Old Dude Seats

Fri 01 Oct 2010 Filed in: My Life
LightRailTukwila
It was a creative way of getting my exercise. I needed to pick up something downtown for my brother whom I will be seeing later this month, so I decided to try out my old dude card (otherwise called a senior regional reduced fare permit) and took the light rail into town and planned to do a bit of urban walking. It was an enjoyable trip. But when the southbound train arrived to take me back home, it was packed to the gills.

No problem, I thought. I can stand. As soon as I boarded and before I got a good grip on the rail, two different people offered me their seats. The first was a young lady who looked more tired than I hoped I looked. I smiled and told her to enjoy her seat; I’d be fine standing for a while. (I guess my parents trained me well: Gentlemen don’t sit while ladies are standing.) But no sooner had I declined her kind offer than a man sitting in one of three fold-down seats designated as priority seating for seniors and disabled passengers began to get up and offer me his seat.

I smiled again and repeated the answer I had given to the young lady. But I began to wonder just how old I looked. Perhaps I should have taken one of their seats. Was this old dude standing next to them making them feel guilty for sitting? I hope not. The young lady got off at the next stop, and I took her seat. The gentleman across the aisle smiled, closed his eyes, and took a nap.

And me? I’m blessed to be reminded that in a world that is often much too harsh, chivalry is not dead. And maybe I’m an old enough dude to benefit from it.
Happy