littlest hobo takes the train

We were headed out East on the Skytrain this morning when an unexpected rider hopped on at Patterson station. The German Shepherd trotted right past us, and down to the other end of the train. It was a Millenium Line [wiki] train, one of the “new” fancy articulated Bombardiers, so the dog was able to walk up and down the entire length. He stopped a few times to sniff things and look at people to see if he’d get any love, John commented that the dog was as big as him and “freakin huge”. The doors opened at Metrotown the dog got out. Stepping out onto the platform our travelling companion paused a little, came back in the train but was soon coerced out by a Translink worker who shoed him toward the stairs. Someone on the train leaned out the door and let him know that he had hopped on at the previous stop, our doors shut and we were off again.

Immediately after seeing the unlikely passenger I thought of the Littlest Hobo [wiki]. A while back we caught an episode of Corner Gas [wiki] where a German Shepherd comes to town and Hank’s convinced that it’s the Littlest Hobo. I had a heck of a time explaining the series to John but then realized that I could pretty much sum it up by saying, “Canadian Lassy”. It was one of those shows that was on CBC or Knowledge Network late Sunday afternoons and it had a theme song that every Canadian knows as well as Stompin’ Tom’s Good ol Hockey Game.

Wanda: I know that David and Carol were trying to catch him.
Hank: What?
Brent: Well maybe the dog found out and hit the road.
Wanda: Maybe there was a voice that kept on calling him.
Brent: Maybe down the road, that’s where he wants to be.
Wanda: And every stop he’d make… (starts singing) He’d make a new friend!
Brent and Wanda: (singing) Just grab your hat, we’ll travel light that’s Hobo style. Maybe tomorrow…

It was definitely a strange sight, and I will now have that theme song in my head for the rest of the day. Gotta love taking the Skytrain, you never know what you’ll experience.