A few years ago, I lost my left leg in an accident. One hot summer day, I took a priority seat on a crowded train. With my prosthetic hidden under loose pants, I looked “normal.” A woman demanded I move, accusing me of faking a disability. I calmly explained, then showed her my prosthetic. Her face turned red, but she still insisted she needed the seat. She later brought the conductor, claiming I was abusing the policy. I showed him the prosthetic again.

He backed me up, but she kept arguing and even tried to trip me as I left. Two weeks later, she filed a complaint against me. Luckily, the conductor’s report cleared me. Months later, I saw her again, hogging two priority seats and yelling at an elderly man. I filmed it and reported her. The train authority found a pattern—multiple complaints—and banned her for six months.

Some time later, I saw her outside the rehab center where I volunteer. She was crying, her leg in a brace. I offered to help. Shocked, she asked why I would. “I’m not here to punish you,” I said. “But maybe now you know how it feels.” She let me help and apologized. This time, I believed her.

We don’t talk, but we nod when we cross paths. That’s enough. Losing my leg taught me patience. That experience reminded me: people can change, and empathy doesn’t need to be earned to be given.