What is the kindest thing a stranger has ever done for you?

[user83921]

What is the kindest thing a stranger has ever done for you?

I was changing DS in an airport on some makeshift table, far from the bin and some lovely stranger kindly swooped in and disposed of the bag with the incredibly shitty diaper in it.

Not huge but really helped after a stressful journey etc.

listsandbudgets

^

OMG I'm nearly crying at that one!

I was on a day trip to Venice on a package holiday and arrived after being sick on the coach and boat. I sat at a table outside a restaurant with my head in my hands feeling dreadful. A lovely Italian lady took me into her apartment, put me to bed and left me to sleep for two hours. When I woke, feeling much better, she made me some hot tea. I was a complete stranger. I will never forget her.

EastMidsGP your first post is so lovely. I'm really unwell atm and wish someone would do the same for me!

EastMidsGP this made me cry. What a wonderful person your friend was.

I was once in crisis and my boss (who I hardly knew) and her husband put me up for several months, they treated me like a daughter and probably saved my life. There are some wonderful people out there quietly making life better in many ways.

I was late, stressed and having a panic attack and generally making a complete tit of myself when I couldn't pay for parking, when a nice lady came and payed it for me.

We were on a really long car journey and my DS (aged 2 at the time) was throwing a right wobbly because we hadn't brought him ice-cream. He kicked the table and split all the coffee, everyone around was tutting, but the staff were lovely and made no fuss at all and came over with a replacement coffee for free.

The first time I was away for work, I was flying to San Jose, but got transferred to San Francisco instead at 3am, some people on the flight helped me out and let me ride in their taxi, I was extremely grateful!

When I was a student catching the train back to uni (6hr + train trip), I sat down on one of the last available seats, just to realise I had sat down next to a very drunk, very chatty Glaswegian. 10 minutes into the journey i realised that i was going to be stuck, listening to stories about how he rescued a baby, how pretty i was, did i have a boyfriend, (imaginary boyfriend quickly invented). I was rescued by a lovely old lady in the seat in front who insisted that i needed to sit with her as we were both getting off at the same station, she was lovely and chatty to the man and I was very grateful to come and sit with her.

i was very down and crying walking around my local park, a lady spotted i looked sad and chatted to me and let me pat her dogs, it was a small thing but made the world of difference

In Japan & asked someone outside the door of a restaurant some directions, he disappeared but came back having printed a map from google maps & was accompanied with a customer who insisted on escorting us there on foot

I lost my wallet while pissed out of my face once. Two days later, a courier arrived with it. The finder had paid for it to be delivered back to me by a courier.

Ran out of petrol on a busy roundabout with 3 kids in the back. Woman stopped with some shouting teenagers in the back..sorry to say it but i felt intimidated..bad part of town but they were lovely, she took a tenner from me and went to get petrol..didnt think id see them again but lo and behold 20 minutes later came back with petrol and made sure i was ok until i got the car going again.
Havent forgot that

I have printed this thread of beautifulness to read on the bus on the way home.

What an incredible thread. :)

I was rescued from a broken down car after hitting a flooded corner on a very rural lane. It wasn't long after Marie Wilkes had been murdered locally on the M50, it was pitch dark in the pouring rain and my car wouldn't start again. I sat shaking and crying for an hour when lights came up behind me and a man appeared at my window. I was torn between relief and terror - turned out to be a genuinely lovely car tuner guy on his way home, and it took him well over an hour to get my car going again. I've never forgotten his kindness, he followed me back to a main road so he knew I was safe. I found him in the Yellow Pages the next day and he refused to take a penny off me for his time and the parts.... said he had a DD that he hoped someone would do the same for one day.

Teenage Boy (Not sure how old - Probably Fifteen or Sixteen) Stopped a Man from approaching my little girl by standing in front of her and saying "She's my cousin. Her Mum is just there, I can get her if you like". The man could have been old enough to be my grandfather. I gave him a five-pound note and told him to treat himself and his little brothers who were kicking a ball about not far from the park we were in.

I often wonder why Parents can't raise their boys to be Gentlemen. It doesn't do them any harm

The day before pay day I put petrol in my diesel car … the car full of lads started shouting at me & I thought oh do eff off across the forecourt and the woman behind me honking her horn because I was taking too long. While trying to work out what I should do. One of the lads got out and came over to say he was a mechanic and did I want the tank draining? They had choice words to the impatient lady and pushed my car out of the way, drained the tank, went and got a fuel cleaning detergent from the motor factors and refilled the car with diesel.
They refused to take any money.

wow some of these are just amazing and lovely.

