Mensch of the Week: Mystery SUV passenger, the patron saint of cold cyclists

Upon leaving Union Station last Friday night, Metro City Hall columnist (and 2011 Mensch of the Year finalist) Matt Elliott found himself being mocked by a group of drunk guys when they saw him grab a BIXI. “What are you doing renting a bike?” they asked. They had a point: It was snowing, -8 degrees, 10 p.m., and he didn’t even have gloves or a hat.

“I figured the hair would keep me warm,” he joked after the fact, referring to his Josh Groban–like mane.

Elliott’s optimism wasn’t quite working out for him until he stopped at the intersection of Esplanade and Frederick. There, a 30-ish woman in the passenger seat of a blue Toyota SUV rolled down her window and extended her hand. Holding out a pair of black gloves, she said, “Take these.” Startled, Elliott hesitated for a moment, accepted the offer, and then watched the car drive away. “I only wish I could have thanked her more,” he said of Mystery Glove Lady. “It was really a Toronto the Good moment.”