An elderly couple decided to visit family on the other side of Toronto using the GO Train for transportation. How old are they? They are already thinking of their seventieth wedding anniversary next year. As you can imagine they don't move with cat-like grace and speed, but they did okay until the return trip. In Oshawa they got off the train car designated for those who are physically challenged and unfortunately it was several cars from the connecting bus (why are the trains configured this way?) By the time they toddled to the bus stop it had departed and they were exhausted.
What were they to do? Another driver came over and asked where they were going.When they told him Bowmanville he said that he was on his way to Peterborough to pick up a group. Get on, he offered, it's on my way. Since they were the only two passengers they chatted with the driver. It turned out that he is quite involved in his Baptist church and they talked about St. Paul's. Despite their protestations he drove them right to their door. In this day he could probably be reprimanded or fired for being the GO Samaritan, but it warmed my heart to know that there are still people who are caring and generous.
Thoughts?
8 comments:
What a nice read for a Monday morning!
With parents who are in their 80's and who rely on taking the bus frequently, I am happy to hear how the driver treated this elderly couple. My parents have mentioned how friendly many drivers(and fellow passengers) are on their travels. It's nice to think, especially when sometimes it feels like everyone is out for him/herself.
Legendary kindness. This is the kind of news we need to read, see and hear more of.
This story brought a tear to my eye, what a lovely story. My other half rides the GO on a daily basis. Last week, he rode it on an off time of day and the driver commented that he was out of his routine and was everything OK. It is nice to know that these drivers are more aware of things than we might think.
We so often hear or notice the bad stories as they unfold....this is a lovely reminder of human kindness. Thanks!
It's nice to hear that kindness still exists out there.
Being a frequent user of the GoTrain service when living in St. Catharines and travelling to Bowmanville, I am very aware how far away the Accessible Train car is from the GoBus (especially travelling with multiple suitcases/bags). I have found many of the conductors and drivers are very friendly and will travel the extra mile. I am glad to hear that the couple had a wonderful and delightful ending to their day of travelling.
If you look back at recent blogs you will see that the ones which elicit the greatest response are about rather basic human interactions and kindness. These strike a chord with all of us.
When I visited with the elderly couple who told me their story I commented that what the driver did probably took him 15 minutes out of his usual schedule. It was the ability to see them in their dilemma and respond with practical compassion which is impressive.
Thanks to all of you. Hey, GO needed a shout-out or two.
This is a lovely story and a good example of why I think facebook is important to me. On facebook I find many uplifting stories like this are shared among friends.
GO does need to look at the issue of distance from the train to the bus. That problem could be solved.
Brenda
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