Random Act of Kindness - to balance all the ranty threads, tell me of a random act of kindness that you have never forgotten.

Years ago, the summer I finished my Bachelor's degree, I bought an inter-rail type ticket to travel around the US on the train by myself. After buying the ticket, I was very, very broke and had a scarily tight budget for the trip. I was in Washington DC, which had the reputation as quite a rough city.

I was standing on a pavement near the railway station, looking at a map and trying to work out if I could walk to the Capitol building, when a group of young guys jostled by. One of them asked if I was lost. I told him that I was just trying to work out if it was too far to walk, and he asked why I didn't get the bus. I said I didn't have the money, and he just stared at me then went off to catch up with his mates.

He stared around at me a couple of times and as the group of them crossed the road, I saw him talking to the others, and a few of them started looking back at me too. I began to feel quite nervous, and by the time they got in a huddle after they'd crossed the road and started talking (obviously about me), I was just thinking 'Oh shit!'.

Then the one I'd spoken too came running back across the road and just jammed the return bus fare into my hands without a word and ran off again. I sat there with my mouth open and was so touched and grateful that I felt like crying. I still think of those boys to this day and wish I'd got an address so I could have paid them back 100 times over.

Oh, sorry, I remembered some more (then I'll stop, I promise)

I was going to Paris (I lived there last year and everything fell apart) and had just said goodbye to my boyfriend at St Pancras. I burst into tears going through security and felt so small and alone and pathetic. A nice (French) security guard took me to one side and gave me a little pep talk, featuring the memorable line "ah, you are sad. You have said goodbye? Yes. But today is goodbye, soon it will be 'oh, you again. so soon'. You wait". He was right.

Now I think about it, all the Eurostar staff are lovely - I've never been upgraded, but I have often been taken out of the main security queue and through the first class one (just me, nobody else) because I've been sniffling quietly and security have taken pity on me.

When 8 wks pg with DC1 and very tired, in very very hot spain, got a puncture. DH is wheelchair user and so i would have had to change tyre and was on the verge of sobs, when a car pulled into the garage we'd stopped at, scottish couple got out saying they'd seen me pull off motorway and decided to follow, man changed tyre, wife consoled me, then they left. I won't ever forget that.

Also to the fire engine and crew who stopped, picked me and bike up off the floor and took me all the way home when I was a student in Nottingham! I had fallen off and dislocated my finger and in much pain when they happened to drive past. Thank you!

The beatiful nun who came to me in a museum where I was sitting...I was feeling very low at the time, my Dad had not long died and I was in a bad relationship..she chatted to me and asked me if I was Catholic and I burst out "No...I wasn't christened so I'm nothing." and she said

"Oh no...that only means you're everything!"

I never forgot that.

Can I add in a few I've done? Not for any recognition, just because I still feel happy thinking about their reactions.

On a Eurostar there was a woman who spent the entire journey to Paris entertaining her 2 year old DD to keep from disturbing other passengers (including walking the length of the train repeatedly). In Paris is is a giant step to get from train to platform and she had her DD and two giant suitcases, so I offered her some help (meaning I would haul her cases off for her) and instead she said "oh thank you so much" and gave me her DD to hold. I had a lovely little snuggle.

Another time I was on the last Eurostar out of Paris during all the snow and there was an American woman who was trying to cram her pushchair into the (overflowing) luggage rack and she looked so stressed and said to nobody in particular "dammit, you pay $700 and you still get a piece of crap". I said slightly flippantly "it could be worse, you could have paid $800" and she burst out laughing and seemed to relax a bit.

Finally I reported saw a paramedic being abused by some strangers (she was refusing to treat a drunk man because he was lashing out - I was watching from my window) and they demanded all her details and said they would report her. I wrote her details down too and wrote to say that if the strangers complained it was totally unjustified and I was sorry I hadn't helped more at the time. I got a beautiful letter back that made my mum cry.

