Cable Car Confessions: Monkeying Around

Ding ding all aboard. "Next stop Powell Street Chinatown. Tickets please show me your tickets please." As you know riding the cable car is one of my favorite weekly things that I do. But this cable car confession surprised even me when I saw a family and their service monkey get on the Powell-Mason cable car line. (Catch up here on the other cable car confession chapters.)

It was a Friday. I was leaving a long afternoon of volunteering downtown at an organization that creates talent shows for inner city children. There was a lot to do preparing for the upcoming show like prepare clipboards, paper copying, name tags, dolly’s, boxes, lights and microphones. The talent show was scheduled for the next day so everything had to be ready.

I was looking forward to my nightly trip home on the cable car. I had a great book with me, my iPod and the cable car wasn’t filled with tourists yet. After I got on to the cable car, I opened my book and entered my own little world of it's new chapter. Then suddenly I heard people talking and squealing with delight.

I thought to myself ' Have we passed Lombard Street yet? That was fast.'

Actually the people were squealing at the newest passenger that had entered our cable car, a monkey. Yes, that’s right a monkey dressed in a T-shirt that said ask to take my picture please. The monkey was very calm, seemed gentle and was looking at the squealing passengers.

This monkey was not alone, but with a family. The two parents (forgive me) I can only describe as hippies and their son seemed a little uncomfortable with all of the attention that they were getting.

So the monkey “family” sat down and waited for the cable car driver to come and collect their tickets. Now this is where I ask you why would a monkey be on a cable car? 

The other people on the cable car started to ask the mother (who seemed to be the leader of the family) if they could take pictures. She told them no, but thank you. I continued to watch the scene out of the corner of my eye, but pretended to read my book. Although I was also thrilled to see this monkey sitting so close to me, I felt a little attitude from the family. So the mother looked over at me and I gave her a little smile.

Finally the cable car seemed to quiet down with noise. Call it perfect timing that I looked up at the family as mother monkey maternally told the monkey to hold on tight as we went over a bump. And the monkey did. He grabbed the bar to steady himself. It was truly amazing. And then mother monkey laughed and looked around to see who was watching and caught my stare.

“That was amazing!” I told her
“It was!” She replied “ I’ve never seen him do that before. Did you know that he can understand English”
“I’m sure he knows English better then most of us.” I said laughing
and then I asked her “I was just curious how much does it cost for your monkey to ride the cable car?”
She said with a smile “All service animals ride for free.”

~
Please stop by Fifi flowers blog today to check out my first guest blogging post. I love the painting that Fifi did of a café photo that I took in Paris. Don't you just love it? Thank you Fifi. 

OK so my question to you is what does a monkey have to do to become a service animal? :) And where can I get a T-shirt in my size that says ask before you take my picture?