“If you see me on a train, ignore my dog”: How to treat service dogs and their handlers with respect on BART

From left to right: Scarlett with handler Alysia Santos, Sheldon with handler Suzie Scher, Handsome Ransom with handler Kathleen Fraser. Pictured in the unpaid area of Concord Station.

When you encounter a person with a service dog, there are two questions you can ask. One, is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? And two, what work or task has the animal been trained to perform? People with service dogs do not have to disclose their disability.

Because of her traumatic experiences, Fraser no longer takes the bus, instead opting to drive three miles to her office and pay for an expensive parking spot. Sometimes, that's the way it is when you're maneuvering around a world that is not designed with a diverse spectrum of disabilities in mind.

"This disability is vicious, it's volatile, it's unforgiving, it's cruel, and completely unpredictable," Fraser said of type 1 diabetes. "There is research that says people with type 1 diabetes have to make 300 additional decisions a day just to stay alive."

Early Alert Canines makes a point to train their dogs on public transportation because the animals' future handlers may use it back home.

Suzie Scher (pictured on the right with Sheldon) is a volunteer puppy raiser, and she made sure her trainee pup, Sheldon, got some experience riding the trains. She recently took BART to Downtown Berkeley Station for a visit to the Ed Roberts Campus, a universally designed, transit-oriented campus that was created by disability organizations that share a common history in the Independent Living Movement of People with Disabilities.

"I wanted to make sure he's been on BART before he's paired with his handler," she said. "These dogs can be placed with people anywhere in the country - they could be riding the Chicago L or the New York subway, and they need to be prepared."

There are many stimulants in a transit space - the click of the fare gates, the whoosh of a train pulling into the station - and puppy raisers like Scher ensure their dogs know what they're getting into before they're sent off to live with their owners.

Fraser said Ransom is a "champ on BART." On a recent visit to Concord Station, Ransom serenely followed Fraser through the fare gate, walked up the stairs, and waited on the platform beside her until they got on a train. Onboard, Fraser found a seat against the wall, and Ransom deftly maneuvered himself underneath the seat, poking his head between the protective barrier of Fraser's legs. He sat there serenely for the entirety of the ride.

Fraser has a few asks for her fellow passengers. As mentioned earlier, do your best to ignore Handsome Ransom - that includes not making eye contact with him. She also asks that you consider giving up your seat for her and Ransom on a crowded train.

"When we're standing," she said, "we have to put the dog between our legs and make sure the tail is not stepped on. We're doing all this while holding onto the handrail, maybe holding onto a shopping bag or purse. It's a lot to handle."

It's also important to not eat on the train and in the paid area of the station, and not just because it's against BART's rules. Even miniscule crumbs can pull a service dog away from his task. Afterall, they're dogs, and when they're paying attention to food on the floor, it means they're not working.

"I want him to have his full attention on his person, so if their levels change, he can alert them right away," Edwards said. "I don't want him distracted by a piece of dropped hamburger."

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