Report of man with snake slows Boston train line

[August 27, 2010]  BOSTON (AP) -- Snake on a train? Transit officials in Boston aren't taking any chances.

A Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority spokesman says a train was temporarily stopped after riders reported a man aboard had a snake around his neck.

The man had already left when police arrived Thursday afternoon at the Green Line's Brookline Village station, a few minutes outside Boston.

MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo tells The Boston Globe newspaper police held the train for nine minutes to investigate, briefly backing up service.

The transit agency allows small pets to ride in secure animal carriers as long as they don't annoy passengers. The policy doesn't say anything specific about snakes.

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Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.boston.com/globe/

[Associated Press]

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