VISUALLY CHALLENGED

As the train in which I was travelling to office this morning crossed Fort Station, a visually challenged lady came very close to me and said “can you help me to the bus stand near the subway? I want to board a bus from there.”  As she said this, the train was moving over the subway and I said “Madam, you should have got down at the Fort station.  However, I will take you to the nearest bus stop.”

“Are you new to the route?” she asked.

I didn’t understand why she asked me so and I said, “the next station is Beach and we will detrain and enquire and I will ensure that you board the bus.”

I was very surprised to see the lady turn to the side of the platform, as the train neared the station.  I helped her get down and asked her again, “do you want to board the bus at the High Court bus stand?”

She said “oh that is on the other side.  I want to go to Stanley Hospital.  Take me to this side” pointing to the main gate.  Only then I realized that there was another gate to the station and helped her out.

(I take the ‘Tambaram-Beach’ train to work every day and ‘Beach’ station is the terminus.  There are two entrances to the station, one main gate and another at the rear side.  I usually board the last compartment, take the stairs and get out of the rear gate, as it is closer to my office.)

As we got out of the station, I stopped looking for someone to guide me to the bus stop near the subway.  The lady, freeing her hand, which I was holding till then, said “turn to the right and take me to the subway over there.  I can go the bus stop myself.”  I was stunned.  There was in fact a pedestrian subway very close to the entrance and I have never noticed it. 

To me a subway is a road passing under a train track and since there was one a mile away, I was planning to take the lady there.

She is not the one who is visually challenged.  I am the one.