Flashlight helps a little girl use the bathroom

This week, I was awaiting the subway, when I noticed a girl, about 4 years old, in obvious distress. She was dancing around and bending over, clutching her privates. "Miss," I said to her mother, "your daughter has to pee."

"I know," she replied, "but I'm not sure whether this station has a bathroom she can use." Welcome to the Washington, DC Metro system, where each station's "public" unisex bathroom (one person at a time) is hidden at the end of an unmarked, locked corridor. Ask to use it, and you might well challenged, "Is it an emergency?" And if it's out of order, they won't let you use the employee restroom.

"See this flashlight?" I said to the mother, turning on my G&P G60 incan with 3.7V lamp. "I'm gonna go upstairs and ask if they have a bathroom. If the answer is Yes, I'll come to the balcony and shine the light at you."

So up the escalator I began. As luck would have it (mixed luck, as we shall see), a Metro employee--a 55-ish man--was right ahead of me. "Sir," I said urgently, "Is there a bathroom?"

"Of course," he said. With that, I turned around, turned on my G60, and began waving it toward the crowd below.
I was so intent on signaling that I forgot I was on a moving escalator. After 5 seconds, I suddenly reached the top. Still facing backward, I stumbled, whirled around as I lost my balance, and whacked the Metro man in the glasses with my light. (He had been standing at the top.)

The guy was livid. "THIS is why you need to mind your business!" he snapped.

I felt sheepish and apologized. At the same time, I felt that he shouldn't have been standing where people get off; Metro posters call such persons "escalumps." And I felt that such anger should be reserved for riders who are immersed in their own needs--say, tying a shoelace. "Sir, I was just trying to help a little girl in distress." But he was still seething as he removed his glasses to rub his eyes and face.

About 40 seconds later, the girl and her mom were racing through the turnstile. I heard the girl shout, "I won't make it!" Her mom replied, "Yes, you will."

As I boarded the train, I felt that perhaps I should have given the worker my business card in case he was truly injured. Or maybe handed him a twenty as compensation. But I feared that the his demand for compensation might get out of hand.

Paul, You did a good thing for that little girl and her mother. Don't feel bad about wacking him (on accident). He shouldn't have been standing at the top of the escalator and should be glad you weren't caring a 6D Mag. Now that may have required more than an apology. Then again now that you wacked him he can truly be called an "escalump"!

I wonder why he was not paying attention. From your story it sure seems like he could have avoided you.

If I saw someone going backwards on an escalator I would move a step back. Wonder what he was thinking before the "hit".

Maybe they should add this to the training manual.


All I can say is don't give up. Keep trying to do the right thing. People need to pay more attention to intent and not the act itself. Then maybe they would catch people being nice when their intent is to fool. We are so conditioned to assume and leap to conclusions. Don't get me wrong I would be pissed if you smacked me in the head. That sucks not matter how you look at it.


rob

Yeah Paul, that was thoughtful of you to help in that situation. I'm sure that mom especially appreciated your kindness. Don't let the incident with the escalump discourage you or take your joy away. It was purely an accident and after all you did apologize. It's difficult to continue to show sympathy when somebody behaves so unforgivingly. If you had to do it all over again I'm sure that you would as the trade off of caring overrides a little mistake. And who knows, maybe the guy deserved it and we'll never know the reason why....lol

You did a good thing, Paul.

As a Subway employee that guy should have known better. At about 55, it's not likely that he was recently hired.

My experience with Subway employees is mixed. Most are useless, some go above and beyond the call of duty. I remember only a few months ago, waiting almost half an hour for a train that usually takes 10 minutes at most. Having an unlimited-ride Metro card, I went through the turnstile upstairs to ask the token booth clerk why the train was so late.

I found her inside the booth, with the door open (a big No-No) and BSing with a male subway worker. (More like flirting). I wasn't rude, but didn't go out of my way to be polite either. I asked if the trains were even running. She told me that they were running very late. I responded by letting her know that folks were waiting for over half an hour down by the platform.

As I turned to leave, the dude in the booth said to her, "What does he expect you to do about it?"

By now I was furious, so I decided to just head back downstairs. Looking back, I should have said, "I expect her to do her d*mn job and announce the fact that the trains are running late!"

There was a plan proposed awhile ago to cut back on the number of token booth jobs in NYC. Mainly because the subway system no longer uses tokens. You buy Metro-cards from vending machines. You can use cash or even credit cards. No need for a token booth. Those who objected, pointed out that token booth clerks are needed to direct people in case of emergencies or other situations when trains get re-routed. But speaking as someone who only this past week stopped using public transportation, I can tell you that I have experienced a handful of situations where a knowledgeable and helpful token booth clerk was needed. And none were found!

Don't get me wrong, they were physically there.... And thats about it! Why spend extra tax-payer dollars on a job that has become obsolete, due to technology and the use of vending machines?

Paul, you did the right thing, and leaving was good too. Don't beat yourself up.

Bill

You did the right thing, Paul. And that "escalump" had NO business standing where he was standing! In my opinion he was asking to get beaned.

The guy was livid. "THIS is why you need to mind your business!" he snapped.

well people snap when you hit them in the face with stuff, and then say stuff that might not be as polite as one would wish oo: , then they can also seeth for a while.

i wish you were around when i was 5. :twothumbs, are we there yet?

Great story!

Just remember, what comes around goes around. That guy probably had it coming, because he cut in front of a little boy in the bathroom.

a REAL gentleman would have gallantly removed the batteries and allowed the young lady to ..

:toilet:


And then sold the flashlight on B/S/T


:naughty:

_