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Snake gets loose on Philadelphia bus, causes evacuation

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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Officials say an escaped four-foot snake on a bus prompted an emergency evacuation in Philadelphia.

Transit authority officials say a person carrying a boa constrictor got on board the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority bus just before 3 p.m. Sunday.

The snake's owner, 26-year-old Koron Riley, tells The Philadelphia Inquirer that he had the snake draped around his neck and hidden under his jacket.

The bus had to be evacuated after the snake somehow got loose and coiled itself under a seat. A SEPTA mechanic was able to dismantle the seat, allowing a transit police officer to retrieve the snake and return it to Riley.

SEPTA policy allows riders to bring service animals or small, contained pets onto trains or buses.

Police say they haven't decided if charges will be filed.