The Legend of the Helpful Bystander (22/f)

I’m 22 and about a week ago I was on the Skytrain going from 22nd to Joyce. I was sitting quietly in the middle row when two guys started harassing me. They were making crude remarks and trying to touch me. I was really freaking out and starting to get a little scared when another passenger (who had been sitting quietly & reading in a single seat section) looked up and came over to me and the two guys. He also looked to be in his mid-twenties and I thought he knew the two harassers and started to get a little more scared. Instead, he looked at me and said in an Irish accent, Would you like to have my seat? I jumped at the chance and moved to the more out of the way seat where the guys couldn’t sit beside me. He then stood about a seat in front of me, blocking access to me and carried on reading his book. He got some abuse from the two idiots which he answered with a smile and a polite response (There was something about the way he spoke though, a don’t mess with me vibe). He stayed that way until my stop and never took his eyes off the two guys when I got out. I thanked him as I passed and he smiled, just said “safe home now” and gave a nod. I haven’t seen him since but knowing that there are people out there whom will stick up for a stranger makes me feel a little better about using translink.