Notes on the Behavioral Culture of Metro Passengers
Author: Dr. Morteza Majdfar
On a mid-autumn day, I boarded the metro. It was quiet, and as a result, I found a seat. Two young children, seemingly selling something, were moving through the crowd. Despite their somewhat worn and tattered clothing, the children appeared neat, with tidy hair.
As they passed by me once, they lightly bumped their clenched fists against my hand and said, “High Five!”
A few minutes passed, and both boys returned and repeated the same action. They seemingly had no other intention, merely tapping my hand with their fists and saying, “High Five!”
The person sitting across from me said, “If they try to do it a third time, don’t respond.”
I was surprised and asked, “Why?”
He replied, “It’s their tactic. They gently tap your hand with their fist two or three times as they pass by. On the third or fourth time, they place one of the items they’re selling in your hand and claim you intend to buy it because you’re holding it. In their view, holding it means you want to purchase it.”
I disagreed and said, “I don’t think that will happen.”
The person across from me said, “Since the metro isn’t crowded, look two or three rows ahead and see if I’m right.”
Soon enough, the two children appeared again, this time fiercely arguing with a man, demanding payment for an item he allegedly purchased: a cheap hair clip good for nothing but being thrown away.
Moments later, the children were about to tap my hand with their fists again, but this time I kept my hands folded to prevent them from saying, “High Five!”
The metro is a mirror of life; when helping child laborers, start with love, but proceed with open eyes and an aware heart.
Riding the metro comes with its own set of etiquettes. If you intend to provide financial assistance to child laborers, start with sincerity and compassion. You can even offer your support in different ways, but be cautious not to fall for tactics like “High Five” or enthusiastic gestures that might deceive you. This, too, is one of the customs and business strategies seen in the metro.
