A Nice Stranger

Pebbles needed more Prozac so I made a quick trip to the vet.
I can walk to the vet or take the bus.  Since it was rainy, I decided to take the bus.  It is a short ride; under 10 minutes.

I tracked the bus and left so that it would be there when I got to the bus stop.
I arrived at the vet and got the Prozac, which has unfortunately jumped in price.

The bus I have to take is notoriously terrible; it usually takes forever. So I was glad to see when I tracked it for the return journey it was only two stops away.

I got on the bus.
Stunningly, my metrocard wouldn't work.
Now, I have a Transit Check unlimited metrocard.  My transit is deducted before taxes from my paycheck, and the card never runs out.  I get a special card from Transit Check which says Transit Check on it......it looks different on the back than the normal metrocards.

Unlimited cards, unless it is a transfer, require 17 minutes between swipes.

I could not believe it had been less than 17 minutes.
Seriously, it was probably 16 minutes.

The driver wouldn't let me on the bus.  I asked if I could swipe when I got off.  I told her I had just come around to get medicine from the vet.

I showed her the Prozac.
I showed her the unlimited metrocard.
I asked really nicely.

She said no.

I could not believe it. Usually they are nicer about it.

It was still raining, but I prepared to just walk home.

But then- a nice stranger lady who was sitting in the front stopped me from getting off the bus and she gave me a metrocard that had one fare on it. I told her I had no money to pay for it, she said don't worry.

That was really, really nice of her.

It's true that I swipe strangers through all the time on the train, usually when I am exiting, but I don't pay for it because my card is unlimited.

So, thank you very nice stranger!!