Dog Boji himself travels 30 kilometers daily by public transport in Istanbul: ‘He is quite pushy’ | Abroad

It is estimated that Boji travels about 30 kilometers per day. He passes dozens of metro stations and makes at least two ferry trips daily.

“He’s a free spirit,” Chris McGrath, a Getty Images photographer who followed Boji around town for a day, told CNN. “All he wants to do is travel by public transport. Every time he walks past a bus or other means of transport, he just wants to get on. It’s really very bizarre.”

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McGrath first heard about Boji through Twitter. Every day people post pictures of the dog. Meanwhile, the animal even has its own Twitter and Instagram account with tens of thousands of followers. “Everyone knows him,” McGrath says.

The dog is loved by the residents, McGrath continues. “Once he walked into a restaurant, two men chased him away. But then the restaurant owner said, ‘This is Boji! This is Boji! Don’t chase him away!’ So he is definitely a celebrity in Istanbul.”

Kennel at the station

Municipal workers protect and care for Boji. Earlier this month, they took him to the vet for a medical check-up. They also examined his behavior to make sure he was okay and that all human interaction is not a problem for him or those around him.

The municipality has even made a small kennel for him at one of the metro stations. They also feed him when he gets there. But Boji gets there very little: he prefers to travel.

pushy

“He knows exactly where the train doors are,” McGrath says. “As soon as he hears the vibrations of the train, he stands at the side of the platform. He then waits at the door. He’s actually quite pushy; when people get out, he tries to get in.”

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When Boji gets on a ferry, he knows exactly where to stand: on the side facing the sun. The four-legged friend also really has its own will; for example, he prefers to go by boat to Besiktas, and not to the Eminönü district. “I don’t know how he knows, but he seems to enjoy being on the Beşiktaş ferry.”

Vibrations

McGrath also says that Boji likes to sit where the bike is. “At a ferry, he sits in the back where the engine is. And when he’s on the subway, he’s where the wheels are.”

Boji also owes its name to its love for motorcycles. This part of the metro is also known as the ‘bogie area’. In English that means ‘Bogie’, translated into Turkish: Boji.

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McGrath says the council will soon be putting up some information posters about Boji at stations to educate people on how to interact with him. But he doesn’t expect the dog to follow the directions.

“He doesn’t listen to anyone,” McGrath says. “If you try to tell him something, he just ignores you. A lot of people say, ‘Oh, come here, sit here’, but then he just keeps walking.”

McGrath: ,,He just wants to do his own thing and he’s very happy with that.”

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