...I was on the way to returning my crutches, and...

I often say the reason I love this country is because of the people.  Here is a prime example: A few days ago, I was bringing my crutches to campus with me to give to a friend who was going to return them.  They were tied together with a string and I was casually carrying them in one hand.  I saw my bus coming and decided to run/jog (which still kind of hurts) the last few meters to the stop, crutches flailing precariously by my side.  As I got on the bus, the driver said something along the lines of "Wow! I'd love to see how you ran before the crutches."  I guess he was the only one who noticed my mini-sprint, though, because It was so Israeli when as I proceeded from the front to the crowded middle of the bus, three different people, including an older man, insisted I sit in their seats because if I had crutches in my hand, even if they were tied up and I insisted that I had already gotten over the injury, I must still need to sit.  The inherent respect for the elderly, the pregnant, and in my case, the injured, never fails to warm my heart.