下班路上的一次意外经历

音频下载[点击右键另存为]
Support for NPR Podcasts comes from Acura featuring the Acura TL with bluetooth-phone connectivity. Learn more at Acura.com.

StoryCorps is made possible though major funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and most importantly through the support of participants and listeners like you.

Welcome to the StoryCorps Podcast. In this episode, we hear from 31-year-old Julio Dia, a social work from the Bronx. Diaz has a daily routine. Every night he ends his hour-long subway commute to the Bronx, one stop early just so he can eat at his favorite diner. But one night last month, as Diaz stepped off the train and onto a nearly empty platform; his evening took an unexpected turn.

So I get off the train, you know, I'm walking towards the stairs. And this young teenager pulls out a knife, he wants my money. So I just gave him my wallet, told him here you go. He starts to leave. And as he's walking away, I'm like, hey, wait a minute, (you) forgot something. If you gonna be robbing people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep you warm. So, you know, he is looking at me like what's going on here, you know, and he asked me why are you doing this? And I'm like, well, ah, you know, man, if you're willing to risk your freedom for a few dollars, and I guess you must really need the money. I mean all I wanted to do was go get dinner. And if you really want to join me, hey you are more than welcome. Then I'm like, look, you can follow me if you want. You know, I just felt maybe he really needs help. So you know, we go into the diner where I normally, we sit down in a booth. And the manager comes by, the dishwashers come by, the waiters come by to say hi you know so. The kid was like, man, but you know everybody here, do you own this place? I'm like, no, I just eat here a lot. He's like, but you're even nice to the dishwasher. I'm like, well, haven't you been taught you should be nice to everybody? so he's like, yeah, but I don't think people actually behave that way. So I just asked him in the end, I'm like, you know, what is it that you want out of your life? He just had almost a sad face, either he couldn't answer me or he didn't want to. The bill came and I look at him and I'm like, look, I guess you now have enough to pay for this bill coz' you have my money and I can't pay for this. So, if you give me my wallet back, I will gladly treat you. He didn't even think about it. He's like, yeah, okay, here you go.  So I got my wallet back and I gave, you know, I gave him 20 dollars for, you know, I figure maybe it will help him, I don't know. And when I gave him the 20 dollars, I asked him to give me something in return which was his knife. And he gave it to me.

You know it is funny coz' when I told my mom about what happened, you know no mom wants to hear this. But with her, she was like well; you know you are the type of kid that if someone asks you for the time, you give them your watch. I thought, I figure you know you treat people right you can only hope that they treat you right. It is as simple as it gets in this complicated world.

That's Julio Diaz at StoryCorps in New York City.