Yes, you can take a dog on the Tube. But before you start planning a canine commute, know this: it’s not a free-for-all slobber-fest. The rules are a bureaucratic masterpiece of fine print and common sense. Basically, if your dog is a well-behaved angel, Transport for London (TfL) will grudgingly allow it.
If your dog looks like it could eat a toddler or mark its territory on a tourist, you’re in for a bad time. Dogs must be on a lead at all times. That’s not a suggestion; it’s the law of the metal snake.
The Great Escalator Horror Show
Here’s where things get really fun: the escalator. Imagine you have a Jack Russell. Now imagine that Jack Russell sees the moving stairs as a giant, rubber-eating monster. Many dogs will refuse to get on. They plant their paws like furry anchors, and you, dear reader, become that person who causes a 30-person pile-up at Oxford Circus.
My advice? Always take the lift. Most Tube stations have one, though it might smell like a urinal that recently had a disco. If you must use the escalator, carry your dog. Yes, even your Great Dane. You chose the dog, now pay the arm-strength tax.
