"Excuse me, ma'am?"

I guess I should be flattered, that I'm fairly consistently the person on the train platform who people ask, "Hey, is this the right track for the train to New York?" or "What does EWR mean on the train schedule?" And that I'm the person on the street who gets asked for directions (although I almost always apologize, in that case, and tell them they're better off asking someone else, because I can't navigate for squat), or in tourist destinations to take people's photo (my mother is this person, too, and she always apologizes, and declines, because she can't take photos for squat).

And just now, on the train, this woman asked me to watch her sleeping child while she (the mother) went to the bathroom ("He won't go anywhere, but could you just keep an eye on him?"). Which, sure, yeah, if he wakes up, I'll say, "Hey, kid, your mom didn't abandon you -- she's just in the bathroom," but beyond that, really? I'm a total stranger -- why would you trust me to look after your kid?

Same thing when seatmates ask me to keep an eye on their stuff while they get a drink in the cafe car. Why trust me? But people do this all the time (I, on the other hand, am an untrusting bundle of anxiety, and I haul my whole freakin' bag with me if I leave my seat on the train).

And pretty much every time, I oblige, but always wondering what, really, I'm committing to do. Because at some point, right, this may come down to more than just a hollow agreement? Like, someone will actually try to snatch a bag I'm watching, or put the sleeping kid's hand in warm water? And then what do I do?

Honestly? I probably just keep me head down and do nothing.