Yesterday, we noticed an everyday occurrence in Montclair Village:  a trusty steed waited patiently for its master, who was grabbing coffee or running errands nearby.

The bike racks frequently serve as modern-day hitching posts for dogs, not all that different from saddled horses.  Their owners arrive in town with their best buddies and tie them safely to these inverted-U posts.

This cute pooch, who had been secured to one of the racks, was well-behaved and friendly as the world passed by.  We couldn’t resist a quick hello here and the dog reciprocated.

While hanging out, the steed eventually resorted to a sidewalk nap.  We didn’t clock how long this particular dog was hitched, though we believe a half-hour passed until the master returned.

These hitched dogs come and go all day, along Mountain Boulevard and Antioch Court.  To us, they are Montclair Village’s goodwill ambassadors.