In the midst of the summer heat, all we want to do is stay cool and get under the shade as much as possible. For older people, bearing the heat is much more difficult, which is why on that blistering Monday in July 2018, Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada bus driver Mike Blair was extra mindful of the elderly around him. What he did not know was that his soon to be act of kindness was not going to go unnoticed.
Mike was driving on his regular route that summer day when out of the corner of his eye, he noticed an elderly man sitting on his own at the bus stop.
Taking note of the unusual heat that day, he got concerned when the man did not board and stayed at the stop instead.
Thinking the worst, Mike stepped off his bus full of passengers and approached the man.
“This one gentleman, he didn’t board and he seemed like he started to grasp the wall there. I got him, sat down and I said, boy I gotta do something else. I had a bottle of water I brought in my lunchbox, so I got my lunch box out and gave him the bottle of water.”
His concern for the elderly man was obviously needed when he realized the elderly man was struggling to get up on his own. Mike escorted the elderly man on the bus and assisted him to drink water.
But Mike had no idea that he was going to be commended by his community for what he did that day.
Mike, not really after the recognition, was only worried about his passenger and did what he thought was the right thing to do.
Unbeknownst to him, one of the bus riders was utterly inspired by his act. So much so that he took a photo of Mike as he helped the man drink from the water bottle. The photo was taken as Mike assisted the man to make sure he was comfortable.
The bus rider later took to Twitter and posted about the amazing act of kindness that he witnessed firsthand on Mike’s bus. His post was shared more than a hundred times and went viral for all the right reasons.
Mike was totally unaware of what was happening because he did not have a Twitter account. He would have thought that his deed went unnoticed if not for the call made by Francis Julien, his boss.
When Mike realized his boss was calling him he confesses he worried he had done something wrong.
Turns out Mike had no clue his act had gone viral. When his boss told him about it, he was simply amazed that someone took notice of his deed.
“Michael is actually a really, really good driver. Never got into any trouble, so it’s actually funny he thought he could be in any kind of trouble,” said Francis.
Mike’s simple yet genuine act of kindness to an elderly man who needed help resonated with a lot of people online. He was just doing his job and showed just how much he cared for his passengers.
Recalling the event, Mike even remembered how the elderly man thanked him after what he did for him.
“As he got off the bus, he said thank you, you know, I’m 92 years old. Simply amazing.”
Mike was just a simple man taking his job to heart and going further to make his passengers comfortable and safe. This genuine concern for others is what made him an amazing source of inspiration for others to look up to.
Mike hopes that his deed becomes the first of many acts of kindness that people will feel inspired to do in all of Nevada.
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