Print
LONDON - Why the long face? A man in Britain attempted to board a train accompanied by his white pony but was stopped in his tracks by transport staff, officials said Wednesday.
The man arrived at the station in the town of Wrexham, Wales, and tried to buy a ticket for himself and his four-legged companion for a train to Holyhead, a port on the west coast.
The travel plans fell at the first hurdle however when station staff informed the man that only small animals -- such as cats and dogs -- were allowed in the carriages and he would have to leave his beloved pony behind.
But the passenger pushed on with his bizarre travel plans, putting the animal into a lift and taking it down to the platform.
He eventually admitted defeat and left the station with his pony when he was not allowed to board the service.
The incident, which happened on Saturday, remains shrouded in mystery.
Transport officials do not know the identity of the man or why he wanted to take the animal with him on the 85-mile (135-kilometer) train journey.
"It's not a very common request, as you can imagine," said a spokeswoman for Arriva Trains Wales, which runs the service. "We just normally get cats and dogs."
She added that large animals, such as horses and ponies, "which may pose a risk to the general public, are not permitted to travel".
Image (not the pony in question): Tomi Tapio K / via Flickr
Source: AFP
