一個晴朗的下午﹐我正從一家銀行辦完事出來﹐站在門口停了一下﹐忽見 一位印度裔的士司機向我招手﹐本以為他邀我乘車﹐後來才意識到是想提醒他車後一位正往錶塞錢的老太太﹐快把車開走。因為那是下午三點以後﹐到六點以前﹐即 使有米錶也不准停車﹐以方便繁忙時間交通可以暢順。老婦感激不盡﹐話不成句。短短一幕﹐歐裔﹐印裔﹐華裔構成和諧的人間樂事﹐不勝唏噓。

It always brings up a special feeling to me when I read this slogan of a bank.

“We’ve got great people, on both sides of the counter.”

It’s just a small plate standing over the counter. When lining up in the bank (you know, waiting is almost part of your life in many places of Canada, especially in a bank), I always look around, and the only thing I can find interesting is this plate.

The white alphabets were printed on a green background.

Each time when I was reading it again and again while waiting, I felt happy and great. I did not expect one day, just outside of this bank, I really got the feeling of being great!

That was a sunny afternoon. After I’ve done my stuff in that bank, I came out to the street and took out my water bottle. At the time I finished my last sip, I saw an Indian driver inside a cab was waving to me. I thought he was inviting me to take the cab. The street was very busy at this time – after 3 o’clock in the afternoon. I shook my head, but he showed a disappointing face. Obviously I misunderstood him. He made one more hand signal. As soon as he was going to give up, I suddenly realized he was trying to tell me to catch an old lady who was paying the meter and leaving her car on the street. It is after three o’clock! Man! After three o’clock in the afternoon on Granville street! I guess this is what he wanted to remind that old lady of, but he was not able to get off his cab, then he spotted me.

I rushed to the lady who already stepped down the curb, walking away from her car. Right at the time I was moving my legs, I glanced the Indian man was smiling and relaxed. Got it! I smiled back to him.

“Excuse me, Madam!”

 I gently pat the lady’s shoulder, with my British accent coming out unconsciously. “They are towing the cars on the street.” Two towing companies’ trucks were busy towing cars away near us. She just did not see it at the time when she was inserting coins into the metre.

When hearing my voice, the slim lady turned around with a confusing expression, but was disillusioned immediately:

 “Thank you, oh, thank you. I don’t know how to …” She was speechless and touched.

I smiled, “You are welcome. It was the taxi driver in front of your car told me about that ……”

 A happy episode involved with European, Indian, and Chinese, isn't that amazing?

(PS: Many people live in this city had the experience of having their cars towed away after parking it in a wrong place at a wrong time. The road sign sometimes is confusing people. You can see a two-hour parking permit and a 3-6pm no parking sign hung together. Every parking permit, including metres has to be subjected to the no parking sign. For example, if there are a two-hour parking sign and a 3 to 6 pm no parking sign stuck together, then you can’t park your car from 3 to 6 pm in any situation. The two-hour parking is only for any time rather than 3-6 pm.)