This morning at about 10.15, I took a SMRT bus 859B (Licence plate no SMB 3149 X) at the bus stop opposite Blk 491 Admiralty Link. The driver, a Malay man in his twenties ( I couldn’t get his name) seemed reluctant to continue and kept looking towards the back of the bus.
After about a minute of waiting, he walks towards the back and tells a female passenger who is standing to have a seat. The passenger is carrying a toddler. Despite her declining, he politely tries to persuade her to sit down, telling her that it may be uncomfortable and dangerous to stand. This prompts another passenger to persuade others to give up their seats. Someone gives up his seat and the passenger sits down. The journey continues uneventfully.
Prior to boarding the bus, I had been watching the trailer of the new Captain America movie, a cinematic project filled with an assortment of super heroes.
I couldn’t help but think that this young man could have turned a insouciant blind eye to the passenger’s discomfort and the possible danger facing her. He instead chose to address it. This prompted others to rise up and help her. He may have not realized it, but he inspired others to act with civic consciousness.
Now that’s who I call a superhero. It is therefore fitting that I couldn’t even catch his name and he remains a mystery.
Source: Thiagesh Menon
