Mayor Menino spotted an MBTA bus driver helping a blind passenger cross a street.
(Wendy Maeda/ Globe Staff/ File 2009)
Bus driver honored for kindness
Mayor spotted MBTA worker helping blind passenger
Mayor Menino spotted an MBTA bus driver helping a blind passenger cross a street.
(Wendy Maeda/ Globe Staff/ File 2009)
Bus driver Eddie Earle didn’t think he was doing anything special Thursday morning when he pulled his bus over, got out, and escorted a blind passenger across the street.
“I pick this man up at Perkins Street,’’ Earle said. “He’s a regular rider.’’
Earle believes the passenger’s name is Rick, but confesses he is not certain. Rick usually sits at the front of the Route 39 bus that runs between the Forest Hills and Back Bay subway stations. The two men usually discuss baseball and other local topics. Rick then tells the bus driver where he needs to be dropped off, and Earle helps him on his way.
But Earle had no idea that his regular ritual was being observed Thursday. Mayor Thomas M. Menino and his press secretary, Dot Joyce, said they happened to be whizzing by in a city sport utility vehicle.
“This bus driver stopped his bus, walked across the street, got this guy by the hand, walked him across the street,’’ Menino said. “I thought that was very special.’’
Joyce called MBTA officials with the bus number and asked that the driver be identified and be given a commendation.
Yesterday, Earle got two surprise calls: one from a T manager, telling him the mayor had asked that a commendation be added to his personnel file and a second call from Menino himself.
“I’m shocked, yes,’’ Earle said. “Eyes are always watching you. That’s just the way my mother brought me up.’’
Noah Bierman can be reached at nbierman@globe.com. 
© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.
