Kindness is the superpower
Batman and a pregnant woman board a train. Commuters become more generous.
Whoever drew the short straw—or perhaps the best one—in a Milan research project got to spend dozens of metro rides dressed as Batman.
The assignment was not entirely frivolous. Led by Francesco Pagnini, researchers wanted to know whether an unexpected sight could jolt commuters out of autopilot and make them more helpful.
It did. When a woman appearing to be pregnant boarded alone, 38% of passengers offered her a seat. When Batman entered through another door, that figure jumped to 67%.
The strangest finding: 44% of the newly courteous passengers said they had not noticed the Caped Crusader. His mere presence may have made the carriage more attentive—and kinder.
This raises intriguing possibilities for Baton Rouge, where traffic can make even mild-mannered residents act like The Joker. Perhaps a few superheroes stationed along College Drive could persuade drivers to keep intersections clear, let others merge, and stop treating every yellow light as a personal challenge.
The city need not wait for Bruce Wayne. New Orleans superhero Monica Rambeau at the corner of College and Bennington might do.
