What’s the nicest thing a stranger has ever done for you?

[Queijo]

I have two, but I can’t choose.

Once when I’d just been diagnosed with epilepsy I had a seizure out of the blue on a bus alone with Dd and a woman jumped out of her seat, sat with Dd and sang with her whilst making sure I was ok and making sure Dd wasn’t panicking.

Second when Dd was days old I’d taken her out for the first time on my own, and we went to cafe for coffee and I was breastfeeding Dd. A woman came over and said you’re doing great. It was a second of interaction but to a first time mum I felt incredible after that.

Also anyone who waves to dd from a bus/tractor/train/bike!

Given me their centre court tickets at Wimbledon.

Hugged me, without saying a word, while I sobbed in the hospital loo after having a missed miscarriage found at a scan.

I'm bipolar. I didn't know until I was travelling in South America as a 18 year old. I got very sick (stomach bug) and this triggered my first manic episode. My friends dumped me as I was all over the place. A woman we met the day before travelled with me to the next town. Mid trip I was arrested for erratic behaviour. This woman who had only known me for 24 hours stayed 3 days in various prisons (mainly all male) as I was taken back to the capital. I was admitted to hospital, she visited twice and then I was after a month flown back to the UK. I never saw her again. I was quite badly beaten as it was by the police but fuck me if she hadn't been there lord knows.
She was an amazing angel.

When I had breast cancer a couple gave us a week in their 4 bedroom cottage on the Cornish coast in July for our family and a friend for the children. They made around 20 homemade scones for us as well.

Second one whilst on chemo going on a puffin boat trip DH tried to drive me to the boat as I was weak and got caught in the stones and the car could not get out and tide was coming in. Lots of people helped but especially 4 lovely people who stayed with us about 5 hours and 1 managed to find a farmer with a tractor to rescue us. The ladies helped me when I felt weak. They gave us cash to pay the tractor as we had got none and they didn't want my husband to leave me. We took their details to give them the cash back and money for drinks for being so kind and they messaged us that night to check we were OK. They offered to drive me 1 hour back to the B&B each way though I stayed with the car. Lovely people.

Lady who took DD in and I in to her home when it was pouring with rain and I was locked out with no keys. She needed to go shopping so left us with her house and kids and offered us food, drink, shelter and a phone. She even offered a bed for the night but DH came.

I was on holiday in Crete with my then partner who basically withdrew from the relationship the day I arrived and began behaving very nastily towards me. I was in my early 20s, in love, and didn’t have the emotional coping skills to stand up for myself or cope with the heartbreak. I was a mess. Plus we were camping in one tent, and it simply didn’t occur to me to head off on my own for a week.

On one day, though, I decided to explore on my own. I think I was nearly crying while I waited to get a bus somewhere (anywhere!). An older woman tourist started a conversation with me. She didn’t ask what was bothering me, but was so kind that I forgot about my sadness. She invited me to explore Phaistos with her. We had a wonderful day and then parted, me to return to the campsite and she to travel on to another part of Crete.

She was travelling on her own, wherever the fancy took her, and I’m pretty sure that if I’d suggested it, she’d have gladly agreed to spend a few days or a week together. She said I reminded her of her daughter. And it would have been the best thing I could have done for my relationship, to dash back to the tent, and leave a note saying ‘See you in a weeks time’!! Still wish I’d asked her!

It was long before mobile phones and social media, and we didn’t exchange details, but I’ve never forgotten Rachel from Nottingham.

Someone saved my life.

I was a small kid at the time, and was choking on a large sweet that was completely stuck in my throat, and I couldn't breathe. While DM was panicking, they gave me the Heimlich manouevre and the sweet shot out.

These are lovely 😍

My most dramatic one was a man in Buenes Aires who accompanied me from one end of the city to another when I asked him for directions! He was very sweet and didn't want or expect anything from me. Refreshing!

I think there are lots of kind people in tge world.

I love this thread. I like to believe there are more kind people in this world than not.

