A CTA rider who rescued a man from the electrified third rail of the Red Line was honored by his bosses and the mayor of Oak Lawn on Monday.
"The world needs more Tonys," said Oak Lawn Mayor Terry Vorderer, as he shook the hand of 20-year-old Tony Perry at the Amazon Fresh location where Perry works the overnight shift.
Perry's store manager Emily Jackson praised him for risking his life for someone else.
"All of us at Amazon Fresh are incredibly inspired by Tony's selfless act," Jackson said. "Many people would not choose to do that, but Tony did."
Perry's overnight assistant Jossue Alvarado said Perry always has a smile on his face.
"Not only [is he] a good worker, but he's a good human being," Alvarado said.
Perry's bosses gave him a Certificate of Recognition and Amazon Fresh swag, including T-shirts, a sweatshirt, sweatpants, and a cap reading "Freshero."
The store will also donate $10,000 to the non-profit, or non-profits, of Perry's choice.
Last week, the founder of a non-violence organization gave Perry a used car since Perry's commute to and from work included taking a train and two buses.
"It's fast," Perry said of the car, which he said is doing well. He also said it takes premium gasoline, so filling up is expensive.
As for Perry's future, he said: "I got offers to go into the police academy and the fire academy, and I'm really leaning towards that. One or the other." He said he meant that police and firefighters have encouraged him to apply.
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