Respect

She was confused, not used to the train's surging starts or stops. It began with sudden motion, she reached for the suitcase, motion confounded her...pitching toward the floor his long arms stopped her. He leaned back when she regained balance. No words were spoken.

I observed this from my corner.

The next stop the folks departed...a confused woman suddenly realized her need to exit. She ran to the side of the train that had doors closed, while the open doors began to close. She screamed, he reached his long arm out into the closing door and caused it to retract and sound an alarm of inoperation. He scurried her through the doors and they promptly closed, ending the alarm. I waited until everyone settled back into the ride.

I spotted an empty seat and went to take it. I passed the long-arm man. I said, "Good moves, dude!". He looked surprised, and calmly replied, "It was my good deed for the day."

I gave him the dap hand motion, touching closed fist knuckles with one another, and said, "No, two good deeds." He was astonished at his actions, now noted in the public eye, and said, "Yeah, two...".

He got off at the next stop, nodding a departing recogniton at me.

He deserved his props, for no one is supposed to care or notice others on Marta. The rule is to ignore, withdraw, disconnect from the collective crowd.

He felt outwardly instead of obeying unwritten rules.