The kindness of strangers

Bus driver Surjit Singh Virk - a 16-year veteran driver for the Coast Mountain Bus Co. in Vancouver - was off duty and returning from the Surrey B.C.’s Vaisakhi parade when he witnessed the random act of kindness.Singh Virk managed to snap a few photos of the exchange and shared them on social media.'It made my heart melt,' he told QMI Agency, a Canadian media company. 'He just took his shoes and socks off and said, "You can take these, don't worry about me — I live close by and can walk."'People usually don't care or even look at other people on the bus, they didn't even want to sit beside this guy because of how he was dressed.'The kind-hearted man who selflessly handed over his shoes to his less-fortunate fellow passenger was reached by phone, but asked the news outlet to not identify him by name because his Islamic faith requires that charitable acts be done anonymously.According to QMI, the man also was reluctant about allowing the use of his photo, but ultimately agreed.'I felt bad for the guy,' the generous 27-year-old Surrey resident said. 'He was wearing plastic hairnets on his feet. I was only about a two-minute walk from home, so I thought I could give him my shoes.'The anonymous Good Samaritan was coming from a nearby mosque when he noticed the man in need. Mufti Aasim Rashid, the spokesman for the B.C. Muslim Association - which runs the mosque where the man had been - told QMI that the selfless act would qualify as a general act of charity - a 'sadaqa.''Whenever we do a good deed, even if it's to help someone out, the Islamic teachings maintain this should remain only for the pleasure of God,' Rashid said. 'It's nice to see people practicing the teachings ... it looks like he's really benefited.'Singh Virk says he spoke with the recipient of the shoes after the Good Samaritan had gotten off the bus. He says the man was 'shocked.''What a nice guy... Did that really happen?” Singh Virk quoted the man as saying.The touching scene was reminiscent of NYPD Officer Larry DePrimo, who was famously photographed in November of 2012 as he bought a shoeless homeless man a pair of boots and heavy socks on a frigid day in New York City, and even helped him put them on. About a year later, DePrimo was promoted to detective. At the time, some of his new colleagues on the detective squad got him a special nameplate for his new desk: 'Larry (Boots) DePrimo.'(dailymail.co.uk) ANN.Az