With the increasing spread of Covid-19 in Singapore, wariness between strangers has naturally heightened.

This was not the case between a SMRT staff and a young boy though, as witnessed by one Kelvin Ang.

Boy appeared to be a bus enthusiast

Ang shared details of the heartwarming encounter between the elderly man and boy on Facebook, and the post has subsequently garnered over 8,200 shares at the time of writing.

Ang had been traveling home on Apr. 7 in the afternoon on the Downtown line, when he noticed a student from autism-focused Pathlight School dashed into the train carriage.

Shortly after, it seemed that the curious boy had struck up a conversation with a man clad in an SMRT staff uniform seated next to him.

From bits and pieces Ang overheard of the conversation, the boy appeared to be a bus enthusiast.

Ang told Mothership that the boy was clearly knowledgeable about the topic, and was chattering to the staff about bus routes, technical names, pollution, emissions standards and even the font size of bus numbers.

Clearly eager at the opportunity to talk to a staff member from the transport sector, the boy apparently fired question after question about the vehicles.

SMRT staff patiently entertained boy's questions

What made this incident particularly heartwarming though, was that the SMRT staff actively engaged the boy and patiently answered his questions, according to Ang.

Ang also revealed that the staff showed some photos to the boy, and even explained more about his job and recent developments in the sector.

Although the interaction only lasted around 15 minutes, as Ang shared with Mothership, it highlighted how society can be inclusive towards those with special needs such as autism.

"Clearly there is a place in our society for people with special needs. These individuals are talented! They can learn quickly, and they can even grasp technical concepts. This boy is passionate about buses, and if his interest is natured, he can be a real talent in this industry."

Ang also thanked the SMRT staff for treating the boy with kindness and respect, and for being an "amazing human being".

You can read Ang's full post here.