I have to reply about the smuggling issue.  Many airlines actually DO ban
animals from flights which contain passengers known to be allergic to them.
In fact, many ban peanuts or other foods on flights when folks are known
to be severely allergic.  Why?  Because of the deaths which have already
happened.
 
I know this because one food time which I react to badly when it goes
aerosol was banned from two flights' menus when the airlines found out
how strongly I react.
 
The air inside a cabin is recirculated and while it's a common
misconception that people with allergies only have sneezes and hives, and
yet another common misconception that allergies are rare the REALITY is
that allergans kill thousands every year, a sad number of those being
children or being young adults.  Allergies tend to develop most commonly
in young adulthood followed by childhood.  Nor is it necessarily an easy
death.  Some people are fortunate enough to go into a coma before symptoms
get bad, but many do not and instead die over a matter of minutes or hours
(or in dermal necrosis in which skin and sometimes mucus membranes die
and literally rot away over days or weeks) of things like strangulation,
smothering, drowning in one's own fluids, severe and rapid dehydration from
GI mucus membrane inflammation, sharp drops in blood pressure and other
common effects of severe allergic reactions.  The lucky ones are able to be
removed from the source of the allergan (something difficult or impossible
to do in most public air-flights), take their meds (epinephrine shots,
steroids, anithistamines, and are gotten to the hospital rapidly enough
to have the levels of epinephrine which require medical supervision, and
perhaps to have a stoma created in the throat and respiration tubes
inserted, as well as having the blood pressure and fluids maintained
artificially.  BTW, it is possible for the levels of steroids to cause
blindness in some individuals.  It is very unpleasant and you DO know that
you are dying when you go through such an experience.  Believe me: both
Steve and I do it and we have both been awake through it so want to never
go through that again.  Worse, yet, you might survive but with brain
damage.  To me that is the ultimate fear of reacting.  You know what?  Most
times that people have exposed us have been for truly silly reasons --
really petty and foolish things like thinking we won't react if we don't
know something is present.  How valuable is a life?  How valuable is an
intact brain?  How valuable is sight?
 
NEVER knowingly risk exposing someone to an allergan!!!!!!  This includes
NEVER smuggling ferrets onto flights since there could be someone with an
allergy.  BTW, if you are unaware, the rates of asthma have been steadily
increasing and many thousands die of their allergies each year.  For those
rare people who can not understand what it would mean to others if they
caused a death let me also remind you that you could be held legally
responsible for that death so think about your own bankruptcy and prison
if you must to save lives.
 
Now maybe you figure you figure that I already have brain damage, or
wouldn't care if someone else killed this old fart or my sweet hubby with
airborne or ingested foodstuffs or medications given that we have a short
window in which to get the help that is needed, but will you really be able
to live with yourself if you kill a child to save a few bucks or to ride a
specific airline?  It makes MUCH more sense for someone who isn't already
snowed-under with ferret-helping projects to coordinate with assorted
ferret groups and try to get all airlines to include ferrets as safe except
in such special situations when a known allergic individual is aboard.
Since some banned based on old and outdated rabies information there are
certainly places from which to begin!
 
Sukie
[Posted in FML issue 2919]