I was on a crazy busy dangerous expressway when I blew a tire. There was only a few feet of space on the side of the road to park my car, and I was hours from home and 17 and terrified as cars whizzed past. A man pulled up, asked me if I had a spare tire and did I know how to change it....? He was angry when I clearly didn't, but then took over and changed my tire in minutes. I tried to offer him money but he just barked at me to "Go home and have your father teach you how to do this,. You are lucky I stopped!" He was gruff, but he was a lifesaver and I absolutely did go right home and make my father teach me ho0w to do it. I called him my Angry Angel.
Anther time, again a car scenario. I misjudged a corner in a parking lot and got the rear tire wedged in a large planter thing. Again, hours from home. I called for a tow truck and he said he would be there in 3-4 hours (!!!). Resigned, I went to get back in the car and then saw a group of 5-6 men walking toward me from a nearby sporting goods store. They saw it happen and figured they could handle it. They lifted the back of my car out of the planter and set it down and I was rapidly on my way. The entire incident took less than 5 minutes. My only regret is I forgot to call back to cancel the tow truck.

Lots!

Chap coming to my rescue when as a teenager I was thrown off my pony and he drove me around looking until we found her and before she reached a major road where she most certainly would have been injured.

Breaking down in my car (different cars each time) and lovely men coming to my aid and pushing car off the road.

Always men that stop and offer to help a damsel in distress when it's car related.

Thankfully I haven't broken down with any modern vehicle and I'm probably too old to be a damsel! 😂

I was travelling alone to the states when I was 19. It was the first time I’d been on a plane alone and I was already stressed enough. When I got to the location of my change over flight my bag with all my things in it had gone missing and I almost missed my next flight because I was busy trying to track it down. The airport security guard saw how upset I was and left his post to drive me over to where I needed to be so I could get on the plane in time. I have no idea what I would have done if he hadn’t done that as I would have been stranded in a foreign country with no money.

A random stranger told me I looked "fabulous" last week when I ran into a cafe to get some water.
I've had a really shit year and a half and it really picked me up.

I have a few:

• Years back before online shopping was a thing I was struggling with a weeks worth of shopping and a toddler - walking up a hill on the way home. A man walking past kindly took the bulk of my heavy bags and dropped them at my doorstep for me. I was so grateful!

• Got lost abroad with a friend. Asked a local man in a shop for directions and he spoke to his boss then took us to our destination in his car. It would have taken us ages to walk as we had gone entirely in the wrong direction.

• Car got stuck on a hill one snowy day going home from work. A group of locals lads came out of a nearby pub and pushed my car to top of the slope so I was able to make it home safely.

My ASD son had a spectacular meltdown on a toboggan and got off it, leaving it on the track with others heading towards it. All I could hear were the other parents complaining as I walked over (whilst wanting the ground to swallow me up) I couldn't lift it off, and was dealing with both of my boys! A man walked over, put his hand on my shoulder and calmly lifted it off for me, I promptly burst into tears as he just walked away, giving me the chance to manoeuvre both boys out of the place.

Was with ds2 going to see Singing Hands in Hampton. No taxis were available... Ds2 was about to have a meltdown. Stopped three people about to get in a car to ask directions to Hampton School. They loaded us in their car and dropped us off on their way to their destination!!

I'll never forget the kind lady who helped me in the Tesco car park when my DS2 was having an epic meltdown and refusing to get in the car. He was going through the worst phase of not wanting to be put in the car seat, I'd managed to get him in the car and on the way to the shop he fell asleep and I miraculously transferred him to his pram and managed a little shop. However once I got back to the car he woke up and went mental, screaming and arching his back refusing to get in the seat. I had my shopping and pram behind the car with the boot open and people were staring as they were walking past. I stopped for a while and tried to calm him down but he was having none of it. I couldn't physically force him in the chair without breaking his arm, he was so stubborn and I was getting hot and flustered and very close to crying myself. Then, a kind lady pulled over and got out of her car and asked how she could help, I told her thank you very much but she didn't have to but she put all of the shopping and pram into the boot for me. She could see I was struggling and instead of driving off she stopped to help, I was very grateful. Eventually DS calmed down and I got him in the car and when I got home I cried but remembered that lady's kindness. Thankfully he grew out of that phase and is now a very happy and cooperating nearly 4 year old who loves going to the shop!

