Photo by Flickr user kevindooley
It was a crowded 5-Fulton outbound on a Tuesday commute. Somewhere near the Civic Center, a blind man and his girlfriend (also partially blind) got on the bus and were given seats near the front but not next to one another. Closer to City Hall, a boy around the ages of 7-9 got on the bus with his mother and stood near the front of the bus.
The boy had noticed the blind man’s walking cane and began to talk with him.
Boy: “Sir, what’s that stick for?”
Blind man: “Oh, it’s to help me find my way around because I cannot see.”
Boy: “You can’t see? What do you mean? Can you see me?”
Blind man: “Unfortunately, no, I cannot see you, at least not in this dim light [on the bus].”
Boy: “I wish you could see me. I would give you my eyes so you can see.”
Blind man: “You are so very sweet, thank you.”
The boy’s mother, meanwhile, seemed uncomfortable with her son being overly inquisitive with a stranger. She continued to hush and scold him for asking too many questions throughout the conversation.
Boy: “Do you cook?”
Blind man: “Oh, no way, I don’t. But my girlfriend cooks for me.”
The blind man motions to his girlfriend in the general direction of her voice.
Boy: “Oh, you are his girlfriend?”
Girlfriend: “Yes, I am.”
Boy: “Can you see me?”
Girlfriend: “I also cannot see, but I can see better than my boyfriend.”
Boy: “Why can you both not see? I wish I could give both of you my eyes so you can see me and everyone else here.”
Girlfriend: “That’s so very kind of you, thank you.”
The boy and his mother had to get off the bus around Fillmore. Before he got off the bus, he bid his farewell to the couple.
Boy: “It was nice meeting you, Sir.” He takes the blind man’s hand into his own and shakes it.
Blind man: “It was very nice meeting you, too. Thank you.”
Boy: “It was nice meeting you, Miss.” He hugs the girlfriend.
Girlfriend: “You are so sweet, thank you. You take care of yourself and your mother now.”
The boy and his mother exited, and enough seats freed up between the couple so they could find one another again by the sound of each other’s voices.
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How very, very sweet………….clearly, his parents did a great job in raising this boy. It’s nice to hear stories like this!
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I really loved this too. Helene, thanks for remembering this overheard conversation.
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That’s just lovely. What a sweet kid. Getting teary here!
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“…and enough seats freed up between the couple so they could find one another again by the sound of each other’s voices”
A great post ruined by an otherwise horrifically rude and condescending remark.
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Aaron Reply:
January 11th, 2010 at 5:47 pm
Im confused just as much as Jeff, how is that rude or condescending?
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Is it just me or does this story sound completely made up?
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TG Reply:
January 9th, 2010 at 7:31 am
Amazingly nice things do occur on Muni and apparently this is one – there are sweet kids around!
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carla Reply:
January 11th, 2010 at 4:39 pm
i was on this bus and heard all if it. It definitely happened and it seemed as unrealistic in reality as it does written here.
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CAK: huh? how is that a “horrifically rude and condescending remark”?
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So awesome.
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The boy has a good nature, not necessarily how he’s raised.
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