Caring 23-yr-old Helps Elderly Man On An Escalator In Act Of Kindness

When 23-year-old Alonzo Johnson saw an elderly man frozen at the top of an escalator, he knew something was wrong. Without hesitation he made the first move to help the senior. In that tiny moment, Alonzo set an example for others of how to be an asset to society.

As people began to gather around waiting to get on the escalator, Alonzo made a connection. He went to the elderly man and offered him his arm and asked how he could help.

That’s when he learned that this man had suffered a scary situation on an escalator which had caused him to be very unsure. He knew he needed to go down but couldn’t bring himself to take the first step. The more he hesitated the harder it became to take the plunge.

‘He looked very afraid and I thought maybe I could help,’ Johnson told Us Magazine.

Once Alonzo gained the man’s trust, they began their descent down the escalator arm in arm.

“I saw an elderly man looking for someone to show that they cared and to help him through a fear that he had,” Johnson told Inside Edition. “We were just talking going down the escalator and it was more of me having him talk so he can get his mind off of things.”

“I told him that his hat looked very nice and how he looked really good for an 83-year-old man,” he added.

At the time, Alonzo had no idea that he was being watched. His last thought was towards getting applauded for doing what was right in the moment. He knew that this man needed reassurance and that respect for elders is important.

‘My mom always tells us to be nice and do the right thing, you never know who’s watching. It’s really the way I was brought up and how I was raised,’ he told Mass Live.

But someone WAS watching – Paula Picard posted a photo of the moment on Facebook. Within a short period of time her post about the meeting had gone viral. The support for Alonzo’s selfless act was overwhelming. Most of the comments also praised his mother for having instilled in him the desire to help others. The common thread was that there is still good in the world.

Alonzo’s act of kindness proved that all it takes is a moment to change another person’s life. In return, you might find your own life changed for the better. It just takes that one move to make someone’s day. Well done, young man!