As I was walking to catch a subway, a small, middle-aged lady approached me and asked where she could catch the PATH train. PATH is a rail system that connects Manhattan with nearby cities in New Jersey. Gesturing forward, I told her that the station was close by, across the next street.
We both began walking in that direction, not together, but we were both going the same way. I could hear the sound of her suitcase rolling along the sidewalk. The suitcase was fairly large.
When we reached the intersection, I pointed across the street. "Just go down those stairs."
The lady asked whether the station had an elevator; I admitted that I didn't know. I asked her if she needed help, but she said that the suitcase was heavy and suggested that we might be able carry it down the stairs together.
Once we'd crossed the street, I asked again if she'd like me to carry her suitcase downstairs. Again, she thanked me but stressed that it was heavy. I reached over and picked it up; it wasn't that bad, bulky but not very heavy.
I carried the suitcase down three flights of stairs. The lady thanked me and asked me how to buy tickets for the train. I motioned to a series of self-service machines but explained that I wasn't familiar with how they work. On the rare occasions when I took the PATH, I used the MetroCard that we used for the subways. I'm not sure that option is still available, as the MetroCard has been discontinued, but I digress.
The lady thanked me again, and I wished her a safe journey before heading to catch the subway. In retrospect, I feel bad that I didn't help her with the ticket machines.
