STRANGE EXPERIENCE IN KOLKATA
Today I had a strange experience at Kalighat Metro, Kolkata.
My friend got his phone pickpocketed inside the metro premises. Unfortunately, my own phone didn't have an active recharge plan, so we couldn't make any calls from it. We were in a stressful situation and just needed to contact his parents.
My friend politely approached two elderly local men and one middle-aged man nearby and asked if he could borrow their phone for just a minute to call his mom or dad. All of them refused without even hearing much of the situation.
A little later, he asked a didi nearby. She listened to what had happened and immediately allowed him to use her phone to call his mother. Thanks to her, we were able to inform his family and get some help.
I understand that people are cautious these days because of scams and thefts, but it was surprising how quickly some people refused when someone was clearly in distress. At the same time, the kindness shown by that one woman made a huge difference.
Have people become less willing to help strangers in public places, or is it just fear of being scammed? What would you have done in this situation?