The most awesome person of the year.

[JCC]

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...oryId=89164759

Julio Diaz has a daily routine. Every night, the 31-year-old social worker ends his hour-long subway commute to the Bronx one stop early, just so he can eat at his favorite diner.

But one night last month, as Diaz stepped off the No. 6 train and onto a nearly empty platform, his evening took an unexpected turn.

He was walking toward the stairs when a teenage boy approached and pulled out a knife.

"He wants my money, so I just gave him my wallet and told him, 'Here you go,'" Diaz says.

As the teen began to walk away, Diaz told him, "Hey, wait a minute. You forgot something. If you're going to be robbing people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep you warm."

The would-be robber looked at his would-be victim, "like what's going on here?" Diaz says. "He asked me, 'Why are you doing this?'"

Diaz replied: "If you're willing to risk your freedom for a few dollars, then I guess you must really need the money. I mean, all I wanted to do was get dinner and if you really want to join me ... hey, you're more than welcome.

"You know, I just felt maybe he really needs help," Diaz says.

Diaz says he and the teen went into the diner and sat in a booth.

"The manager comes by, the dishwashers come by, the waiters come by to say hi," Diaz says. "The kid was like, 'You know everybody here. Do you own this place?'"

"No, I just eat here a lot," Diaz says he told the teen. "He says, 'But you're even nice to the dishwasher.'"

Diaz replied, "Well, haven't you been taught you should be nice to everybody?"

"Yea, but I didn't think people actually behaved that way," the teen said.

Diaz asked him what he wanted out of life. "He just had almost a sad face," Diaz says.

The teen couldn't answer Diaz — or he didn't want to.

When the bill arrived, Diaz told the teen, "Look, I guess you're going to have to pay for this bill 'cause you have my money and I can't pay for this. So if you give me my wallet back, I'll gladly treat you."

The teen "didn't even think about it" and returned the wallet, Diaz says. "I gave him $20 ... I figure maybe it'll help him. I don't know."

Diaz says he asked for something in return — the teen's knife — "and he gave it to me."

Afterward, when Diaz told his mother what happened, she said, "You're the type of kid that if someone asked you for the time, you gave them your watch."

"I figure, you know, if you treat people right, you can only hope that they treat you right. It's as simple as it gets in this complicated world."

Produced for Morning Edition by Michael Garofalo.

[Valrys]

Wow......what anawesome guy!

If only more people were like him

[gothicusmaximus]

Two possibilities on this one- Jesus Christ, or Sam Jackson's character in Pulp Fiction.

[L'Oiseau Noir]

If some punk held me up with a knife and demanded money, the last thing I'd have on my mind is niceness. I'd have probably either a) ran, or b) grab for the weapon and (hopefully) get it, then point it at the little bastard.

But, regardless, kudos to the guy for actually having the heart to do something like that.

[JCC]

Originally Posted by L'Oiseau Noir

If some punk held me up with a knife and demanded money, the last thing I'd have on my mind is niceness. I'd have probably either a) ran, or b) grab for the weapon and (hopefully) get it, then point it at the little bastard.

But, regardless, kudos to the guy for actually having the heart to do something like that.

I would have the same reaction, which is why this guy pwns.

But also, this kid doesn't seem too bad. For Diaz to be able to connect with him on that level, I think that all that he really needed was for someone to do something like this.

[L'Oiseau Noir]

Originally Posted by JCC

I would have the same reaction, which is why this guy pwns.

But also, this kid doesn't seem too bad. For Diaz to be able to connect with him on that level, I think that all that he really needed was for someone to do something like this.

Yeah, I agree. From the sounds of it the kid just did this as a spur-of-the-moment-type thing. Like those kids who swipe a candy bar from their local 7-11 once or twice, then stop. Hopefully because of the way Diaz treated him, it turned the kid in the right direction. And I really think it did, and if not entirely, I'm sure it helped.

If the kid had been completely serious, Diaz, most likely, wouldn't either be alive, or would have been (at the very least) wounded.

[Wormboy]

Wow, that guy is the nicest.

[Tam Li Hua]

That's pretty cool. I wonder if the guy was a minister or something..?

[Dark Clarissa]

That is the nicest thing I've heard about human nature for a long long time. Its made my day. It brought a lump to my throat. I just wish that more people took the time to empathise with their fellow humans like this guy did.

[KontanKarite]

The dude's lucky he didn't get stabbed. I'm surprised the kid didn't kill him outright.

