don't ride the TTC very often, but when I do I am shocked at the stench and manners of some riders. I'd rather have my pup resting in my lap than lying on the disgusting subway floor. THAT'S how a dog could become dirty. No thanks.

Finally, my dog sitting quietly on a subway seat minding her own business is far less irksome and problematic, IMHO, than the myriad drunks and the screaming, drooling, dirty children wiping their muck everywhere.

To all those who have posted and opined that dog allergy sufferers (a) just have to deal with it, or (b) are exaggerating their suffering, let's clarify something. Apart from the fact that smoking in the subway is prohibited by a bylaw, do any of you have in principle an objection to my smoking in a subway car?

Yes, because smoking effects everyone's health. Just because you were dealt a bad hand and have allergies doesn't mean you should expect all of society to cater to you. You're an adult.

Did a dog write this?

I have a Boston Terrier.
So naturally he is allowed to sit on the seat.
I implore anyone to say no to his cute smushed face.

Why would a dog even need a seat. Dogs sit on the ground all the time. Dogs don't require chairs. I don't understand why people even want their dogs on a seat.

And to the person who claims that dogs NEVER take up seats when there are people standing clearly doesn't take the Queen Streetcar. I was on one recently where there was a large dog struggling to keep its balance across multiple seats at the back of the streetcar while many people stood. The dog would clearly have been more comfortable on the ground.

YES! of course! What's this hate dog culture that has been started in Toronto! It sickens me. My dog is cleaner and more well-behaved than many people. I hate dog haters.

Can they or can't they is a much better question if your using allergies as an excuse correct your self ! You more likely to react to the dog owner who sits in front of you as to the possibility of hair on your seat ! Trust me I know I have allergies ! As to dirrty dog bums your really stupid NO DOG OWNER would let their dog up if they felt they were dirty

continuously i used to read smaller content which also clear their motive,
and that is also happening with this post which I am reading at this place.

I would not mind dogs sitting on seats if we could please have non fabric seats. I currently have a huge itchy swollen bite on my thigh cause I had bare legs yesterday and sat down. I felt a pinch and then immeadiate swelling. Was it a flea bite, bed bug bite, spider bite? With non fabric seats there would be nothing to hold bugs or animal dander & hair. Allergy problem solved. Also, Vanessa...sum people take the ttc because it is better for the environment and in any case who are you to make such a horrible comnent? May karma kick ur skinny white ass and hard.