A family of three arrived in Portland, Oregon from Mexico City and suddenly realized their travel agent had booked them on a flight 3-thousand miles in the wrong direction. The Spanish-speaking passengers were expecting to arrive in Portland, Maine. Luckily for them, TSA officer Martin Rios was there to help get them to their correct destination.
The Transportation Security Administration employee saw the family was “confused” and overwhelmed” over the travel mishap, so he stepped in to assist. Rios not only booked them on the correct flight, he dug into his own pockets to do it. He realized the family was struggling financially, so he helped pay for their flights.
Senior TSA manager Jeremy Alanis says he’s not surprised at all by Rios’ act of kindness. “Martin is, and has been since day one, a shining example of what it means to be a team player,” he explains. And the TSA must agree because they recognized Rios with the Make the Connection Award for his service with these passengers.