A girl on a mostly empty subway – looking no older than 12 at most – put a packet of tissues on a seat next to each sitting passenger, with a photocopied note: “I have no father. I have two brothers and my mother is sick. Please help.”

Then she walked around the car and collected them back into her crumpled plastic bag. No one gave her anything.

I couldn’t help it but think of the case of 60+ deaf-mute Mexicans I read about some time ago who were living in horrendous crowded conditions in Queens, and whose “masters” would force them to do the same exact thing, selling trinkets on subway, not letting them back unless they collected $100 that day.

I caught up with the girl in the doors and gave her a dollar as I was leaving the train on the next stop and wished her good luck. She said “thank you” in a small American-accented voice. I kept having all kinds of horrible abusive scenarios running through my head for the rest of the day. I hope they are all wrong.