Watching the Trains Go By
Housemates Bobby and Spencer enjoy visits to the local train station
Often, you will see Robert “Bobby” Karp, who resides at Helen Kaplan Center Intermediate Care Facility (ICF), smiling on the platform of local train stations as he watches trains pull into the station or rush by.
Watching trains roll by is not a new pastime for Bobby. House Manager Doris Jean-Medelus says he’s likely been visiting train stations for much of his 20 years at the Helen Kaplan Center. And beyond those 20 years, Bobby has loved trains his whole life. His favorite show when he was a child was “Thomas & Friends.”
When Doris became a manager for Bobby’s house, she brought him a laptop to watch YouTube videos about trains. And whenever the chance arises, Doris will ask staff members to bring Bobby to the local station to watch trains in person.
When Spencer Aronson moved into Bobby’s house two months ago, staff discovered that he was a fellow “Thomas & Friends” fan, considering the themed DVD player, t-shirts and other “Thomas the Train” gear Spencer had brought with him.
“I asked him if he wanted to go to the train station and he said, ‘Yes’,” Doris said. “Since then, they’ve been riding together.”
On March 11, a beautiful 60-degree day, staff members brought Bobby and Spencer to Huntington Station just as a Long Island Rail Road train was sitting at the platform waiting to leave for Penn Station. Bobby and Spencer’s joy towards the train was contagious, bringing smiles to the faces of rushing commuters. Bobby and Spencer even had a chance encounter with railroad staff, including the engineer who waved to them from the front of the train.
“I always try to send them out and put a smile on their face,” Doris said. “The weather is getting nice, so why not make it happen for them.”