A stranger paying £10 cash for hospital parking when the machine wouldn't accept my card. I was feeling very overwhelmed at the time after visiting a critically ill relative, and this small act of kindness felt that my distress was recognised and that I was being given a virtual hug.

These are all so heartwarming.

Another nice one was when I was visiting my partner in hospital. I’d got a lift down and was expecting to get a taxi back but there were just no taxis anywhere and this was years ago, before Uber or even mobile phones. Oh, and the pay phones were mobbed and it was too far for me to walk and get a bus as I’m disabled. I was pretty upset at my partner’s state and rather panicked about getting home and a man saw and asked where I needed to go. He took me right home and it turned out he knew my next-door-but-one neighbours. I always try to keep an eye out for people needing help and especially in hospitals.

Also another was the lady who sat next to me on a flight to Vienna. We got talking and it turned out she had a holiday home near my sister. We shared a taxi from the airport. We met for dinner the next night and then we went back to her flat. We had discussed The Third Man on the flight and she put the DVD on for me to watch....

I was at a theme park years ago when my elder DC were little and youngest wasn't even born then and I had my wallet stolen. I only realised after I'd queued up and picked up food and drinks for me and 2 DC and we were queuing to pay and I realised it was gone. It had been in my handbag. I was so embarrassed. A man and lady insisted on paying for our food and drinks. I couldn't thank them enough. They sat and chatted to my DC whilst I rang the bank and cancelled my cards. Thankfully they hadn't used the cards but there was about £80 cash in my wallet and £30 of it was DD's birthday money I had to replace for her.

My neighbour who regularly sends food round. Always seems to be on the days I can’t face cooking.

The random lady who said “I think you’re a great mom” on the bus.

The guys who gave us their spare tickets for a Blink 182 gig when I was handing out flyers outside. It was about 10 years ago but still makes me very happy.

A pub cleaning lady who found me early one morning, aged about 19, slumped outside on the pub windowsill, feeling sick and faint with period pain (i was later diagnosed with severe endo). I was trying to walk to work & just couldn't go on.
She took me inside, stretched me out on a sofa, made me a pot of tea, said 'you rest there as long as you like, pet' and carried on cleaning and hoovering around me. When i revived enough she rang me a taxi home.

I was so grateful for her kindness.

I was abroad for the first time on my own I Italy aged 18 and didn't speak much of the language. I'd been told that Italy was full of petty thieves and men who would pinch your arse and hassle you. I lost my wallet with everything in it including my passport in the Florence post office and was distraught. It was handed in untouched. Every man I encountered in three months was polite and pleasant.

My ds 6 got lost in the dark in minus 10 degrees snow up the alps (long story). A French woman found him and phoned the police. But she insisted on accompanying him and stayed with him until we were reunited, 20 mins or so. She had some English and talked to him, played in the snow with him and hugged him. I think and hope I thanked her properly but I was in such a state I don't know. I'm sure she knows what she did for me and I often think of her when I get those nightmare flashbacks.

I had a very drunken argument with a boyfriend while away for a weekend and decided to walk to the train station which was miles away in the small hours and get the train home. I made it a fair distance but a taxi driver stopped and checked I was ok. I was clearly in no fit state and he took me to the station and insisted I sat in the taxi until the station was open/there were more people around in the morning. He refused to leave me alone in a secluded place and behaved like a typical "dad".

At the time I thought I was fine but with the benefit of experience I realise how vulnerable I was and he quite possibly prevented me from falling victim of my own stupidity or someone else's criminal intentions.

Also when I was in hospital having had a baby, there was need to hit the red button when the baby stopped breathing. Everyone ran into the room so quickly and it was dealt with straight away and everything was quickly ok. This happened to be over a mealtime and the hospital were very strict that you had to go and collect your food between certain times and if you didn't, you for nothing . I was totally bewildered and drained after all the staff left me with my now breathing baby, and a staff member quietly came in and brought me some food and a drink and didn't really say anything but the gesture and thought was so kind. I doubt I managed to even thank her properly but she was so amazing I hope she knew what a difference she made to me