Dude, I don't even know if I should believe this

[la_vie_noire]

But it made me smile so hard that I figured it was okay to share.

A Victim Treats His Mugger Right.

Julio Diaz has a daily routine. Every night, the 31-year-old social worker ends his hour-long subway commute to the Bronx one stop early, just so he can eat at his favorite diner.

But one night last month, as Diaz stepped off the No. 6 train and onto a nearly empty platform, his evening took an unexpected turn.

He was walking toward the stairs when a teenage boy approached and pulled out a knife.

"He wants my money, so I just gave him my wallet and told him, 'Here you go,'" Diaz says.

As the teen began to walk away, Diaz told him, "Hey, wait a minute. You forgot something. If you're going to be robbing people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep you warm."

The would-be robber looked at his would-be victim, "like what's going on here?" Diaz says. "He asked me, 'Why are you doing this?'"

Diaz replied: "If you're willing to risk your freedom for a few dollars, then I guess you must really need the money. I mean, all I wanted to do was get dinner and if you really want to join me ... hey, you're more than welcome.

[...]

When the bill arrived, Diaz told the teen, "Look, I guess you're going to have to pay for this bill 'cause you have my money and I can't pay for this. So if you give me my wallet back, I'll gladly treat you."

The teen "didn't even think about it" and returned the wallet, Diaz says. "I gave him $20 ... I figure maybe it'll help him. I don't know."

Diaz says he asked for something in return — the teen's knife — "and he gave it to me."

Afterward, when Diaz told his mother what happened, she said, "You're the type of kid that if someone asked you for the time, you gave them your watch."

"I figure, you know, if you treat people right, you can only hope that they treat you right. It's as simple as it gets in this complicated world."

---

Not related, but does someone know something about the_future_modernes?

Comments

[crossedwires]

♥

Also, I kinda love that a similar situation was part of an A:TLA episode.

[la_vie_noire]

Really? I had no idea, but well, this story is from 2008, so who knows. XD

[timeasmymeasure]

Oh that is wonderful.
I do hope it's real :)

What about the_future_modernes exactly?

[la_vie_noire]

Yeah, I do so too!

Ah, nothing, I haven't see her in a while, and well, I'm paranoid. XD Never mind.

[the_future_modernes]

Oh, I just saw this. *g* Thanks for worrying about me, I appreciate it!

[la_vie_noire]

Awww, it's nothing, dear. I'm glad you are okay!

[ilye-aru.livejournal.com]

... Mi sonrisa es tan enorme que estoy usando músculos que ni sabía que tenía. So cuuute ;A;

[la-vie-noire.livejournal.com]

Awwww, verdad que sí?

[fujurpreux.livejournal.com]

D'aw ;_;

[la-vie-noire.livejournal.com]

I know right. ;;

[ekmisao.livejournal.com]

Isn't this the kind of situation the whole tome that is Les Miserables is based on? A kind stranger is unusually kind and suddenly rattles a criminal to the core and changes him? ^^v

I'm glad it happens in real life.

[la-vie-noire.livejournal.com]

I haven't read Les Miserables, but I don't think this is about "changing a criminal" since chances are the boy kept that lifestyle because obviously what brings him to robe has nothing to do with choice. But I find extremely amazing that the man (but well, he is a social worker, probably knows better about poverty in that city) thought on the boy and saw him as a person even when he was about to rob him. (Of course is not something I exhort people to do, but again, incredible.)