Bus driver stopped to help an elderly woman but was warned, 'Don't get too close' — her response left everyone speechless

The passengers were worried when the driver pulled over abruptly but what they saw next won their hearts.

PUBLISHED 13 HOURS AGO

(L) Elderly woman with walking stick struggling to cross by herself. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by Jay Lazarin), (R) HART bus driver, Elaine Caraballo, speaks in interview. (Cover Image Source: YouTube| ABC Action News)

A Hillsborough Transit Authority (HART) bus driver, Elaine Caraballo, has reminded many people that it costs nothing to be kind. The woman was on her usual route in her bus when she spotted an elderly woman standing helplessly by herself, per ABC Action News. Without a second thought, the footage revealed the kind response Caraballo had. The elderly woman, though appreciating her gesture, said, “Don’t get too close.” However, with positivity and light to share, the bus driver had an encouraging and uplifting response.

Bus driver ready to work, smiling positively. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by kali9)

Caraballo was on her usual route one morning, with passengers commuting to go on with their busy schedules. The camera captured an elderly woman standing at the intersection of the road. With a walking stick in her hand, the woman slowly made her way through one side of the road and still had a stretch to cross. She was visibly struggling to get over to the other side. She was rethinking each step to avoid any mishaps with the vehicles quickly passing by. “I noticed as I was approaching 15th [and] Fletcher, this lady was standing in the middle of the median. She had one foot up, one foot down like she was leaning over,” Caraballo recalled.

Elderly woman struggling to cross road with walking stick by herself. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by Yanis Ourabah)

The driver had taken notice of her and without a doubt, she decided to offer help. She stopped her bus towards the side, stepped down and went over to the intersection to help the elderly stranger. The footage revealed how, ever so gently, the bus driver held the woman and helped her to the other side of the road. As they were nearing the sidewalk, the duo was seen exchanging dialogue and it’s not one to miss. “As I was walking across, she started talking to me, she said, ‘Don’t get too close.’ She added, ‘because I’m kind of funky,’” Caraballo recounted.

Elderly woman speaking to stranger on street. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images| Photo by fotografixx)

While this could seem like an unusual response to give to a good Samaritan, the bus driver took it in the right spirit. She decided to reply with an assuring and top-tier response. She revealed, “I said, ‘Ma’am, I’m not worried about that. I’m just trying to get you safe across the street.’” The woman went out of her way to share a helping hand and carried on back to the bus to go about her business like it was no big deal. However, the passengers were struck with delight and assurance upon witnessing the encounter. Everyone on the bus gave her a “thank you,” instantly transforming the atmosphere on the bus. “It touched me. It really did,” one of the passengers, Melissa Colleran, said.

She added that Caraballo has always been the person to go out of their way with simple things that leave a significant impact, FOX 13 reported. ”She's a very nice person. Every time anybody gets on the bus, ‘Hello, how are you doing? How’s your day?' You don’t get that often,” Colleran remarked. The commuter noted that it was one of the “sweetest” things she had encountered and that the driver might have even “saved her.” For the angel, Caraballo herself, it was a moment to smile. “When I got in my seat, I was like, 'I did that, I did that.’ I was proud of myself, I felt good, I saved her,” she said. The HART rewarded Caraballo with the "On-the-Spot" Award for her extended kindness.