All I came on to say was I was walking down a street and it was tipping it down and a very smart man looking business man walked along beside me with his huge lovely umbrella, keeping me dry, until he got to his car, then handed me the umbrella and said keep it. I kept the umbrella it was huge and expensive and fab. Until idiot Dh lost it

Very heavily pregnant and visibly knackered in the supermarket and the lady in front of me in the queue stopped to pack my shopping for me - a small but welcome gesture.

Broken down on motorway standing over the barrier of the hard shoulder waiting for breakdown company with young (but heavy!) baby in my arms, it was windy and very busy and loud - a young man stopped to ask if I would like his jacket and if there was anything he could do to help

Love these especially EastMidsGPs and listsandbudgets.

One that sticks in mind for me is when I was about 15 years old. I got very drunk at a New Year party and had an argument with my friend so left the house I was in with no phone or money. I went to a phone box and tried to reverse call my parents but it wouldn't work. Not really sure what happened next, I must have sat down and tried to sleep in the phone box but was approached by a group of men probably in their 20s (I was extremely drunk it's all a bit of a blur).

They took me to a house nearby and got my parents' phone number from me, rang them and explained they'd found me and called me a taxi. While I was waiting for the taxi they sat with me and got me a drink, they were all pretty drunk themselves. They then walked me out to the taxi and my mum paid it at the other end. I think they may have also rang my mum later to make sure I was home safe.

I was a very stupid but lucky girl that night, I still think to myself how different things could have been had the wrong person found me in that state. My mum and step dad were gutted, I'd told them I was staying with my friend my parents were very naive when I was a teenager.

I had a big bleed at 14 weeks pregnant with a very longed for baby. Friday night in a big city centre hospital. Absolutely sobbing my eyes out in the busy A&E waiting room (where I was advised to go). I could hardly breathe for crying so quietly but hard, trying not to be noticed. A little old lady came and sat next to me and just gently took my hand, handed me a beautiful embroidered handkerchief to wipe my eyes and just said 'Whatever it is, you'll get through it. It'll be OK'.

Everything turned out to be fine and my beautiful son is thriving. I'll never forget that lady.

I got completely lost driving alone from Caen to the ferry at Ouistreham, years ago, no satnav, dark night. To cap it all, my front lights would only stay on if I kept a finger on the switch, and of course I was on the wrong side for tolls. Came off the toll road, where I was going in the wrong direction, and plunged into deep countryside. Came across a tiny village with a bar, went in to ask if anyone had a better map I could look at. People kindly produced maps and tried to explain the route, then a woman just said she would lead me in her car:; she drove in front of me until I couldn't go wrong.

A man cleaned seagull poo off my car. I came out of my house to find him there mopping it off, he just said I can't walk past and leave it, it will be bad for your paintwork.

Unescorted Wow! Someone in my office put the wrong fuel in her car. She was a member of the AA and it cost her over £200 (£230 I think).

A lady patting me on my shoulder and handing my a tissue through my window whilst I sat in my car crying. She didn’t know why I was crying but she cared enough to do that which made me cry more.

I was about 18 and on a late train into Birmingham one night, pretty empty carriage and all of a sudden a strange guy on the other side of the aisle started asking me weird questions. It quickly turned into creepy "you'd look nice in a dress" and so on and I was clearly uncomfortable and not responding. I started to panic as I thought we were the only 2 people left in the carriage, when another guy stood up and looked over from a few rows down. He must have realised what was happening, so then came and stood between me and the creepy man for half an hour talking to him about anything he could think of, then convinced him to move into the next carriage and followed him down there to make sure he didn't come back. The whole time he didn't talk to me at all and I never got to thank him, he was literally a god send and I'm so grateful to him.

Nothing to add but some really lovely stories here ♥️

When my daughters friend overturned her car with my girl as front passenger two soldiers on their way back to their barracks held my daughter, covered her with their jackets, kept her awake and stroked her hand until the ambulance arrived. I cry every time I think of this. Such wonderful lads who comforted my girl when I wasnt there.