This is Boji. He is a stray dog who brings happiness to commuters every day.
A few months ago, the public transportation department of Istanbul noticed a big, brown dog riding the trams, ferries, buses, and subways. The dog, whom they nicknamed Boji, seems to exactly know where he is going every time he steps on and/or off the train.
According to Metro Istanbul’s head of customer relations, Aylin Erol, a couple of months ago, they spotted a dog trying to use their metros, trams, and trains. The dog knows exactly where to go as well as where to get out. Erol found it interesting, so they’ve begun to follow him. It’s in fact an interesting pattern, and it was something like the dog knows where to go and certainly has a purpose.
In mid-August, the public transit officers picked Boji up and then brought him to a veterinarian for an overall health check. He also got a microchip that is connected to a mobile app, to allow the customer relations department of Metro Istanbul to keep an eye on his well-being and whereabouts.
The good boy’s regular travels have eventually made him famous on public transit. When he isn’t enjoying the gentle wind on the ferry, rushing to take a train, or snoozing on a tram seat, he is happy to pose for a picture with commuters and get a lot of treats and pets.
Boji has proven himself as the most polite passenger that you will ever meet.
Cumhuriyet, a Turkish newspaper, wrote that Boji certainly knows the rules of travel. He would give way to the leaving passengers, wait, get inside the train, and find a comfy place for himself. When he’s too late for the subway, he chases it.
The independent dog visits no less than 29 stations and travels about 18 miles per day all around the city, to greet his fans along their way. While the majority of the commuters cannot wait to get out of the bus or subway, for Boji, it is where he is very comfortable.
A passenger named Abdulkadir Yalçın told Cumhuriyet that it’s his first time to encounter such a thing. It’s beautiful and it adds happiness to the subway. It makes them smile.
Fortunately, Boji does not have to pay a fee to hop on his chosen train or bus. For him, it is just home.
Source Instagram via boji_ist