Proof now exists that I am not a cold and heartless person. Tonight, I assisted an old lady on my walk home from work.
On my way out of work, I had stopped off at Jos. Bank for some additional shirts. After that, I headed home on my usual route, heading up Conway Street towards Camden Yards. I was minding my own business, listening to one of my many podcasts I listen to on my iPod.
As I approached the intersection of Conway and Sharp Streets, right near Old Otterbein Church, I saw a woman who had just finished talking to two men. It looked like she was asking for directions, and the two men did not know where to send the woman. The woman was a senior citizen, and she reminded me of my grandmother. I decided to approach her and offer her some help.
She was heading to Highlandtown looking to catch a bus from downtown. I admitted that I did not know what buses ran where, but I suggested some possible routes the buses could take–Pratt Street or Eastern Avenue came to mind. She mentioned she was doing a favor for a friend, and she had accompanied another friend downtown to play bingo. I pointed out where Pratt Street was located, but I noticed she did not seem too confident about where it was. I offered to walk with her over to Pratt Street, so we made our way.
She mentioned she used to live downtown on Charles Street, but she was a little lost given where she was. I offered that the area near Camden Yards has changed a lot in the last few years, and it has probably changed even more from her time living downtown.
We made our way to Pratt Street. There was now a new problem: where to catch a bus. The best thing I could think of was to get her to a covered bus stop, where more information on where the buses head would be. Again, though, that was a four block walk from the intersection of Pratt and Sharp Streets. There was also the problem of bus fare, as she was checking her change, and I was not too confident that bus fare was that inexpensive. I mentioned hailing a taxicab, but she was not too keen to the idea.
While waiting on Pratt Street, we missed one bus, and a Charm City Circulator came by to the stop we were at. The Circulator was not going to get this lady to where she was headed. I decided to hail a taxicab, checking my wallet and seeing that I had $20 in cash. She offered me some money for helping her–three dollars. I politely declined.
The woman said that was not necessary, but I opened the door to the taxicab. I handed the driver my $20, mentioning that she was headed to Highlandtown, making sure the lady mentioned her final destination. She thanked me and said I did not need to do this, and I replied “It was my pleasure. Get home safe.”
The most important thing to me was to get her to where she was going safely. She is someone’s grandmother, and I thought it important she get to where she was going safe. With that thought, money was no object: I just wanted to make sure this grandmother got home safe, and I was happy to do it.
For someone who claims to own such a fancy phone, you would think you would use it to access the MTA site. According to the easily accessed map:
http://mta.maryland.gov/maps/DowntownBaltimoreMap-120109.pdf
She could have picked up the 10 at the corner of Pratt and Light. $1.60 and she would have been on her way.
And with such armchair quarterbacking almost one month after the fact, I have no idea what I would do without such insightful commentary from you, Cham. I almost forgot what a ray of sunshine you tend to be on the Internet.
Actually, the Google Maps/Transit version is much more mobile-friendly than a PDF, but of course, that component of Google Maps has been down for some time.