THE MAN SAID, PICK IT UP
5/31/19- A bunch of teens threw cans and bottles on the floor of the metro train in DC, I was taken back with that behavior. I resisted videotaping the situation and instead chose to take action.
I talked with my fellow passengers to support me as I was going to tell the teens to behave. A few told me not to bother, I said, let me handle it.
I looked at the kids and asked them to pick up the cans. One of them protested and said, who the f are you. I increased the volume of my sound, I said pick it up, they looked at me, without losing a second, I repeated, pick it up now, and five of my fellow passengers said in unison. The man said to pick it up.
The kids leaned forward and picked up the cans. I said I want to appreciate you guys for doing that and opened up my arms to give a hug. The kids surprised me and walked up to me to give that hug. There are so many people out there who respond to caring, and this is not the first time it has happened. Once, I was speaking at the JCC in Dallas, and a Holocaust Survivor was concerned about what was going on, I walked up to him and gave a hug – you should have seen how relieved the man was. He assumed Muslims would not do that, and he was wrong about that.
Back to the kids, “Look, no one wants to hear what to do, neither do you, next time if you don’t trash your place, no one will say a thing to you. You are good kids.
The crowd cheered the kids.
DC Metro is clean, and we all can make an effort to keep it clean. All of us, the Washingtonians, need to take pride in our city, our busses, trains and everything about your city.
Mike Ghouse