How Can Traveling be an Opportunity for Kindness?

Travelling is a self-engrossing activity either the purpose of travel is for business or pleasure. Travelers oftentimes bring their own entertaining gizmos like books, laptops and so on to make sure that each waiting time is not a boring moment. These gizmos help them to be occupied while waiting for the train to leave or the check-in counter to open.

Because they are absorbed in their own entertainment activity, chances are they forget that they are surrounded with other travelers. You will not certainly know if another passenger is in need of help if you don’t pay attention. In most cases, you tend to be insensitive with the opportunities to extend a helping hand.

You don’t need to be an intruder to help others but a simple gesture of compassion will make a difference in someone’s course of journey.

So how can travelling be an opportunity of kindness?  

It’s simple. Just be sensitive with the needs of others, of the people around you. Here are few situations where opportunity to help may arise.   

A travelling family. In a train station or airport where a mother holds the child in her arm and another toddler is clutching her shirt while she drags the trolley. Situation is even exacerbated when the baby starts to cry. You can help by volunteering to the take the luggage trolley or offer an assistance to look after the children for few minutes while she check-ins her baggage in the counter.

A travelling elder.  It is not a pleasing sight at all to see elderly woman or couple who walks very slowly with a cane and heavy bag in hand while queuing for the check-in counter. Allow them to go first in the queue, help them take their baggage in the conveyor, hail them a taxi cab, etc. Always be considerate to elderly people.   

A first time traveler.  First overseas trip. First solo journey. First time to travel by plane. All of us have experienced one way or another a first time moment. So be kind to the first timers like showing how to operate the TV screen or use the headset . Don’t mock their ignorance instead be helpful.  Remember that you have been a first timer also. Perhaps you are just luckier than others as you travelled with friends or family that shows you how to use unfamiliar systems.

An anxious and worried traveler. Most of us cannot hide body language and facial expressions. It is not difficult to read a worried traveler or to understand an anxious person. There is no harm in asking politely the person who seems to be edgy. Perhaps the person besides you in the bus is not feeling well and about to pass out. Keep in mind that not everyone has the courage to ask for help from strangers.

No English Please Traveler. Well, it is quite difficult to offer assistance when you don’t know what exactly the problem is. This often comes to situations where there is a communication barrier like travelers travelling to a foreign country where English is not commonly used and directions are written in a different language. You can offer to translate if you happen to know the local language.

Handicap traveler. Although there are always special seats and places allocated for handicaps, there are still instances when they need a helping hand.

There will always be situations where other travelers need a helping hand but oftentimes travelers especially those who are travelling alone tend to be engrossed in their own world and they brush-off those people who may need a simple act of our kindness.

Be sensitive and don’t hesitate to reach out.