San FranciscoSelf Care

There Was an Actual Pony on BART the Other Day!

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Every kid at some point wants a pony. If they say they don’t, they’re lying to you — they’re pretty good at that. Most of us have a childhood memory of being propped up on a tiny equestrian that walks around in a circle while parents or grandparents snap pictures of your first big ride.

You know what’s better than making ponies haul around spoiled children? Not doing that at all — that would be much better. But the best thing ever is taking your pony for a ride instead. That’s exactly what happened on BART Tuesday.

Enter Sweets.

Sweets is no ordinary, run-of-the-mill amusement park pony. The Shetland is actually a service animal that had official BART blessing to take a ride from the Rockridge station in Oakland to the Montgomery station in San Francisco. Outfitted with snazzy blue shoes and a bag to capture the rear-end treats, Sweets befuddled and brightened the day for unsuspecting riders as they made their through the Transbay Tube.

As part of the Americans with Disabilities Act, service animals are pretty much allowed to go most places their human companions go. The transit agency checked in with the legal team prior to letting Sweets board and got the okay to let the pony ride the rails.

There are ordinarily at least a few people out there with nothing better to do than moan about other people’s business, especially if it involves fur, or you know…eating a burrito on a train after a hard day’s work. But Sweets seemed to bring out the best of the Bay Area, with folks posting happy pictures all over social media. As it turns out, a good old fashioned “pony ride” still makes us smile.

Ride on, Sweets. Ride on.

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Nik Wojcik - East Bay Editor

Nik Wojcik - East Bay Editor

Journalist, editor, student, single mom to a pack of wolves, foodie, music lover, resident smart ass, and champion of vulgarity and human kindness.