When I was heavily pregnant we had queued up to get a bottle of water and an ice cream. It was busy outside and all the tables were taken.
As I waddled out a really kind older couple got up and offered us their table, which was lovely in itself. The gentleman then said they had waited especially for us to come out to ensure we got the table. Such a sweet gesture, poor man I burst into tears!

Oh, i forgot the best one: when I first moved to London I made the silly error of stepping onto one of the old fashioned double decker busses, with the platform at the back, which wasn't at an official stop. As I stepped on the bus pulled off and I clung onto the pole for dear life. I dropped my handbag and a carrier bag onto the road and watched them fade into the distance. And around the corner came this young guy in a car waving my things, and he followed the bus to the next stop and returned them to me.

After a tough couple of years we are not in a very good financial position. Usually we are down to pennies at the end of the month. A lovely group of friends clubbed together and made me a hamper of food, cleaning products, treats for the children, bubble bath and a bottle of wine. I sobbed. Just to have some treats that I now consider 'luxury' was a real blessing.

Again, money related! My washing machine broke and there was no way for us to replace it. A beautiful friend gave me the money towards buying a new one, with no pressure to pay her back - ever. I do intend to pay her though. On the same night, people from my local church had clubbed together and put some money in a card (the words on the card made me sob) and told us to treat the family. The two acts together meant I could get my washing machine. I didn't even have enough money to use the laundrette and have 2 small children. I gave the leftover money to a friend who was struggling financially.

Random acts of kindness I have done:

Neighbours clearly had worse finances than us. They'd just had a baby so I bought a couple of packets of nappies. Left them on their back door step without a note.

An old man was in the queue in front of me at the supermarket. He had a basket with a few reduced tins in, a couple of 'value' items and big bag of worthers originals. He put his goods through and went to pay. I could see him counting out his pennies but he didnt have enough so asked the checkout assistant to take the worthers back. I paid for them and ran after him, told him I'd paid and just dropped them in his basket and ran back to my shopping. I felt awful to think he'd miss out on his little treat.

A young girl and her little boy had broken down in their car. I stayed with her until she'd got someone to recover the car and her dad picked them up. Let her use my phone whilst I kept her little boy warm and amused in my car. A small thing but I know how important that would've been to me in the same situation.

I do believe there are a lot of good people and always try to make a difference to someone fluffy

Aw, these are lovely.

A few months ago we took our 3 small DCs to London. On a quiet, sunny, very early morning in Trafalgar Square, before the crowds, our kids were having the best time playing on the edges of the fountains. They were engrossed for ages fishing out all the easy to reach coins and tossing them back. DH pointed out a nice old gent who passed by casually every now and then when they weren't looking and tossed some coins near the edge so their game could carry on.

I have a few...

I had a massive fight with my 'friend' in a bar (she'd got the wrong end of the stick and was screaming her head off at me blind drunk) - rather than retaliate I just walked out and burst into tears, hailing a taxi. He drove me home and then wiped the meter just as we got to my door.

I posted about this a while ago - I had a job interview and had to get the bus there. I didn't want to be checking my appearance just outside the interview site in case people so, saw I hid in the bus shelter and sorted my make up - I was so nervous I felt sick and thought it would distract me. A nice old man asked me what I was doing my make up for and I just blurted everything out about being nervous and he said "well I hope you get it - and you look a million dollars". I definitely didn't, but it was just what I needed to hear and it calmed me down. I got the job.

One on behalf of a friend - she was trying to get on the tube and her carrier bag split, sending her stuff everywhere. One man picked up all her things, another pulled her onto the tube before the doors shut, and once on the tube someone who had seen everything handed her a spare carrier bag so she didn't have an armful of stuff.

I was away at a conference on my birthday and someone there bought me a cupcake and put a candle on it... I was really touched as it was the first birthday cake I'd had for years; single parent with boys so my birthday gets ignored ;o)

First thing that came to mind was the lovely Irish nurse who did my post MC pregnancy test at Hammersmith EPU, she told me that when I was pregnant again, to come straight back to them as soon as I found out so they could give me a scan to put my mind at rest and not to worry as they'd look after me.
It might be common practice, I don't know, but after losing what was a random natural pregnancy after severe OHSS from a IVF cycle I had to stop, it meant the absolute world to me.

