An unusual incident occurred in Detroit, U.S., when two men attempted to board a city bus with their horses, with the driver not only allowing them to board but also lowering the wheelchair ramp to help them.
According to ABC News, the incident, which took place on November 7, was captured by security cameras and went viral on social media, sparking concerns about passenger safety.
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The Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) released new video footage from inside the bus, revealing the driver’s conversations with the two men and how the horses entered the vehicle and left a few seconds later.
Watch the video
Shocking video from a bystander in Detroit, Michigan captured the moment a pair of horses led by two men boarded a public bus, and then exited it last week. According to the Detroit Department of Transportation website, only trained service animals are allowed onboard. The department said in a statement that it is "taking appropriate steps to address the incident as it is not consistent with DDOT police." Jordan Williams, co-founder of Urban City Cowboys and owner of the animals, told local outlet WXYZ he walked his horses on and off the bus for a video, and it’s not the first time he’s done it.
— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 12, 2026
“If they can get on, let them get on”—The conversation with the driver
Video from the bus’s cameras shows the vehicle approaching a bus stop on the afternoon of Saturday, November 7, where two men were sitting on saddled horses.
“I see you, my brothers. That’s what I’m saying,” the driver can be heard saying as he approaches the bus stop.
Newly released surveillance footage shows the moment two horses briefly boarded a public bus in Detroit in the now-viral horseplay. Read more: https://t.co/9dMDX1234x https://t.co/eeEnsCUSNk
— ABC News (@ABC) November 14, 2026
When the two men explain to him that they want to board the bus with their horses, he reacts by laughing.
“Look, if they can fit in here, what can I say—let them get on,” he replies.
In fact, he lowers the ramp used for boarding passengers in wheelchairs, attempting to make it easier for the animals to get on, although he eventually raises it again.
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Shortly before boarding, the driver seems concerned about whether he’ll face consequences.
“I won’t get in trouble, will I? Is it a service animal?” he asks one of the men.
“Yes,” the other man replies.
The two horses are led into the nearly empty bus, cross the aisle, and immediately exit through the rear doors.
“Take care, guys. This is crazy,” the driver can be heard saying as he closes the doors.
One of the men shouts, “Thanks for the ride,” just before the bus pulls away.
The female passenger who recorded the incident and the reactions
There was at least one other passenger on the bus, who appears in the footage recording the scene with his cell phone.
The incident was also filmed by a woman who was driving on 7 Mile Avenue, near Strasburg Road, and stopped when she saw the horses boarding the bus.
The woman, Elisia Drew, speaking to the local television station WXYZ, recalled her surprise at the sight.
“I was thinking: Oh my God, what about the people inside the bus? What if the horse relieves itself in there? What exactly is going on?” she said.
Her video quickly went viral on social media, sparking discussions about the rules for transporting animals on public transportation.
After the footage was made public, DDOT announced that it is investigating the incident and taking appropriate measures, as transporting horses is not in line with the agency’s policy and may create dangerous or unpleasant conditions for passengers.
Why the two men put the horses on the bus
The horses’ owner, Jordan Williams, a member of the Urban City Cowboys, explained that the action was intended to highlight the presence of Black cowboys in Detroit.
As he told WXYZ, when he saw the bus approaching, he asked the driver if he could bring his his “escort animal” on board in order to create a video that would grab the public’s attention.
“The goal is to show the city that there are cowboys just like us,” he said.
The initiative, according to him, aimed to highlight a lesser-known aspect of the local community and the presence of African Americans involved in horseback riding and cowboy traditions.
The transportation agency’s safety announcement
On Friday, November 13, the Detroit Transit Authority announced that it had completed its review of both the videos circulating on social media and the footage from the bus’s cameras.
In its announcement, it clarified that it permits service animals on buses, provided that the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) are met. However, in this particular case, it appears that the horses were brought on board for different reasons.
“We acknowledge that the actions shown in the video were intended to raise public awareness for a positive cause. However, we also acknowledge that they created safety concerns for both other public transit passengers and the horses themselves,” the agency stated.
DDOT noted that the incident provides an opportunity to retrain bus drivers and inform Detroit residents about the efforts being made to ensuresafe, reliable, and high-quality transit services.
The agency did not announce whether specific penalties would be imposed on the driver or the horse owners.
Source: Proto Thema
