I Was So Ill I Couldn’t Walk Until a Fellow Passenger Essentially Lifted Me to a Restroom.

At the age of 19 years old, my morning travel involved an packed public transport. It remained crowded and would always be without any seats once I boarded.

On one specific day, I was feeling incredibly sick as the bus rocked around the bends. I repeatedly told myself to persevere just a little longer so the bus could got to where I needed to get off, so I could then make a mad dash to the closest public restroom to vomit.

The bus was approaching the road leading to the destination as it dawned on me I would not be to last. All of a sudden, it was like a fog descended upon me. Everything just went blank and silent; similar to when one muted everything. I thought, “I am about to pass out”.

Fortunately, I stood toward the front on the bus, so I took several steps toward the driver and requested that the driver to pull over, explaining to him I needed to vomit. He opened the doors and I weakly exited out onto the street.

I was resolved not to vomit in front of a busy multi-lane road, so I picked myself up and started trying to stumble across to the park across the road, where I believed it would allow me to find some privacy among some shrubs to vomit. However I likely lost consciousness. I was aware of my limbs, but walking was impossible and my vision was blurry, so I began dragging myself toward the grassy area.

“You right, love?”

At that moment, someone picked me up. I felt someone holding me and a man’s voice asked, “Everything alright, love?” I managed to tell the mysterious stranger that I needed to vomit. So he virtually supported my weight over to an adjacent building and placed me into the female bathroom. He asked me whether I required him to stay with me but I said no.

A few minutes later, I regained my composure to the point of sitting on the toilet when from beyond the door I heard his voice asking, “Do you need anything, love? Is there anything you require?” I could not to stand up right away but I was able to say thank you and following a brief period recovered the use of my limbs. I got myself home and then spent the next few days getting over what turned out to be a horrible case of gastroenteritis.

I did not see his features – only his legs along with a sizable metal toolbox he had with him – but he saved me, when I was completely helpless.

Many times, life has a way of making you defensive, aggressive and competitive. What he did was the kind of action that undoes that protective shell. He demonstrated that our default setting is towards kindness, a quality I adore in other people.