Random Acts of Kindness

[Bozo]

Monday afternoon I was in New York's Penn Station waiting for Amtrak 97 Silver Meteor back to Florida. I stood up from a table in one of the food court areas and started through the crowded terminal when a man started following me and calling out. I thought I was about to encounter what my friends have cautioned me about in New York City. Instinctively, I put a hand over my wallet.

"Sir, you forgot this," the man said as he handed back my camera. I had been repacking my day's purchases and had left a camera sitting on the table by accident. I was so shocked at the act of kindness that I was speechless. I followed him back to the tables to thank him. He had been sitting several tables from me, but had made the effort to do a good deed for a tourist.

You meet the nicest people in and around trains. The positive people experiences of others might be interesting.

(By the way, you meet the nicest people in this discussion forum. If you look up "Polite Internet" in the dictionary, this site must be mentioned.)

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Thanks for relating this incident to the rest of us. Makes us feel good about our fellow people, after all.

 

[Amtrak Watcher]

I agree with the observation about people in and around trains. I, too, have seen numerous acts of kindness (recovering lost articles, helping with baggage, playing temporary babysitter) even in otherwise rough and crowded neighborhoods. The contrast is striking when compared with the typical experience in airports. Why is this? I think it’s that people who prefer rail travel are, by nature, more patient and reasonable. These kinds of people are, in my experience, generally more kind and helpful than those caught up in the turmoil in the airports and on the highways.

 

[Viewliner]

Thanks for relating this incident to the rest of us. Makes us feel good about our fellow people, after all.

I think Bill's words say it all .

Nice to know that there are good people on and around the rails. I'd feel awful if I left something like my camera, camcorder, or radio scanner on the train or at the station. Ironically I had a dream the other night where I was taking an Amtrak train (in my dreams :lol: ) and I left my radio scanner at home, boy I was dissapointed, lucky it was only a dream. B)

 

[battalion51]

Now here's m similar tale, except I was the returner. Last September I was on board P091 from WPK-FTL. The conductor, Howard, said that he'd found a cell phone when he came on shift today. He said he found the phone in the 41 car so it was probaly a medium distancer to Orlando. So he turned the cell phone over to me, and asked me to find the owner. I was able to get into the phonebook, and contacted the person's father. Am happy to say I was able to return the phone to its owner in Spartanburg, SC, a samll town which I have ironically been to.

 

[Bozo]

Speaking of Howard, a few months ago a woman traveling on 98 with a four year old was met at DeLand by EMS when the child has an asthma attack. The child was transported and treated and both were back at DLD via taxi in time to catch 92. The train was packed and she and her child were seated in the lounge car, since no seats were available. The child had been medicated and was tossing and turning, attempting to rest. I wondered about the secondary smoke around a child with asthma. When Howard discovered the circumstances of the frantic mom being on his train, he managed to locate a sleeper for she and her child.

This man will be missed when he retires in a couple of months.