I running down the Civic Center BART stairs dashing toward the machine to buy a ticket to board BART around 940pm on 11.11.14
I am about to receive a life lesson.
As I am leaving SF Music Tech I was invited by startup founder Eduard Korijn to join him and his co founder in their Uber for a ride to BART. It was on their way so I said yes. I jump in and we are off! Laughing and talking with our Uber driver about how he wished he could drive for lyft in addition to Uber and how his clients prefer Uber because lyft drivers talk too much. As we hit Market street I point out the Twitter building and yell out “Hey So Cal wave at the Twitter building!” They are amazed and start waving! We continue to Uber down the road and arrive at Civic Center Bart. I say my thank yous and good byes and I am off!
I begin my dash down the stairs to the BART. I do not want to sit another 20 minutes for the next BART, so I am in a race against time.
As I approach the dispenser a street person comes up to me saying the conventional SF Bay Area Bart pitch! It is Shark Tank every time you get enter the station!
A man approaches me saying “I will give you this $10 ticket for $4!”
I instantly flash back to my BART orientation.
I always recall my training from my first BART commercial. The chairman of BART,told me to NEVER buy street tickets because they don’t work. So I have never bought a street ticket.
As I am franticly digging in my backpack looking for change, the strap decides so break and my bag starts to hit the ground but I make a quick football like move and catch it! Thanking the Gods nothing I owned hit the floor of CIVIC CENTER BART.
“Come on girl by this ticket, ill give you $10 for $3”
I reply “Sorry man, I would help you out but as you can see, I’m digging in my bag for change”.
He is hovering over me and yet I was not really nervous. My only thought was ‘Are you going to miss this BART because you don’t want to open your wallet in front of this man, you are seriously going to dig around for change instead of just pulling out your wallet and grabbing your card or cash’.
And the answer was yes because that is exactly what I was doing.
So I continue to dig around my broken backpack.
“Hey girl since you are so cute and I’ll let you have it for $2, come on baby just give me $2 for this $10 ticket.
I reply “Hey man I would but don’t you see me digging around for change, I would help you out but I can’t even get to my change, and you see my backpack just broke, I swear I would help you out but I’m looking for change myself. I am hoping this satisfies him and encourages him to leave me alone.
All the while I am focused on not pulling out my wallet.
Still hovering over me and cornering me, he leans in and says
“You look like you are struggling and you need help”.
I look up and he is reaching into his pocket and adding coin after coin to my BART ticket. He looks at me and says “Where are you headed is this enough to get you home do you need more?”
I am speechless.
This person was just asking me to buy a hot ticket and I was afraid to open my wallet for fear of I don’t know what, and he turns around and saves my evening by giving me enough change to catch my BART and dash for the train in a nick of time!
AH HA MOMENT> calm down liberty-
I ran down the escalator and jumped it 2 seconds before the doors closes and proclaimed to my entire train “I made it”!!!!!!!!
They all smiled and many laughed. I told them my AH HA moment and asked them to pass it on.
DO NOT judge people and do not be shocked my kindness, its in our DNA.
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