Here's another.When we moved in to our house there were loads of problems with the drains which kept getting clogged up so the toilets wouldnt flush and poor dh had to go out and try to clear them through two manhole covers.He was over 70 and found it very difficult especially as I was ill.The third time our next door neighbour came out with rods and did the whole job which was so smelly and disgusting.He then pressure hosed our drains every week until we had it sorted-what a star-thanks Nick!

The lovely tourists who found my wallet next to a park bench overlooking the sea in the town where I live (DS1 was little and I was very sleep deprived, I had given it to him to play with while I sat there drinking my large coffee, and he must have dropped it without me noticing), called the osteopath whose business card was in the wallet to get my phone number (they had my name from the bank cards), and then called me up and explained that they were going home that afternoon but had arranged for the wallet to be left at the B&B where they were staying. It really was above and beyond. The wallet was fairly empty, just had cards in it but very little cash, but has huge sentimental value for me.

The wonderful store manager in Next who when smallest child fell and spilt the back of his head open.She took us into the staff room chucked out all the staff who were on a break.carefully washed the blood from his hair to see the damage, taped a pad over it while filling in an accident book.She had one of the staff make me a cup of coffee while we waited for an ambulance.She gave me a bag with a new top for him, a new top for me as we were both covered in blood AND gave both DD's and DS a bar of chocolate to cheer them up.

I sent her a basket of flowers and chocolates as I had gone to peices when he did it.He had been told not to run and still havent worked out how he split the back of his head when he fell forwards.

Firstly thanks to MmeLindor for a lovely thread. This really should be on a sort of annual repeat. I am bawling my eyes out.

I was 41+5 with DD when I ran out of petrol on the way to another prodding by yet another set of midwives. I waddled into a motorbike shop and they brought out a can of petrol for the car and wouldn't take any money. Dd and I took in beer and money a fortnight later, and they were sweetly proud of heir little part in her advent.

my 17 year old nephew decided to walk part of the West Highland Way last summer with two friends. After days of relentless rain, his friends bailed out but DN was determined to finish. Unfortunately his "friends" took the only lighter with them, leaving him unable to light his camp stove and have hot food. Freezing cold, hungry and soaked to the skin he plodded on, asking any other walkers he met if he could buy matches or a lighter from them. No luck. Eventually he met an older couple and asked them if they had a lighter. The man asked DN "Are you an honest man?" to which he replied "yes, sir, I am."
The man then threw him his car keys and said "My car is parked down the track. Sit in it and get warm and then take the lighter from the glove compartment.Just leave the keys in the car door pocket"

I remember sitting feeding DS in town one day when he was about 6 weeks old. He was a high maintenance baby (difficult delivery, reflux, colic, etc) and I had been pretty ill. I was feeling really lonely and not sure whether I was any good at this mothering thing when I saw two mummies with older babies (about 10 months)...I couldn't imagine getting to that point...they just smiled and asked how old he was and said 'oh you look great and so organised, I couldn't even get out of a dressing gown at that stage...'. They were so kind and it meant so much at that time - really, really helped (he is 5.5 years now!). I always try to pay that one forward...

These are all such lovely gestures , I must live in a horrid town , Can't think of the slightest thing

To the nice man who lives in the bungalow opposite the park in our village.

Thank you so much for racing out of your house with an enormous umbrella when the heavens opened and I was doing battle with a raincover to keep the baby dry, while trying to persuade a 2 yo DS1 to put his coat back on. And thank you even more for holding the brolly over me while I accomplished these tasks, while getting soaked yourself.

You are a true gentleman

Lovely lovely thread.

The nurse who said "we're so sorry for your loss" when I was hospitalised with a miscarriage. A small thing which meant an awful lot.

I once threw up and fainted outside Pizza Express at Bluewater, having left DH and DD1 in there when I began to feel strange (migraine). The kind people who were asking me if I was okay when I came round, went to fetch DH, gave me tissues to mop up and ran to get a glass of water.