As Magnum P.I. used to say, “I know what you’re thinking and you’re right.”

This nice Italian gentleman and his dog do bear a striking resemblance to one another. But honestly, that wasn’t the first thought I had when they boarded this Milan Metro train one Saturday morning. I was more focused on how great it is that you can hop on the subway with your dog in Italy and everyone’s okay with it. Hmm. I offered my seat, but the man preferred to stand with his friend in his arms for the entire journey. So I sat there staring at this relaxed pup and reminiscing about the days when I used to commute into San Francisco from Oakland on BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit). The only dogs I ever saw on those trains were service-dogs-in-training, or dogs pretending to be service-dogs-in-training. And whether or not they really were service-dogs-in-training, they were wearing the service-dog-in-training cape. Everyone knows that cape means “Step off! Don’t give me any attention, don’t even think of petting me or saying silly stuff to me in baby voices.” Which is another thing Magnum P.I. used to say: “Don’t look at the dogs!”

I didn’t pet this dog or say silly stuff to him either, I was just glad he was out and about. He made a trip on a crowded subway train much more pleasant. Now that’s a service dog!