Older adults gather to conquer fears, uncertainty about riding public transit in LA County

Irene Leung-Astwood, 67, who uses a wheelchair, was riding LA Metro’s A Line light rail train near the Chinatown station recently when her companion was assaulted.

“I saw my friend get slapped in the face. It was by some crazy person,” she said.

She then demonstrated how she got the perpetrator to move away from her friend and eventually leave the train. She blew a high-pitched whistle that she keeps around her neck at all times. It was a gift from her son, she explained with a wry smile.