Senior travel (#266, Topic D)

As I grow older, I cannot help feeling that travel has become more and more a chore. Still, compared to others, I must say that my physical condition is better than many other seniors. On Monday, my wife and I visited our son in NYC. At NYC's Penn Station, after getting our luggage in an elevator and readying to move to the concourse level, I saw a couple, perhaps in the late 80s or early 90s, about 20 feet away, walking very slowly, probably toward the elevator. The man had a cane, and his forward motion was at best 3" or 4" per step; the woman was in a slightly better physical shape, but she had a hard time taking care of both her traveling companion and a small carry-on case. Seeing this, I stepped out of the elevator, walked toward them, and said: "Go ahead. Let me take care of the suitcase for you." The couple seemed startled, at least reluctant (later, I learned that what I did was not done in NYC), thinking that I was trying to separate their suitcase from them. On the other hand, they saw my wife in the elevator with our luggage. So, they acquiesced to my command and moved toward the elevator, while I managed to put their little suitcase next to them before closing the elevator door. When the elevator door opened at the concourse level, I asked the couple to get out -- ahead of their suitcase. Again, there was incredulity on their faces, but after seeing their suitcase after a 10-second separation, they seemed relieved and walked away. Not a single word was said by either one of them. My wife then got out from the elevator; we then walked toward a predesignated location to meet our son. Next day, I was on a NYC subway going downtown with our son. I was able to find a seat to sit. After a few stops, on came an oldish Chinese-looking lady, carrying a cane. No one seemed to notice her handicap; thus, no one got up to ask her to sit. She was about five body-lengths away from where I was sitting. Since I felt that I was more fit than she, I got up and motioned her to come over to take my seat. She did. After 5 or 6 stops, at Canal Street, she left the train. As she passed me, she said "Thank you" in Chinese. Interestingly, I was able to reclaim my seat. My son said nothing at the time. Later, he said that this was not done on NYC subways. Everyone simply minded one's own business and remained silent and nonchalant. So, as to travel, not only am I physically out of shape, I am also socially out of date.