Last Wednesday, I translated for a total stranger. An older Asian woman had just loaded her bike onto the front racks of VTA 56. The bus driver noticed that the lock on the bike was of a certain type known for failing and wanted to let her know she should use something else.
I happened to be the closest bystander sitting near this woman; after several attempts of reaching out with no acknowledgement, the bus driver asked me to translate his message into Mandarin and convey it for him. Oddly enough, neither of us had given prior signs that we were Chinese. Luckily for the VTA driver, that was the case and I did as I was told.
After getting the message, the Chinese woman revealed that she had two locks on her bike and was already aware that one of them was weaker. I told the bus driver; at the next stop, he confirmed she was right and apologized for making this such an urgent matter and dragging me in.
Once things were resolved, the Chinese lady continued to make small talk with me before getting off at Cupertino Village. The small talk made her confident enough to ask me to help unmount her bike from the rack. My shoulder issues made me hesitate, but I’m glad to say that my arms have strengthened to the point that I was able to undo the hook and lift the bike off no problemo.
