A Modern Day Cattle Car

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Ok day three in Poland.
The train experience :
Sobot to Warsaw 5 hours.
One way to describe it:
" A Modern Day Cattle Car"
Boarding the last train on a Sunday evening . OMG... Why do they sell more tickets than seats? The people, children, Dogs, yes Dogs were piled on top of each other .
I am writing this while knowing there are 4 hours left to Warsaw...
The aisles are blocked with suitcases, and standing bodies only, no way can you even see the door of the bathrooms so forget seeking refuge there.
In my personal inch of space, I have been upgraded to sitting atop a plastic built-in storage box. Next to my ear on the right is a screaming two year old boy who is also clutching a toy cat belting out an automatic
" meow " every 10 seconds.
On the left, near the entry doors, under numerous pairs of legs is a German Shepard being tortured, by the "meows" and the loud baby screeches.
The older woman sharing my plastic throne has opened a new box of cookies. I thought perhaps she would offer the child one to distract him from carrying on ...Nope!
Shit, or "coupa", (as I was taught in polish), the torture continues...
The stale air and humidity returns as we slide into the next station.. Greg said people would be getting off ? Really ?
More people are getting on than off, where are they going to stand now?
( I bet I could bring in a premium price if I sell my plastic
"butt rest" to the highest bidder...)

A moment of peace... The screamer and his Parents get off...
Thanks Greg, the nice seats opened up next to me and you offered them to a young couple . " Coupa ", ouch my back aches.
Well an opportunity to show my apathy and to do something nice :
An elderly woman boards the train, no one is moving or giving up their seat ... I ask the young couple on my right if they wouldn't mind sharing their cozy seat with me as I would like to offer my seat to her. The elderly passenger mutters something In Polish , I don't understand . I figured it had to do with my seat being of hard plastic and not going to be comfortable for her.
I ask the couple instead if they would give one of their seats to the elderly woman, and they obliged.
I thanked them for sharing .
I am filled with the human spirit and understand that with kindness in the world no matter how small , it can change a moment in an unhappy situation .
The excitement continues...
Now the German Shepard
Makes a nervous kind of bark
as a group of three jam into our cart. They pass us trying to squeeze through the traffic to find a toilette. One of the three is a child about 7 years old. It's impossible to clear a path . The only way out is to retreat and hope for an unblocked toilette somewhere else on the train.
They see the stairs in front of me and the leader of the three being a teen climbs the hand rail, he makes it to the top, no problem.
The next is the small girl attempting to shadow him . Her trainers , (tennis shoes), being slippery , tip her off balance, I can hear the echo of squeals and hearts pounding with suspense, hoping she doesn't fall backwards onto us or worse.
Why doesn't someone help her up or just hold her frame so she can balance?
Wow in a few seconds , which seem like minutes she makes it to to the top! "When you gotta go, you gotta go..."
I begin clapping and my train cart follow my lead in unison.
My faith in the
Human spirit is restored again...

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Photos

Welcome Aboard
5 hours to Warsaw

No boundaries
Don't worry it's ok...

Compassion
It's yours...