Over the last four years, I have tried not to let the city
harden me. I am a nice person and try to treat everyone with respect regardless
of who they are. My biggest peeve about the train is when able bodied people
stay seated and disabled or elderly stand. This morning I hop on the T and see
a man in his 50’s with an ankle brace on and I happened to be sitting. I get
up.
“Would you like to sit down?” I ask him.
“What…you think I’m too old to stand?” he screams at me like
I just spit in his face or something.
“Oh no. I saw your brace. Would you like to sit?” I remain
calm.
“You think I’m disabled now?” he screams back at me in front
of a packed train and now everyone is looking at me.
“Absolutely not. I just didn’t want you to stand if you were
in pain.” I say as I sit back down.
Everyone is silent. We go one stop and he gets off and the
woman next to me tells me that I did the right thing.
Ok yes… I did the right thing but really, when people are
like that, it really discourages me from being nice. The city hasn’t hardened
me (too much) yet but I understand why people keep their heads down and keep to
themselves. What is wrong with people that they scream out to people just
trying to help?
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