Fare-Evading’ Goats Try to Catch Portland Bus in Hilarious Viral Video
Two loose pygmy goats briefly became TriMet passengers this week after security cameras caught them boarding a Portland city bus, wandering aboard behind a group of commuters before being gently shooed back onto the sidewalk. The transit agency posted footage of the encounter to social media, and the clip quickly went viral, prompting the goats’ owner to come forward and explain how the pair ended up at a bus stop in the first place.
TriMet said the goats were spotted at 7:40 a.m. Tuesday at a bus stop at Southeast 162nd Avenue and Division Street, where they followed passengers aboard an FX2-Division bus. Their ride lasted about 20 seconds before two passengers and the bus operator noticed the animals and ushered them back off, and the bus continued on its route.
Rae Anderson, whose family owns the goats, told local station KPTV that his 7-month-old goats, named Billy the Kid and Billy the Goat, escaped their yard that Tuesday morning and set off exploring. He said the pair likely wandered until they found something interesting to investigate, eventually making their way to the nearby bus stop.
How the Goats Got Loose
Anderson said his family has owned Billy the Kid and Billy the Goat for about three months, and that the goats have wandered into neighbors’ yards before, though this marked their first trip to a bus stop. He said his children sometimes leave the yard gate open by accident, and that the goats are quick to notice and take advantage of the opportunity.
Someone called 911 to report two loose pygmy goats wandering the area before TriMet identified them on station camera footage boarding the bus. After being shooed off, the goats were seen heading toward a nearby shopping center before disappearing from view, and police were unable to locate them at the time despite checking the area.
TriMet Leans Into the Viral Moment
TriMet embraced the story’s viral appeal in its social media posts, quipping that the goats had proven themselves the “G.O.A.T.” of the agency’s bus service by choosing the FX2-Division Frequent Express line. TriMet spokesperson Tyler Graf said the agency was glad the goats made it home safely, even though their attempted trip ended before it began.
The agency’s original post also played up the mystery surrounding the goats’ brief excursion, joking that questions about where they came from, where they were headed and whether they had valid fare might never be answered, at least until Anderson came forward days later to identify the pair.
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