Nowadays the general public tends to take a critical attitude towards senior citizens, accusing them of misconduct or even anti-social behaviour in public places. Jaywalking, for instance, is prevalent among them. In rush hour, a lot of pensioners compete against schoolchildren to take public transport. The majority of shoplifters in supermarkets are rumoured to be grannies. My personal experience, however, proves otherwise.

Several weeks ago, at a bus shelter, an elderly woman on a cane got on board the bus I was taking. Out of politeness, I stood up and offered my seat to her. To my surprise she declined it. With a smile, she explained in a tender voice that her home is just a couple of stops away. Considering she was using a walking stick, I insisted that she take it. In the end she was persuaded to sit down.

After she settled down, she asked me to lay my schoolbag on her lap so that I could free myself from the burden. I thanked her for her kindness but hesitated. Then she took over the schoolbag and placed it on her lap.

As the bus was progressing on the route, we started a chat. She said that her granddaughter used to be a YYHS student too and that she is in college. Through her gentle manner of talking, I reckoned that her family must be just as elegant. Our conversation went cordially, and I could not help but admire this lady for her mellow demeanour.

When it was time for her to get off, the lady stood up and thanked me. Waving me goodbye, she gave me her best wishes. It suddenly dawned on me that the lady’s home is not just a couple of stops away. We had covered almost ten stops along the route by the time we parted. Obviously, she had told the white lie about the distance so that I felt no guilt when she was trying to refuse my offer.

What a considerate lady!