ROGERS PARK—Commuters who boarded the red line at the Howard station Wednesday morning were treated to an unexpected surprise as an unidentified man standing in the rear of the car lit up a cigarette just as the train departed the station, much to the delight of all the sleepy early morning commuters onboard.
“Oh my god, this is amazing!” one frazzled-looking woman was reported to have said as she walked back to the man, who greeted her like a prophet with outstretched arms. “I’ve been wanting to try a cigarette for ages and have just been waiting for the chance!” The man quickly beckoned her over and offered her a long, satisfying drag of his freshly lit Pall Mall.
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Other passengers were quickly moved by the spirit of sharing taking place onboard the overcrowded train, and began to line up to share the cigarette, offering sips of their coffee and bites of their donuts in exchange.
The elusive man, who many are now calling “The Smoking Angel”, wasn’t deterred by the growing crowd around him. “Now, now,” he called out, “don’t push! There’s plenty of cig to go around! Everyone will get a turn, I promise.”
The mysterious cigarette benefactor was overheard by another passenger remarking, “I’m no hero. I just wish more people would think of one nice thing they can do today, you know, see what they have to give to their fellow citizens. For me, that’s drags off my cigarette.”
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One elderly passenger who was on board that train says the smoking man’s generosity is matched only by his humility: “I wish more of the younger people today would take a cue from that lovely young man. Several of the last people to take a drag obviously hot-boxed it really badly, but did he complain? No, he did not. He showed complete grace and kindness in that moment.”
In today’s ever more divided world, it’s so heartwarming to see people sharing and caring with their fellow humans. We may never know the identity of the Smoking Angel, as all he left behind on that early morning train was a crumpled pack of Pall Malls, but he was rumored to be riding all the way to 95th and back again, sharing his cigarette the whole way. Even the smallest act can make the biggest difference in someone’s day, as the smoking man so wonderfully demonstrated. We should all aspire to be more like him!
