An MTA bus driver is hailed as a hero after spotting a girl walking alone on the streets of New York City.
Luis Jiménez, 60, was finishing his morning shift when something caught his fatherly attention: a five-year-old girl walking alone on the sidewalk near 160th and Broadway on Tuesday afternoon.
“We have a saying at the MTA: If you see something, say something,” Jimenez said. ABC 7.
“Well, I’ll do something with me,” he added with a smile.
Veteran MTA bus driver Luis Jimenez, 60, is being called a hero after seeing a five-year-old girl walking alone with her backpack still in her hand.
The girl had skipped school after her fish died with the plan to go to a pet store and get a new pet fish.
The Harlem resident kept an eye on her through the front window for about a block before finally deciding to stop, call his operator, and call 911 for the passenger.
And with the help of the other passengers, Jiménez was able to get the girl, with her backpack still in her hand, onto the bus safely.
The kindergarten girl had been reported missing by her school after she didn’t show up for class.
Although he had no history of skipping school, he had a different plan for that particular day: skipping school to go to a pet store.
The little girl’s fish had recently died and she was on her way to replacing her beloved pet.
The five-year-old girl was already ten blocks away from the safety of her school grounds before Jimenez saw her.
Fortunately, he decided to work that morning after initially considering calling in sick.
Jimenez said his fatherly instincts took over and he kept an eye on the girl for about a block after seeing her for the first time.
Jimenez finally decided to stop the bus near 160th and Broadway while he called dispatch and another passenger called 911.
His instincts acted quickly and he was able to get the girl into the right hands and return her to her family safely.
“My instinct as a parent came about because if I saw a child on the street needing help, I would want someone to help one of my children or one of my grandchildren,” he said.
The veteran bus driver is approaching his 26th year as a New York City transit employee, working from 6 am to 4 pm on different routes and constantly meeting new people throughout the Big Apple.
Born and raised in the city, specifically Washington Heights, Jiménez is said to treat each of his riders as if they were simply an old friend.
“He always tries to make every customer feel good when he drives,” said one of his drivers. CBS News in 2021.
And this isn’t the first time he’s received recognition for his hard work and positive attitude.
When the pandemic shut down the bustling, bustling streets of New York City in 2021, he knew it was his duty to ferry essential workers to and from their jobs every day.
He worked 12-hour shifts, month after month, as the virus continued to spread.
Jiménez is approaching his 26th year as a New York City transit worker and is said to treat each of his passengers as if they were his neighbors.
But his dedication to the people of the city was recognized and he was one of the essential workers chosen by the NFL and CBS Sports to appear on the Super Bowl pregame show.
“New York doesn’t stop,” he told CBS News. ‘We moved to New York. If we stop, New York stops.’
“The moment they needed me, I was able to say, ‘I’m here.'”
Last year, the New York Liberty, an American professional basketball team based in the city and Brooklyn, celebrated Black History Month at its youtube channel highlighting different members of the ticket that directly impact the black community, one of them is Jiménez.
He spoke about his passion for transporting people from all walks of life and the joy it spreads throughout the community.
He was also recognized on New York Liberty’s YouTube channel during Black History Month, where he shared his passion for his work.
And when she gets off her MTA shift, she hangs up her uniform and goes dancing for the Timeless Torches, a WNBA New York Liberty dance team for men and women over 40.
‘Driving in New York City is like a perfect day. I open that door and it’s like the world comes to me. I love my passengers. “I want to give them the best trip, the best time, the best view of the city while I take them to their destination,” he said. The art of making.
‘That trip, that is my gift to them. Wherever you’re from, you can take it home from New York City. “I tell my children that they should love what they do.”
As for the girl, it is still unclear if she was able to get her new pet fish.
But Jiménez said that if she didn’t, he and the community should help her in that regard as well.
“These are difficult times and things happen every day, and every day we have to come with a positive attitude and power, even if something negative is happening around the world, we have to keep going and make a difference.”