[JCC]

Originally Posted by KontanKarite

The dude's lucky he didn't get stabbed. I'm surprised the kid didn't kill him outright.

I guess it's all about body language and demeanour. If he'd been a thirty-something Hells Angel I doubt that Diaz would've reacted the way that he did, but this kid was probably shaking, stammery and just seemed pretty vulnerable. I think he just has good judgment.

[KontanKarite]

Probably. Who knows?

[††BlackRose††]

Originally Posted by JCC

I guess it's all about body language and demeanour. If he'd been a thirty-something Hells Angel I doubt that Diaz would've reacted the way that he did, but this kid was probably shaking, stammery and just seemed pretty vulnerable. I think he just has good judgment.

I agree with you on that. It doesn't seem as if people would be nice to one another if you looked like you were constantly looking for a fight. Still, there aren't many people like Diaz around in the world anymore and that's sad.

[Tea and Cake or Death]

I heard about this guy on the news a bit back. Things could have turned out a lot worse.

[CptSternn]

Heh - it makes him sound like a saint, but the reality is he might not be that nice.

When I lived in NYC I used to carry a crappy old leather wallet I had for YEARS with $30. I always had my credit cards/cash/license on another part of my person.

If ye ever find yerself at gun/knifepoint you can easily give up your drop wallet with the $30 and the muggers are happy and all is well.

Think of it like a $30 investment in security. It's cheaper than a good stungun and even cheaper than a good can of pepper spray.

I never had to use it, but having it meant I wasn't worried about walking through the park at night or anywhere else.

[acidxrainbows]

I officially love this man. If I ever met him on the street and knew who he was, I would totally hug him.

[Pye]

Originally Posted by CptSternn

Heh - it makes him sound like a saint, but the reality is he might not be that nice.

You would say that.

The guy has the right idea. This kind of thing wouldn't work if said lad was in a group, but alone it could be just one thing in a chain reaction resulting in his life changing for the better. The kid had clearly never experienced anybody being good for goodnesses sake.

I wish I had the guts to do something like that, but if my last encounter of that kind is anything to go by, I'll be running like buggery the next time!

[IsolatedReptile]

Originally Posted by CptSternn

Heh - it makes him sound like a saint, but the reality is he might not be that nice.

Leave it to you to ruin the general happy mood of the story. Finally uplifting news and now it's been crushed under your boot.

[MotherofMercies]

Wow what a nice guy. But I could see that situation going tits up.

[LaBelleDameSansMerci]

Wow. I probably wouldn't have the ovaries to do that... I'm impressed.

[ionic_angel]

Originally Posted by CptSternn

Heh - it makes him sound like a saint, but the reality is he might not be that nice.

When I lived in NYC I used to carry a crappy old leather wallet I had for YEARS with $30. I always had my credit cards/cash/license on another part of my person.

If ye ever find yerself at gun/knifepoint you can easily give up your drop wallet with the $30 and the muggers are happy and all is well.

Think of it like a $30 investment in security. It's cheaper than a good stungun and even cheaper than a good can of pepper spray.

I never had to use it, but having it meant I wasn't worried about walking through the park at night or anywhere else.

Yeah, you're right. He's probably a mass-murdering monster just looking for the next teen to eat and kill.

Sheesh, do people have to see a monster under every rock?

[$haDe]

Wow... That was...

[gothicusmaximus]

Originally Posted by CptSternn

Heh - it makes him sound like a saint, but the reality is he might not be that nice.

When I lived in NYC I used to carry a crappy old leather wallet I had for YEARS with $30. I always had my credit cards/cash/license on another part of my person.

If ye ever find yerself at gun/knifepoint you can easily give up your drop wallet with the $30 and the muggers are happy and all is well.

Think of it like a $30 investment in security. It's cheaper than a good stungun and even cheaper than a good can of pepper spray.

I never had to use it, but having it meant I wasn't worried about walking through the park at night or anywhere else.

You're ignoring the fact that Diaz eventually asked for the wallet back, and after the kid gladly returned it, gave away twenty dollars for no reason but that he was a nice guy.

[gothicusmaximus]

Oh, and the thief was about to leave when Diaz stopped him, offered his coat to the kid, and asked him out to freaking dinner.

[beauismyhorse]

A social worker? Apparently he has experience in persuading and talking to people. That doesn't mean every social worker, or regular person for that matter, is going to do this. I'm just pointing out that the man is probably very good at reading body language and reading people, since it's a requirement for his profession.
He's a brave man for doing this though, no matter what he does for a living. *applaudes*