Last night I was riding my bicycle along the west side of Manhattan. There is a scenic bike path that follows the river and I was looking for an entryway from the street above. I noticed a very long flight of stairs, but the weight of my bike discouraged me from carrying it down.

I headed over to the sidewalk for a better view, but still saw nothing. Just then, a man and woman were approaching me. They were well-dressed, speaking amiably to each other. Both were in wheelchairs.

“Excuse me, do you know if there’s a ramp to get down to the river?” I asked. They stopped, and the woman replied as she pointed..”Yes, just on the other side of that tree. The ramp’s a bit tough for us, so we use another one a bit further on, but it should be fine for you.”

From my position the ramp was obscured. “Just there? I don’t see it.” I sheepishly said. ” “No, you can’t see it from here, but if you go on the other side of the tree you will,” the man joined in. I thanked them, and followed their directions. The ramp was there.

I looked back and noticed that they had lingered. I gave a wave and thanked them again. They waved back with smiles and continued on.