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It was almost summer in Amsterdam, and, as usual during that sunny spring of 1976, after work from my job at the Gemeentelijk Energie Bedrijf nextdoor to the Vondelpark, I took streetcar Line 1 or 2 from the Leidseplein, that went through the Leidsestraat to go more into the centre of the town. As the tram was crowded though, I got out just 1 or 2 halts after getting in, at the Prinsengracht. It was such a nice day and I wanted to go into town.

"My baby! My baby is still in the streetcar!" She was from the USA. She was frantic.

We, the other passengers that had gotten out together with her, looked at her in shock. That poor woman! She had forgotten her child! That baby was in serious danger of being taken by a complete stranger! We had to do something quick.

"Run!" a boy I knew vaguely from work said. He was very athletic, I suppose. He was a volleyball player and he played in the top league, I saw him on tv several times. "Come on! Let's run to the next stop!" Easy for him to say! But so we did, well, he got there a lot sooner than me, and I blamed it on the fact that I was wearing my hippy long dress. (Jeans are much better for running! Believe me!) It was a good thing the stop at the Keizersgracht was not very far.

He got in time to catch the tram and as he was talking to the driver and they were about to go look for the child, I got there too, with the woman right behind me. She was fitter than I had anticipated. Or was it the fear for her child that gave her wings?

Then I heard a mens voice inside of the streetcar.

"My baby!" He was about thirty five and he looked really scared. "Where is my baby!"

The driver, the boy and me, we didn't know what to think. Another one who had lost his child? But no, that was not the case at all. It turned out the man had fallen asleep during the drive, and had just woke up to find out that his wife, who had been sitting next to him, was missing.

"Is that her?" the boy asked him and pointed. He got out of the streetcar, ran towards his better half, who got very excited, embrazed her and they walked away bickering.

The boy from work and I were astounded.

"Baby? That was a grown up man!"