to do a deed

i'm getting of the subway and i see an M23 bus which i need to take
across town. a guy in front of me sees it too and as he starts to run
the 30 yds to the bus, he drops his phone. people try yelling at him
to catch him but he doesn't turn around. without even thinking, i
scoop up the phone and sprint towards the bus. we get to the doors and
breathless, i tap his arm and hold up the phone. "oh, thanks" he
mumbles. i swipe my card and start walking down to find a seat and he
comes up to me with a $10 bill. at first i had no idea what it was for
but the realized it he meant it to be a reward for my good deed. i
wave him off telling him it's no problem.

it was a nice gesture, but i felt it spoke a larger message about the
state of kindness in this city. was his offer an attempt to spread the
word that kindness does really pay? i suppose everyone was guaranteed
a reward for returning lost items, people would actually make an
effort to find homes for things they've found. on the other hand,
isn't it sad that some people don't feel kindness and honesty can
still be found for free these days?

but then there are the people who will inevitably feel like they
deserve a cash reward for unsolicited help. those who find cell phones
in the back of cabs and want to know what they'll get in return if
they return the phone.

i, for one, felt that the deed itself was a good enough reward for me,
i was content in my kindness. and then i heard, "third avenue next"
and realized i'd gotten on the bus headed the opposite direction from
where i needed to be. doh!