Autism Vox

Down the Escalator and Onto the Train

by Kristina Chew, PhD on October 11th, 2008

The escalators in the PATH station at the WTC site are very, very long. Charlie paused and touched the black plastic rail before getting on and standing on the left side of a stair. I followed and then Jim and as we were going down I looked behind to see if anyone was trying to walk down the left-hand side of the escalator. At first I saw no one then I realized that a woman with short brown hair was standing in the step behind Charlie and looking confused when she asked him to move and he did not. I quickly asked Charlie to climb down to the right and stand in front of me. “There’s no need to get excited,” said the woman. I murmured something.

Jim pulled out his MetroCard and Charlie went through the turnstile, or attempted to: Jim discovered this his card was empty and I fished out mine, vaguely aware that the woman from the escalator was going through and then down the stairs. Charlie pushed on the turnstile and Jim put my MetroCard in, and Charlie went through and us after him.

People were hurrying and then running down the stairs. Jim called for us to hurry and I ran with Charlie right behind me. We ran into the PATH car and Charlie found a seat between a tall man with iPod headphones and several big bags in front of him, and a young couple. Jim had found a seat at the other end of the car and I stood, holding onto a metal bar.

Suddenly I saw someone getting up from the other side of the train and walking towards us. It was the woman from the escalator. “There’s seats over there,” she said motioning to the man with the bags and another man in a black windbreaker. “Over there,” pointing to where she was sitting, “move over so she can sit here,” pointing to me.

There followed a confused exchange among the woman, the two men who were seated on either side of Charlie, the man with the windbreaker, and me. I thanked the woman and said I was fine standing (as I was). On the trip into New York, Charlie had taken the last seat available as I stood opposite him; no big deal. I tried to be grateful for the woman’s concern while assuring everyone else, I was fine, I didn’t need a seat, and Charlie was quite fine, thank you. After a few rounds of this, the woman went to sit back down, the doors shut, and the train left the station. Charlie sat quietly with his Leapster on his lap and the other passengers went back to being absorbed in their own concerns, except for a toddler in a stroller opposite Charlie. He looked full-eyed and all curiosity at Charlie as he ate a pack of peanut M & M’s and declined to share with his parents.

The PATH train pulled into Journal Square and Jim stood up and I called Charlie to stand up and we got off the train, saying thank you to the woman from the escalator.

Charlie ran in front of Jim and me down Kennedy Boulevard, and when the light was red, he stopped and waited for us.

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POSTED IN: Travel, new york