Bless New Yorkers*

*Of whom I am not one yet.

This came from "Metropolitan Diaries," a column published in the Metro Section of the NY Times every Monday. I saw it on the train coming home this evening and nearly cried. It is poorly paraphrased.

I was riding on the Lexington Ave local the other day when I noticed a woman and her seeing eye dog sitting next to her in the aisle. As the train slowed to a stop at "59th St", the dog started to get up to leave. His mistress pulled his collar and said, "This is not our stop."

When the train started up again, she was apparently concerned she had been too harsh to her friend. Oblivious to other passengers, she said to him, "I"m sorry if I was abrupt. I know you are not a stupid dog, but that was not the correct stop. Perhaps you lost count."

Her dog looked up at her with full attention during her whole speech, after which he licked her hand. They got off at the "51st St" stop.

Oh, and on the way home today, I caught the Q45 and rode it all the way past my stop to the end of the line, up near Juniper Park. As the last passengers unloaded the bus and the driver turned off the engine and began to exit as well, I asked him if I could stay on the bus. He said, "Sure. What'd you miss your stop?" I smiled and responded, "No, I'm new to the neighborhood so I thought I'd take the .50 tour." He smiled back and went to smoke his cigarette. When he got back on the bus he said, "You know, this area here has lots of places to shop and get your groceries..." and proceeded to give me the pointing tour of what was around there. We talked about the area, he pointed out Juniper Park and told me it was a safe place to live (he knew this, he told me, because he lived around here). As we started back on the route, he gave me my own private guided tour and, as I was stepping off the bus at my stop (71 St and Calamus), he advised me that I could take the bus to the Roosevelt Ave/Jackson Heights station to catch the subway into Manhattan. I thanked him and wished him a goodnight.

I think I made my first public transit friend. [grins]