This is something that happened to me the other day: I have been thinking about it alot. I wonder what I should have or could have done.
I was taking the train into town from work. As with all the other people I waited at the train station for the 4.16 to arrive. It was cold outside and most people were shivering from the cold east wind that blows straight down the platform. When the train arrived we shuffled quickly into the carriage, all of us looking for an unoccupied seat. The carriage itself was already relatively crowded - most of the double or triple seats already had at least one person taking up space. I found a seat at the back and proceeded to study the other occupants - careful not to catch thier eyes. There were at least 25 people scattered throughout the carriage. Just next to me across the aisle were two guys that looked like uni students, laden with books and engaged in conversation. Further up were people of all ages and cultures. Almost at the furthest end away from me, near the front was a very young woman - perhaps 17 but certainly no more than 20. She had a pram in front of her and kept looking daggers at a child of about 4 that was walking slowly up the aisle. Suddenly she exploded in a tirade of abuse at the child.
" Get back here you filthy slut. I'm gonna fkn smash you if you dont come back"
The little girl kept walking towards me. I smiled at her and she smiled tenuously back.
The young woman with the pram yelled again. " I told you get back here or i'll put you off the train and welfare can have you. Nobody wants you anyway you little cnt. Get back here now".
All this time not one person one the train spoke up. All eyes were on the floor. So were mine mostly. I felt appalled for the little girl but also wished that I wasn't even there. How dare this young mother upset our ride home from work with this uncouth display of bad behaviour!
As the tirade continued I started to fear for the immediate safety of the little girl. The mother got more and more suggestive of the physical harm that she would inflict on the girl until finally the mother got up and looked like she was going to hit the child. At this stage I jumped up and went to sit right next to the young mother - I didnt know what else to do. All I wanted to do was distract her and let her know that the people on the train DID see what was happening, even if no-one acknowledged it.
It turned out the woman was 19. She had been living on the streets for the past 3 months.She had nowhere to go and was clearly way beyond the point of rational thought. For her life was just about where to sleep and how to eat each day and night. Her little girl bore the brunt of all the stress and fear. I offered the young mum a meal and respite for an hour or so of watching her child. She turned it down. I offered help trying to find a place to sleep for the night. She turned it down. I spoke on behalf of her child explaining my fear and sadness to be a part of this. She looked at me like I was crazy.
I sat with the woman and her child for the rest of the trip into town - a 12 minute journey.
When the train arrived the young mum sat her child in the pram and raced away. I quickly lost them in the crowd even though I tried to follow them with my eyes.
Now I think about them every day. I hold grave fears for the little girl. I hold sadness for the mum. I hold anger for all the other people on the train that did nothing. I hold shame that I did nothing but talk and I wonder what should I have done? What will I do next time?
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