A Simple Message of Peace from a New York Subway Conductor

Riding the 7 train to Manhattan every morning, I’m used to hearing the subway conductor make announcements about standing clear of the closing doors, being aware of suspicious packages, and taking all your belongings with you when you reach your destination. But this morning the conductor added a message of his own that was unexpected, yet appropriate.

While my memory is not so perfect that I can remember his exact wording, here is the gist of his message:

Please be aware of any suspicious packages and notify a police officer if you see one. Another dangerous situation our city is facing has to do with a diminishment of social skills. We forget to do simple things like smile at one another and say hello. It seems if we did more of that, there would be less hatred and violence in our world. So as we enter this season of love and joy, don’t forget to smile.

I admit that his message made me smile both because of its content and the novelty of it. But as I looked at the people around me, no one made eye contact so maybe it didn’t get through to everybody. Then again, it didn’t need to.

I’m sure that message will stick with at least a few of the hundreds of people on that train so several seeds of kindness were planted. That’s a pretty good result for a morning’s work. And considering that Mother Teresa once said “Peace begins with a smile,” this subway conductor is in good company. Well done, whoever you are.