Dear Fellow Transit Patrons,

This morning I had been running late. I wanted to go to my voluntary math lab tutorial so that I could complete the lab with knowledgeable TAs around and with a printer in the vicinity because I know that if I were to print it at home, I'd probably jam my printer - again.

So I was running late. The train was literally crawling for the last two stations it took to get to the one where I get off. I'm not just saying that it was a little slower than normal... See, at the regular train speed, the rails on the sides of the track are a blur and I can't even tell that there are bars there. Today, I could count the bars that made up the rails as well as see that someone had tossed something that resembled paint out of a window once and it coated the bars in some spots. That is how slow it was going.

Which is all fine and dandy because then I got off at the right train station and got onto a bus. I had an excellent spot to sit and then approximately twenty minutes later, that all went to hell. A woman getting off (or on..?) the bus collapsed, hit her head and went unconscious. So obviously the bus driver had to completely stop the bus and was calling for an ambulance. This is all very good, but I was sitting near the back and since it is an extra long bus, I couldn't see what was happening at the front. Until people started filing off of the bus. When I realize that most of the people were off of the bus by now, I stand up and file off as well, single-file just like in kindergarten. I notice people standing around and, since that particular stop was near a hospital, there was already a nurse there (I believe that she was on the bus on her way into work).

This will probably sound completely callous and horrible... But I really wish that I didn't have to get off that bus and then board another one (that barely had any standing room).

But... I'm glad that the bus driver and other fellow transit patrons took the initiative to make sure that the woman was alright... Because occasionally I'm just a little too selfish for my own good. But I did realize that I was definitely no longer having a 'bad day'. I hope the woman was right...

And to my fellow transit patrons, I understand why you all were cursing the woman for collapsing. But I am almost 100% positive that she did not collapse and go unconscious to ruin your day. It wasn't someone out to ruin your morning or make you late for your first lecture of the day. She was a woman who fell and then couldn't get back up again. I hope that if anything like that ever happens to me, there'd be people around willing to actually help me.

And yes, I was late for my drop-in tutorial session, but it was fine as I had the lab completed within 16 minutes anyways.

Dear Benevolent Stranger,

I saw you on the train this afternoon. It was about 2:40pm and I had just managed to get onto said train. The doors had been closing and you put your hand out to hold the door open for me. I thanked you and you sat back down (somehow you managed to get the only free seat left in the car). I stood, my bag on the ground at my feet. There were quite a bit of people on the train already, despite the fact that the normal workday hadn't ended yet. You were reading this month's issue of HUB: Canada. I only know it was this month's issue because I have an identical issue on my kitchen table, courtesy of my father. You had a black Creative Zen Vision: M and were intently listening to your music. I was surprised because I rarely see people with a DAP (Digital Audio Player) like mine (however, mine is white and therefore is often mistaken for a 'really weird looking' iPod).

You didn't appear to be paying attention to anyone in particular on the train, considering you were so busy reading your magazine and listening to music. You had scuffed black boots on, a worn pair of blue jeans and a black jacket over what looked to be a ratty tee-shirt that had probably seen better days.

About three stops later, the car was crowded and people were pushing and shoving (I managed to get a seat so I wasn't standing there until my stop). And this woman walks onto the train car and you were the only one who seemed to notice her. You jump up and quickly offer her your seat. She makes a motion as if you shouldn't fuse over her, she was going to be getting off the train in two stops anyways. You insist, telling her that someone as pretty as she is shouldn't have to stand. With her pale skin and white hair, she blushes and I could see the blush extending to the top of her head where it showed through her thin white hair. You gesture again to the seat and she says her thanks and sits down.

So you were pretty much everyone's rescuer today. You held the door open for me, you offered your seat to a woman when no one else did. If karma exists, I see an excellent next life for you.

I hope you had a good rest-of-the-day.