Getting off BART at the 16th Street/Mission station early this afternoon, someone wearing an oversize white Yankees cap and full fashion camouflage exited the fare gates ahead of me. She headed straight for the booth where the much unbeloved BART station agents spend their time. She knocked on the glass and said, “Excuse me!” The agent, also a woman, glanced up with an “OK, here we go again” look on her face. She was probably expecting the usual — someone with a ticket that didn’t work, or someone claiming that they’d just lost twenty bucks in a ticket machine, or someone who wanted to use one of the station bathrooms that have been closed for six years as part of the war on terror.
“Excuse me! I just wanted to say happy New Year’s and thanks for everything you do!” the camouflaged patron said. That was it. Then she turned and walked away.
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I have long since lost faith (if there ever was such a thing) in the goodness of mankind. But once in a while kindness does shine through the darkness.
Several years ago Sakura and I were waiting for the number 2 bus on the corner of Presidio and Sutter. It was already dark and it seemed like it was taking an awfully long time for the bus to come. Then a bus pulled around the corner and stopped in front of us. The doors opened and the driver shouted down that the #2, #3, and #4 were all done by that time of night. He was heading downtown and let us ride with him for free.
Hey, Eamon, it’s just like Shakespeare and Willy Wonka said: So shines a good deed in a weary world.
Many years ago, when my grandparents were still alive in Delaware, the whole family would drive from Baltimore to Newark and take them out for Christmas dinner. One year my brother – who worked in a nursery – grabbed some roses that were being tossed out. He instructed all the drivers that they were to give a single rose to each toll taker between Baltimore and Delaware. I thought the idea kind of stupid until I started giving out the roses. After I paid each toll, I’d say “Merry Christmas” and hand out a rose. To this day I still remember how thrilled and pleased those ladies were for such a small token.
K-