We could all use a little emotional support at times.
But this is getting ridiculous.
As frequent travelers are likely aware, animals deemed to provide this sort of comfort to airline passengers have become more and more popular over recent years.
There’s a small dog on nearly every flight these days.
But a conceptual artist with the name “Ventiko” on Instagram recently took the program one step further: she tried to take her “emotional support” peacock, Dexter, on board a cross country flight from Newark to Los Angeles.
This is the story of that bird’s thwarted flight and the Internet’s response to it…
This is Dexter
His owner had been warned three times by United Airlines that he would not be permitted to travel with her. Nevertheless, she persisted in trying to get him on board.
And We Mean… PERSISTED!
She did not take no for an answer, not for awhile. Dexter has his own Instagram page and “wrote” the following as a caption to the photo above: “Spent 6 hours trying to get on my flight to LA (after following all required protocol) Tomorrow my human friends are going to drive me cross country! Keep an [eye] out for us!”
What? I’ll Pay for His Seat!
Even an offer to pay for Dexter’s seat by his owner did not earn the bird a spot on the flight.
The Internet Reacts!
Not everyone thought the idea of an emotional support peacock was all that outlandish, not when compared to some other animals in airports.
Down with Dogs!
Not all dogs, of course. But many users seem to prefer Dexter over the canines they’ve encountered on trips.
No One is Allergic to Peacocks
Think about it, airlines.
Birds Sure Play an Emotional Role, Alright!
Just not always a positive one, according to at least one Twitter user.
The Harsh Truth
If you need all of these conditions (that is, unusual creatures) in order to fly, we’re sorry, but… perhaps you should not be flying.
Okay, Maybe the Bird Can Fly With You…
… but you better bring eag plugs for everyone else.
Let’s Be Honest, People
We’re not sure about the “imaginary disorders” point made here. Anxiety is a legitimate issue. But that doesn’t mean you can just do anything you want in public in order to overcome it.
This Story Has Gone Beyond Social Media
It’s been covered by Fox News, this random website and many other outlets.
Says United:
“United is dedicated to providing convenient and comfortable service to all of our customers. We know that some customers require an emotional support animal to assist them through their journey. In order to ensure we provide the best service to everyone onboard our flights, consistent with government rules we currently require these customers to provide documentation from a medical professional and at least 48 hours advance notice. In our effort to better balance protecting our employees and customers while accommodating passengers with disabilities, we are reviewing our existing policy and plan to share more soon.”
In Case You Were Wondering…
Dexter did make it to California, via an epic road trip that concluded with this image.