Woman slapped with S$165 fine after their cat’s meowing causes disruption on train
A woman in France was slapped with a 110 euro (S$165) fine after her cat’s loud meowing allegedly disrupted passengers on a Paris–Vannes train on Thursday (21 Aug).
Ms Camille, the pet owner, had already purchased a 7 euro (S$10.50) ticket for her cat, Monet, as required by railway rules.
But she was stunned when the Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français (SNCF) issued her a penalty for the feline’s noise.
Train conductor says cat disturbed public order
Speaking to BFM TV, Ms Camille said Monet had only “meowed a little at the beginning of the journey”.
Still, a passenger lodged a complaint, prompting a conductor to intervene and hand her the fine.
The cat had been placed in a dedicated crate as required, she noted.
Source: Canva, for illustrative purposes only.
However, French outlet La Dépêche reported that the conductor’s ticket cited “continuous meowing” and multiple passenger complaints.
It also stated that Ms Camille refused to change seats, which the conductor said could have helped “reduce tensions”.
“The cat was noisy, and we are requesting an information report for disturbing public order,” the conductor wrote.
Railway cites ‘rising tensions’ among passengers
Expressing her frustration, Ms Camille said: “It’s still unfortunate that SNCF can fine people who are simply travelling with their animal, following the rules, and taking all necessary precautions.”
In response, SNCF defended its staff, saying the fine was necessary due to “rising tensions” among passengers.
Source: Canva, for illustrative purposes only.
“Our conductors offered to have her moved to the adjacent car, where there were many empty seats, a solution of good manners, which she unfortunately refused. This simple solution could have eased tensions between her and the other passengers,” the railway company said.
Still, the company stressed that fines can be contested.
Ms Camille has since filed an appeal, and SNCF said it would “reconsider the fine, taking into account the customer’s testimony”.
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Featured image adapted from Canva and Canva, for illustrative purposes only.
