A letter from Ken, today. He is disabled and was looking for a place to sit on the LRT.
He says he was on the train from Southgate to Century Park and there were able-bodied people sitting in the seats designated for the disabled, but no one got up to let him sit down.
Some were totally engaged in their cell phones. Other passengers were already standing.
Ken was not going to beg for a seat; he just propped himself up in a corner, put one arm around the pole by the door and hoped if he fell down he would not be trampled by people rushing to the exit.
Contrast that to a bus ride in Hawaii. The bus was packed with surfers and tourists.
At the next stop an elderly person got on who looked pretty frail. I got up to offer my seat and behind me, I heard, “No, No. You sit. You sit.”
It was one of a group of visiting Japanese students we had heard talking behind us. One of them gave up their seat and respectfully motioned to me to sit down.
I have had people complain to me that people coming to this country should learn our ways. In this case, it appears we could learn something from them.
I’m sure Ken would agree.
Let me know what you think.
Bob Layton is the news manager of the Corus Edmonton group of radio stations and a commentator for Global News.