An emotional support animal has no public access rights under the law. They are not allowed in restaurants and businesses any more than pets are.

Yes, service animals must be safe, and should be trained and expected to perform well, as they have to go into public places as part of their work.

An emotional support pigeon is not a service animal. ESA and service animals are entirely separate things.

There’s service dogs for people with autism and part of their job might be to facilitate social interaction. So they might be given permission to get pet and socialize.

The difference is in public access. ESA aren’t protected by law to be in restaurants, businesses, etc. so even if they are untrained, they are not more dangerous than someone being irresponsible with a pet. Then normal pet laws and liabilities should be helpful.

In contrast, a psych service dog needs to be on point and behaving appropriately with proper training. They are protected and come into more contact with the public, so have higher levels of control required. There’s public access testing and the like as tools to help safeguard this.

It feels like being safe, and wrapped in a cocoon of warmth. That you never have to regret.

Well that’s probably a good thing and means you have some social connection or empathy with the baby! Lucky baby!

It’s usually the air pressure causing the kid some pain from mild barotrauma / airplane ear. They can’t help it. No amount of good or bad parenting changes the pressure differential in the inner ear.

Investment in some noise-cancelling headphone would be justified. It’s a sanity-saving expense!

Portal?

Think about the reasons behind your feelings. If it is shyness and some anxiety around the social aspect of it, that’s one thing. If there is a deeper reason why you might feel uncomfortable with these people or why they might reject you, that’s something else to acknowledge. Good luck.

Insult to injury. What a smug usurping little scab.

Science is neutral, but can be used for evil.