New York City is known for many things, both great and awful. This video really shows the true character of the city.
Picture a typical New Yorker in your head.
What do you imagine? Some angry guy stomping through a crowded street and shouting, “I’m walkin’ here!”? A Wall Street bigshot screwing over the little guy? The Brooklyn hipster who cares more about a fashionable new coffee than their fellow man?
We all know these stereotypes. And yes, perhaps these stereotypes have a grain of truth to them. But New Yorkers are also incredible and welcoming.
One video has really highlighted this.
It begins with a scene that anyone who has ridden the New York City Subway will recognize.
Some commuters are sitting next to each other as the train trundles forward.
On the left is a grown man who is playing a game on his phone. On the right is a little boy, around seven years old.
The boy has nothing to distract him from the long ride, except for the game on the man’s phone. So the boy stares at the game intently.
Then the man notices the boy staring at his game. He could tell the child to mind his own business. But instead, he does something completely different.
He hands the boy his phone and lets him play. For the rest of the subway ride, the boy plays along contentedly.
Eventually, the boy and his mom reach their stop. The boy hands the man his phone back, and he departs with his mom.
This moment may seem small, but the recording of it has made a major impact online.
Across various uploads, it has gained over 1 million views. It also has hundreds of likes and comments.
People have been saying things like this:
Some people may be confused as to why such a small moment has gained so much praise.
Yes, it may seem like a fairly insignificant gesture, but acts like making a small boy happy during a commute give New York City its character.
Like anywhere else, New York City has its problems. But people also need to remember that it is one of the safest, most vibrant and most inclusive cities in the entire world.
Some reports say that coronavirus has killed New York City. But do you really think that that’s going to happen? Think of all the struggles that the city has overcome in the past. And think of people like the commuters in the video, who will help one another out whenever.
Sure, right now, New Yorkers will not be handing strangers their phones, due to social distancing.
But New Yorkers are helping each other out in other ways.
For instance, retired healthcare professionals have been returning to the field, fashion designers have been making PPE, volunteers have been performing chores for at risk people and so much more.
So yes, the city may take a while to recover in a post coronavirus world. But recover it will.
Of course, New York City isn’t for everyone. Some people like the peace and quiet of the countryside. But anyone who lives in America should be proud of New York, especially nowadays, with its dedication to fighting coronavirus and commitment to helping one another out.
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