I Was So Ill I Couldn’t Walk Until a Fellow Passenger Practically Supported Me to the Toilets.

Back when I was nineteenth year, my daily commute involved an packed public transport. It remained jammed and invariably became standing room only by the time I boarded.

During a certain commute, I began feeling incredibly sick as the bus rocked around each corner. I continuously reassured myself to endure another few kilometres before the bus arrived at my destination, and then I could sprint quickly to the closest public toilet to vomit.

As we neared the avenue close to my stop and it dawned on me I would not be to hold on. In an instant, it was like a veil came over me. The world became hazy and muffled; like someone had cut the sound. My mind raced, “I’m going to faint”.

Luckily I was toward the front inside the vehicle, allowing me to take a couple of steps forward and requested that the driver to stop, telling him I was going to vomit. He opened the entrance and I hurriedly stepped on to the pavement.

My intention was not to vomit before a busy multi-lane road, so I gathered myself and started trying to make my way across to the park opposite the street, thinking I could it would allow me to discreetly hide behind a bush to be sick. However I likely lost consciousness. I was aware of my body but I couldn’t walk or see clearly, so I started inching my way to the grassy area.

“Are you okay, dear?”

Right then, I got scooped up. I felt a strong arm supporting me and a stranger inquired, “You right, love?” I managed to tell the unknown man that I needed to vomit. Therefore, he almost supported my weight down into an adjacent building and put me into the female bathroom. He wanted to know if I wanted him to stay with me but I said no.

A few minutes later, I had recovered to the point of sitting down and from outside the stall I heard his voice asking, “Are you feeling better, dear? Is there anything you require?” I could not to rise just then but I was able to thank him and shortly thereafter recovered the use of my feet. I returned home and spent the following days getting over what was later diagnosed as a horrible case of gastroenteritis.

I did not see the stranger’s face – only his legs along with a sizable steelwork tools container he was carrying – but he saved me, when I was completely helpless.

Frequently, society tends to make people defensive, aggressive and competitive. His was the sort of gesture that reverses that emotional callousness. He was proof that our default setting is towards kindness, a quality I adore about humanity.