From what originated as a discussion on simple Bus Etiquette - to whom do you, and when do you, offer your seat to - to Hogan's more generalized article on Bus Etiquette and Human Nature where our human nature determines what we do in number of situations which rely on our human nature, I found myself thinking of the more unpleasant situations on buses - and other forms of transit - that none of us are ever very excited to witness.

Whenever I begin this story, people give a chuckle, as it makes for a potentially ridiculous movie scene, which may or may not star John C. Riley, but most definitely stars Will Ferrel. I was sitting on the Sky Train, minding my own business and reading a book. I suddenly heard a loud clattering, and lots of yelling, as well as the Sky Train doors unable to close. I instantly passed this off as mindless teenaged hooligans having their after school fun. It wasn't until the yelling got louder and louder that I turned around and saw a young teenaged boy in a wheelchair fighting an old man with a walker. The boy in the wheelchair was holding the man back from getting on the train, and the two were yelling while they fought. Looking around I noticed that I was the only one in the immediate vicinity who could supposedly pass off as an intimidating alpha-male (the others on the train being young children, and their mothers). I quickly intervened, holding them apart. It was here that my human nature betrayed me - I took a look at the old man with the walker, who wasn't particularly old, and was far more abled with his legs than the boy in the wheelchair. The older one looked a little more like a trouble-maker than the innocent boy, and so I found myself siding with the wheel chair. As I tried to resolve the issue - asking the older man if he could just step off the train and catch the next one, thus putting off any further bickering, the Sky Train security showed up. I let them take it from there. It was only when the witnesses started explaining what had happened that I learned it was the boy who was at fault. And as no good deed goes unpunished, I found myself wrapped with the guilt of having sided with the wrong party, despite my feeling of proud of putting a stop to a fight that may have escalated.

I couldn't help but think to myself later on, though: Would I have jumped in if I had seen others in closer vicinity who could have easily have jumped in? What I have intervened if I had not seen the wheelchair or walker? Would I have done anything if it were later in the evening, at night time when things always seem a little more threatening?

Some time later I heard a story on NPR that cited a video which I later looked up on YouTube - an elderly lady being harassed by a younger girl. The video's based in Atlanta, and it's a little troubling to watch. But I found myself wondering: Would I have intervened?