Most bus drivers have seen it all. One Detroit driver found out last weekend that he had not. When he pulled up to a stop on 7 Mile Road, two riders were waiting for him on horseback.

Newly released video from the bus's own cameras shows the whole thing. The driver spots the pair, breaks into a grin and greets them like old friends. The riders say they want to come aboard. He laughs and tells them that if the horses can fit, so be it.

What follows looks like a scene from a comedy. The driver jokes about whether he is going to get in trouble and asks if the horse is a service animal. One rider answers with a quick yes. Then two big saddled horses clop up the front steps and stroll down the aisle of the nearly empty bus.

Welcome aboard

The ride lasted only a few seconds. The horses walked straight through and stepped right back out the rear doors. Right on cue the bus's automated voice chimed in to welcome them aboard just as they were leaving. The driver wished the riders well and told them it was crazy as he closed the doors. One of the men shouted thanks for the ride as the bus pulled away.

A woman driving by caught the scene from the street and her clip took off online. The city then released the footage from inside the bus on Thursday and that video spread even faster. People could not get enough of the driver's reaction. Plenty of viewers said he deserved a raise for keeping such a cool head.

Cowboys that look like us

One of the riders was Jordan Williams. He helped start Urban City Cowboys, a Detroit group that teaches kids about horses. Many of the children have disabilities or have never been close to a horse before. Williams said he and a friend were out with the horses for a coat drive and wanted to get people talking about Black cowboys in the city. He said he wants kids to see that people who look like them own and train horses.

He also said it was all in fun and that he loved seeing the smiles it brought. He apologized for any trouble it caused. City transit leaders said they understood the riders meant well but that horses on a bus are not safe for passengers or the animals. They plan to retrain drivers and said the driver has been spoken to.

So the horses will not be riding the bus again any time soon. For one Saturday afternoon though a regular Detroit bus route turned into the most talked-about ride in town.