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A woman on a French train was fined 110 Euros (RM541) after complaints that her pet cat was meowing too loudly
According to China Press, other passengers reportedly complained that the cat's incessant meowing was disturbing the peace, prompting train authorities to fine her owner.
The woman, Camille, had been travelling with her cat, Monet, and her boyfriend, Pierre. They were en route from Brittany to Paris, which is about a three-hour journey.
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Image via Saman Tsang/UnsplashAccording to the train operator, SNCF, the incident was considered a "disturbance to public order"
Allegedly, Camille was asked to move to a mostly vacant carriage with Monet after several complaints to the train conductor, but she refused.
SNCF proceeded with legal action due to the disruption caused by the noise. The problem, it said, wasn't the meowing itself, but rather the disturbance it caused other passengers.
Camille was outraged, stating that her cat had a valid 7 Euro (RM34) train ticket and was kept in a pet carrier, just as the rules stipulated. She maintains that she has not broken any rules.
Opinions in France are divided over the necessity of the punishment
Some commended the operators for upholding peace and quiet on trains, and ensuring comfort for all passengers aboard.
Others, on the other hand, say that the punishment was out of proportion with the offence, and that SNCF staff were often inflexible and overly strict in situations that called for more nuance.
SNCF maintains that moving to another carriage, as they had requested, would have been a "simple and common-sense solution" that would have ensured the comfort of all passengers aboard, including the cat.
