Day 35

Day 35:

I once boarded a train. It looked like any ordinary train. It had a bit of a strange paint job, white with black spotty bits, but otherwise completely normal. I was quite early, so I was the first passenger to board the train. I felt quite cozy at first, it was quite a plush carriage for the price, but then I noticed some strange things about it.  There was a few dog chew toys scattered around the floor, even a couple on the seats. They were quite small, so they could've been dropped by someone carrying a lot of them, but you'd have thought that someone would've gone around to pick them up. There weren't that many seats either; this wasn't the tube or a mostly standing train or anything, but the seats did seem very far apart.

We still had some time before setting off, so I quickly popped to the loo in the station. I thought I was going to be a fast one, but, it wasn't. By the time I'd emerged from the bathroom, the whistles were blowing, and there was lots of bustle on the platform. I ran, almost sprinting to hop back on board, through the tight crowd. Just as the doors were about to close, I got back inside my carriage, and I was amazed by what I saw. The whole train was full of dogs!

No owners, no people around, just lots and lots of dogs, with me staring at them, mouth gaping and eyes wide. They all stopped barking and playing to look at me. I don't think humans were supposed to be on it. "WOOO WOOOOF" went a whistle from the platform, and the train started to move! The dogs all howled with the whistle, the sound filled the carriage. From chihuahuas to one huge Great Dane in the corner, all the pitches echoed around the train and the station. 

"This can't be my train," I thought, "I've got tickets for a human train!" I fumbled around for them in my pockets, and clear as day, my ticket said "Day pass for one person/s. Great West Terrier Valley Railway". Oh dear.

Thankfully, the dogs seemed to get used to me while the train was moving, but my seat was taken by a pair of lively Border Collies, so I stood for my journey.  Still, it was better than Southern Rail, we got treats and everything!