Detroit officials criticize bus riders after horses board city vehicle

Two riders and their horses boarded a Detroit city bus on Saturday, Nov. 7, in an incident that has drawn scrutiny from local officials. The Detroit Department of Transportation released the surveillance footage on Friday after bystander videos circulated online earlier in the week. The clip captures the vehicle pulling to a curb where two individuals on horseback are waiting. The bus driver allows the group to enter without objection, telling a companion, "If he can get in here, it is what it is," and adding, "It's a service animal."

The footage shows the riders dismounting and leading the horses through the front doors of the bus. They immediately exit through a different set of doors, completing the transit in a short duration. Jordan Williams, who was on the bus with the horses, told WXYZ Detroit that he was assisting with a fundraiser and giving children horseback rides nearby when he spotted the arriving vehicle. Williams is the co-founder of Urban City Cowboys. He stated that the timing was coincidental, saying, "It wasn't like I was, like, tracking down the bus." He added, "It was like, 'Oh, there’s the bus. Oh, there's the bus stop. Well, this kinda lining up for me.'"

Williams noted that he has performed similar stunts on multiple Detroit buses in previous years. He explained that the goal is to bring light to the city that there are cowboys that look like us. The city’s reaction focused on the practical implications of the ride. Alexis Ware, a spokesperson for the Detroit mayor’s office, issued a statement clarifying the city's stance on animals in transit. While the department welcomes service animals, Ware said it appears that these horses were brought on the bus for other reasons.

Ware acknowledged that the actions were intended to draw awareness to a positive cause. However, the office recognized that the incident presented safety concerns for other passengers on public transit and for the horses themselves. The mayor's office framed the event as a chance to improve operational standards. Ware said, "This is an opportunity to retrain DDOT bus operators and to educate our Detroit residents on everything that we are doing to guarantee safe, timely and high-quality service through DDOT."

The city has not announced specific changes to its animal policy or driver training protocols yet. The release of the official camera feed provides a clear record of the driver's permission and the riders' quick exit, countering earlier speculation about the duration of the ride. The incident remains a focal point for discussions on transit accessibility and the definition of service animals in urban environments.