Colorado Man Sees Lady Sitting in the Dirt to Wait for Bus, Now Builds Benches at Bus Stops

After going car-free in 2017, a Denver man used public transportation to get from one place to another. One day, he spotted a lady sitting in the dirt waiting for her bus and thought it was "undignified." He immediately decided to do something about it.

Have you ever done something to bring a positive change in your neighborhood? Every day, many of us notice things around us that need to be fixed. It might be a missing trashcan or a pothole disturbing the traffic, but how often do we stop and fix these things?

The man in today's story also spotted something that disturbed him, but he chose to step up and fix the damage. Ultimately, his kindness inspired others to work for their communities and neighborhoods. The man had no idea his actions would have a lasting impact on people.

The Bus Stop

In January 2022, James Warren was walking by a bus stop in his neighborhood when a woman caught his attention. She was waiting for her bus sitting in the dirt because she had no other option. There were no seats at the bus stop.

"Oh man, that sucks!" Warren thought to himself. The 28-year-old man felt terrible for her because she was deprived of an essential facility. He thought someone had to step up and fix this issue. He said:

"For people to have to sit in the dirt while they're waiting for a bus is just undignified."

Thinking Out of the Box

Looking at the helpless woman compelled Warren to take up a mission. He didn't want other citizens to suffer, so he decided to help them by building a bench. Warren gathered some scrap pieces of wood from a nearby construction site and went home to build a bench.

Warren often saw his benches get graffitied and then go missing.

Since he had grown up watching his father use different tools, he knew where to take his inspiration from. It took him about three hours to turn the wooden pieces into a bench that he carried on his shoulders and placed at the bus stop near his house.

This Wasn't Enough

Soon after placing his first bench, Warren realized one wasn't enough for his Denver, Colorado, neighborhood. There were many more unsheltered bus stops with no seating arrangements for the riders. Warren had spotted a loophole in the transportation system and was ready to fix it.

After placing his first bench, Warren turned more wooden pieces into benches. Those days, He made eight of them for eight different locations, but he wasn't aware of how people would try to discourage him. Warren often saw his benches get graffitied and then go missing.

However, seeing some people's reactions didn't discourage him from building more benches and writing "Be Kind" on them. He was motivated by watching other people get inspired by him -- these people were building their own benches, too, and he saw them online.

He Kept Going

Seeing his benches stolen didn't demotivate Warren because the joy he felt from watching people sit on them drove him to build more. He knew he wasn't responsible for what other people did. He only had one mission: to uplift people in his community.

In 2017, Warren decided not to travel in a car anymore. Instead, he walked to places, rode a bike, or used buses. During the last five years, he understood people's challenges while traveling in buses, which motivated him to build benches. He said:

"I have not asked the city yet whether I'm allowed to do this ... Until they stop me, I'll just keep doing it, I guess."

The Reviews

While traveling in the area, Warren, who works in the Colorado Workforce Development Council, often stops by to chat with riders waiting for their bus. Talking to them helps him analyze the demand for his benches. He said:

“I was talking to someone who said it's difficult to stand for long periods of time. I knew where the next bench was going."

Often, riders also thank him for placing benches. They tell him how painful it is to wait for the bus while standing. Warren said the kind words from people who sat on his benches "filled him up," motivating him to build more benches and help his fellow citizens.

Be Kind

While Warren's benches have different designs, they all have one thing in common. Warren makes sure to print the same message on every seat: Be Kind. He believes every person can help people around them.

"And by being kind, you can make a difference in the world around you," Warren said. Since he had witnessed how his generous act inspired people around him, he wanted others to do the same.

After hearing about Warren's unique actions, many news channels shared his story on television and social media. Warren said people reached out to him through Twitter and Reddit after reading his story, telling him they wanted to help and be a part of his mission.

Meanwhile, some people donated supplies to help Warren, and others spread awareness about his mission. People hoped the government would take notice of his benches and do something about it to facilitate the bus riders.

The Comments

After reading about Warren's kind efforts, people couldn't stop themselves from praising him. Here are some of the comments from CBS Sunday Morning's Facebook post that was shared more than 340 times:

"Not all heroes wear capes! James Warren, you are truly a hero!! The world needs more special people YOU!! Much respect and admiration for you, Mr. Warren!!"

― (@Lisa Peterson) September 1, 2022

"This is a great gesture and an unselfish act! Shame on the city/county for not having an adequate bus stop for its riders!"

― (@Marina Magdaleno) September 2, 2022

"And now that the city knows his name, they will probably fine him."

― (@Michelle B. Valencia-Stark) September 1, 2022

"And where I live, they make benches 'uncomfortable' so people cannot comfortably sit for any length of time or lie down. A sad state of affairs."

― (@Karla Schmidt Commins) September 1, 2022

Sometimes, all it takes is for one person to see a need and fulfill it. It marks the beginning of a chain of random acts of kindness that build on and ultimately bring about a change.

Share Warren's inspiring story with your friends and family. It might encourage them to do something for their community that they had been thinking about.

Click here to read another story about a Texas student who found a baby boy covered in ants in his neighborhood. Instead of walking away, he brought the child home, not knowing he would adopt him five years later.