This morning as I was taking my usual morning commute to work, I was hit with an interesting little question. I get off the G train as usual at Court Square station in Long Island City to transfer to the E or V line to work. So usually after I reache the top of the stairs after exiting the G, I have to make a decision really fast about whether to to take automatic walkway or just walk to the E or V. There is usually a big crowd trying to get on the walkway. Sometimes it's better to just walk. I usually don't take it because it's a hassle to get it. Today, however, I am thinking fast about the extra 5 minutes I may gain by reaching work earlier, so I take the walkway.
As I get on the walkway I see out the corner of my eye, a girl on my right in a trench coat and on the left another girl. I pay attention because for some reason I am still a little spooked about walkways and revolving doors since I left the hospital, about getting caught and trapped. That story will come. As I was thinking this, the girl on my right just stops on the moving walkway. I see her looking down and next thing I see the girl on my left disappear. My equilibrium is jacked so I can't even turn around to see what happened. I want to help if she is is caught in the walkway. That's what I believe girl on left is doing. Helping. I can't imagine her being caught and not being able to move. I would kinda freak out because this machine doesn't know it's hurting you or care about your feelings. So I know it must suck.
And the interesting question here was, am I a bad person for not checking to see if she was okay?
But because I can't turn around, because of my jacked equilibrium, I keep on the walkway. I can't endanger myself here... So I keep cruising. I felt bad for a second about what this may mean about me as a person. But technically I didn't SEE her get caught. I had a little liberty of imagination. So I brushed off my shoulder when I exited the walkway. Made it to the platform and and E train was arriving. I made the train and made it to work early enough to write this post.
Hey, it worked out...
1 comments:
It's probably enough that you wrote about it and you cared. Other people near her would have helped if she was truly in trouble. But I understand...
I remember a time like this at the beach, the Pacific. I was watching as my husband and young son were swimming about 50 feet out as I waded up to my knees. I saw a large shadow in the water and instinctively ran for dry land. The old fright and flight syndrome. I was literally on auto pilot. I felt like a chicken livered little shit when it was all over. My husband and son, for God sake. Could it have been a shark?! Good grief, we're all human. Blahhh.
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