Evening Gown, Tuxedo and An Unprovoked Attack

One weekend night of the big San Francisco Black & White Ball, a huge formal event attended by thousands of people, I'd picked up a decked out couple in tux and evening gown.  They were excited as we drove through the  lower Haight district toward the extravaganza.  We were only a minute into the ride when unexpected excitement happened in front of us.  A man in a suit was on the sidewalk, walking past several teenage boys sitting in front of a housing project.  Suddenly, one of the boys vaulted off the low wall, away from his companions and slugged the passing man.  His glasses flew off into the street, and he
staggered until he caught himself against a parked car.  The kid backed away and watched his handiwork.  The victim began to bleed seriously from a wound around his eye. He need a moment to regain his wits. I stopped my cab opposite him, across the street, after all three of us in my car had exclaimed in shock at seeing the unprovoked attack  I lowered my window and spoke only to the victim.  "Come on over and get in the car."  He said, "I have to find my glasses."  I told him, "They're right there," and he picked them up as the hitter and I watched each other.

Glasses deformed, he sat in my front seat.  I gave him a handful of clean paper towels I kept on hand.  I asked my passengers if it was OK if we took him to get help, and graciously, they said, "Absolutely."  I asked him if he wanted to go to the police or to the hospital, and the bloody towels suggested to him that maybe medical attention was the most pressing issue.  We drove him to a nearby emergency room, he thanked us all, and we continued on to the Ball.  I thanked them for being good sport, good samaritans, and they paid only the amount they would have paid without the detour (I knew you'd worry.)

I was pleased I could help this man.  He was savagely attacked, and maybe I even contributed to the end of the pointless assault by stopping the car at the scene.  We shortened the trauma for the victim by responding immediately, and the passengers and I could all feel we'd contributed by getting him to help ASAP.