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New York City still can't enough of Wesley Autrey's subway heroics. Yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg awarded him with the city's highest honor, the Bronze Medallion, and said:
Wesley's astonishing bravery - saving a life in the face on an oncoming subway car - is an inspiration not just to New Yorkers, but the entire world. His courageous rescue of a complete stranger is a reminder of how we are surrounded by everyday heroes in New York City, and I am deeply honored to recognize one of them today.
It's so true - Gothamist loves the story because it's incredible on so many levels that everything worked out so well. The young man Autrey shielded from the oncoming train, Cameron Hollopeter, is safe. Autrey is safe. And Autrey has continued to emphasize how New Yorkers just need to help each other more often:I'm not looking at this like I'm the hero, cause the real heroes are the young men and women that are fighting in Iraq now. What I did is something that any New Yorker should do, you know what I'm saying, if you see somebody in distress, do the right thing.On the Late Show with David Letterman last night, Autrey pointed out that there were many people on the subway platform, but only three people - himself and two women - went to help Hollopeter during his first seizure on the platform.
New MTA executive director Elliott "Lee" Sander thanked him as well, saying, "By selflessly leaping to the aid of a fellow New Yorker and performing a type of heroic act nearly unrecallable to the memories of veteran transit workers, Wesley Autrey has captured the spirit of our city." Sander gave Autrey a year of free subway rides - 12 unlimited monthly Metrocards (which seems sort of cheap - the MTA could have sprung for free lifetime service) - plus a bunch of MTA swag for Autrey's young daughters.
The rest of the press conference at City Hall was a hoot - you can watch it here dial-up or broadband. A "Disney ambassador" thanked Autrey and gave him and his family a week-long all-expenses paid trip to Disney World, as well as tickets to see The Lion King on Broadway (he also handed out Mickey Mouse ears and Mickey and Minnie plushes to the girls).
While Autrey was answering questions about his good deed, the Mayor awkwardly interjected with a spiel about how Disney is like Autrey, doing good - we suppose Bloomberg felt he needed to credit Disney a lot. Autrey said he was overwhelmed by the attention and that the media was calling him non-stop. And someone asked if Autrey would run for Mayor, and Autrey said, "We've got the right man here" and hugged Mayor Bloomberg. So much love!
Then Autrey went to collect thanks and $10,000 from Donald Trump (who seriously needed to show good will after his lame spat) and appeared on Late Show with David Letterman (you can see part of the show here). Letterman was amazed and kept saying he wouldn't be able to do the same. Two interesting things Autrey mentioned: He only realized that the trough was deep enough because of the oncoming 1 train's lights (when it was far away, he didn't know if it would be deep enough) and that one of his daughters apparently wanted to follow him into the tracks (Autrey said she was a daddy's girl and "she loves me like that").
Hollopeter's family is happy with the attention and praise Autrey is getting - Cameron is still recovering. The NY Sun speaks with sociologists about Autrey's actions.
A professor of sociology at University of California Riverside, Toby Miller, said Mr. Autrey's rescue "taps into the ancient biblical" concept of helping those in need and is central to the ethos of American volunteerism. Mr. Miller and others said the move was especially impressive because people are often less inclined to help when others are nearby because there is no clear chain of command.We're sure everyone has been looking at the subway tracks and the troughs in them (some are really really shallow) and wondered if they would do the same...and wondered if they would want their loved one to risk it all. No one can say for sure, but in this instance, everything worked out better than anyone could have hoped.An associate professor of psychology at the New School for Social Research, Emanuele Castano, said via e-mail that many people are more apt to step into a dangerous situation when there is "imminent danger of death."
We do hope real heroics continue (and hope that there won't be opportunists who do stupid things to attempt heroics). What we're taking away from this story is that it's an amazing reminder about what a little more consideration and kindness can do. We just don't have to do it on the big scale that Autrey did. Just "show each other some love" as Autrey says.
And the Bronze Medallion has been given to notables like General Douglas MacArthur, Martin Luther King, Jr., Muhammad Ali, and Willie Mays, but the city says "The last recipient of the medallion was Housing Authority employee Felix Vasquez, who caught a baby thrown from a burning building in 2005."
Top photograph of Wesley Autrey kissing his daughters as Mayor Bloomberg (with Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta behind him) speak by Bebeto Matthews/AP; photograph of Mayor Bloomberg with Autrey, daughters Syshe and Shuqui from NYC.gov; subway graphic from USA Today
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Everytime I read about this man, I want to cry. Yet, I can't stop reading about him.
Wha!! :( No linky for the press conference. Quick! I'm jonesing to read/hear more from this amazing guy. Thanks!
Wait... here it is...
Seriously, do you need copy editing volunteers? I'll do it.
That first sentence is incomplete, and the first paragraph after the mayor's quote is just giving me a headache from it's run-on-ness.
Correction ^^: its run-on-ness
holy shit is it a slow news week.
I find the number of people exploiting this guy for their own TV show or their own political careers quite sickening.
I agree with a. Hey, something good happened! Quick, let's all attach our names to it!
His daughters look so bored in the Top photo.
;)
as posted above, let the backlash commence...cheers to you wesley.
really, 12 monthly metrocards is cheap - a year of free rides, that's it?
"I find the number of people exploiting this guy for their own TV show or their own political careers quite sickening."
you're a damned idiot. attaching names... when is ok for anyone to be good person around here? who cares who's attcaching their name to it, he did a good deed, that's all that counts...
are you bitching when they're attaching their name to something bad? grow the f*ck up!
Seriously, do you need copy editing volunteers? I'll do it.
That first sentence is incomplete, and the first paragraph after the mayor's quote is just giving me a headache from it's run-on-ness.
Correction or not, that's comedy right there.
I agree with edEx, would morons rather politiciaans and TV shows ignore this guy. Because, you know, it isn't at all inspiring or anything. Idiots.
A hard working guy does something "Unusal" and everybody goes nuts ! This was just a person that saw someone in need of help and came to thier aid . He did something that everyone should be able to do . (Not that I would jump out infront of a train just to save someone .) *Claps hands*
A hard working guy does something "Unusal" and everybody goes nuts ! This was just a person that saw someone in need of help and came to thier aid . He did something that everyone should be able to do . (Not that I would jump out infront of a train just to save someone .) *Claps hands*
oh and copyeditor michael? Quote is a verb, not a noun. Quotation is the noun. A common error, but you should seriously get off your high horse. We all mistype on the internerd.
I just think it's funny that the city's "highest honor" is called the Bronze Medallion. Not the most impressive-sounding name for an award--it sounds like 3rd place. We should make a "Man of Steel Award" and send it to him.
This is proof that you can always count on Gothamist's commenters to argue about anything and everything, no matter what the topic.
I love this story, too. It's true that most people don't help. I was hurt by a giant woman (about 7 years ago) on a subway platform in New York, and people literally just stood there and watched.
Where's the kid, Cameron Hollopeter, by the way? I wonder if he has thanked Wesley?
Yes I would rather them ignore this. Do I need a politician or a TV show host to tell me this was heroic? Are you so stupid you need some promiment person in society to point it out to you? Who wipes your ass after you go to the bathroom edex and pleaseshutup? Enquiring minds want to know...
I got really sick once on the train during evening rush hour (flu or something) and hurled on the train. Several people were very nice to me and gave me packets of tissues and plastic bags to put my jacket in. There are good people out there!
Myszka, please, please, please elaborate...
The MTA only gave him a few free rides..? What cheap bastards... theres the real New Yawk I left behind Hah hah ah ha No Regrets. You are the only shining light in that whole damn City Wesley, long may you live.
I LOVE how Bloomberg and the guy's daughter have their heads at the same exact angle!
Samantha, they kinda have the same expression on their faces, too. Actually, they kinda look related.
I've heard a lot of talk lately about how people need to "speak up and speak out" about crime when bad things happen. Now, a few are complaining when someone gets recognition for a good act. I think Autry is pretty damn amazing, and I have a feeling he's going to be alright. And hell, he's going to Disneyworld! It's all good.
Hopefully, it's just the start of a good deed trend.
I agree with #23, I want to hear about the Giant Woman!
Elderta, Hashashin...I am so with you. I am loving this man. I hope it inspires a willingness to help others, and we get to a place where this is old hat. But for now, I tip mine to this brother, and to his mother.
Man of Steel Award it is.
Sir Wesley Autrey's (if he can't be called a knight none can) action warms the heart of people across the globe. He obviously did the correct thing and I think he's right; many of us would like to act like him in such a situation. What sets him apart is that not only did he have the right intent but also swiftness and fortitude, even with those it could have gone badly wrong but happily everything did work out.
As for the gifts and honors I can't blame the givers even if it's likely most were self-interested, however the greatest reward is that all involved still have their health and lives, nothing beats that. The best gift we can give is to try to help each other out.
Oh and dear New Yorker's can you please demand deeper subway rail troughs? Let's all work to improve everyones chances, the example has been set.