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!

My dog was attacked last week by two other dogs and I was so upset. I drove her straight to the vets where they took her immediately into the consulting room to check her over. A lady grabbed hold of me, hugged me and said she was not letting me go until I stopped shaking.

I thought that was lovely and so kind.

I've just lost myself in this amazing thread.

I only have one of my own to share...

I had taken DD (4 at the time) to a petting zoo about 40 minutes away from home and had a tyre blow out on the way home. Luckily just down the road from a garage. No clue how to put the space saver on (I have since learned), DH was away with work and my dad was two hours away, rang the RAC (wasn't a member) and they said it would be a few hours. A group of around 20 motorcycles pulled in to refuel and I walked over and gave my best damsel in distress act, 15 minutes later we were on our way. I have never, ever forgotten their kindness.

I don't think I have ever done anything spectacular to help others but reading this thread, who knows, maybe I have. I will always help where I can, over to carry the wheels of buggies up flights of stairs, have paid when people at the till don't have enough money etc.

I think we forget with things how they are at the moment that so many people out there have truly good hearts.

Such a lovely thread 🥰

Ran out of petrol on a country road
A lady who lived in a cottage nearby drove past, discovered what was wrong, and drove to the town to pick up a can of petrol ❤️

I have had a few. The one that sticks out is this. I was dropping my son to nursery and then going to work. Car broke down mid-way. A man was heading out the housing estate the nursery was in and saw me. It was absolutely pouring down with rain. He pushed my car off the road and round the corner to his house. Asked me in gave me tea and a lift the rest of the way to nursery. The guy had a work van I recognized and said, my wife is out I'll understand if you don't want to come in. Let me leave my car on the drive way to sort out later. I know some people will say that's really dangerous! I knew a few families on the estate and it was small and close knit. I took him and his wife a small gift to say thanks.

My Mum once delivered a baby in the toilets of departures in Palma Airport. She just went in to go to loo and there was a woman in distress. Mum shouted for help but the baby was starting to come out. By the time help came she had delivered it!

When I was panicking about a road being closed and having to be at a family emergency, first time driving alone a kind couple told me the alternative route and drove it so I could follow them

A woman overheard me telling me I would meet my friends later as they had tickets to a show and I didn't have one and offered me a spare ticket as her husband couldn't make it

The florist who asked me about the flowers when I was planning my mums funeral and was just so kind

where did you go next? Hope you were/are ok now 💐

That’s brilliant! And so funny.

Went travelling with a “friend” things didn’t work well and we quickly separated. Over several months we started building the friendship back up over the phone, we’d stayed in different cities during our year trip to this country and still had tickets to move on to another country. I gave up my room in a lovely house share, gave up a good temp job and met up with her for Christmas and then we were supposed to be doing a road trip , actually hitch hiking to our next destination.

Anyway my “friend” had no intention of doing that she apparently decided after we’d set off to book a flight for herself to the final city we were heading to for NY, I didn’t have the money to fly so she left me to hitch hike on my own. She said she’d call me with the backpacker details of where she’d booked us into and see me a day or 2 before NY eve.

I hitched staying in backpackers and doing odd cash jobs, no call or text. Come NY eve I’m 2 hours drive from the final destination and it’s gone lunchtime. This car stopped with 3 young lads, at first I was hhmmm never get in the car with more than one man but it was pissing it down and although I don’t get emotional I was about to burst into tears. They ended up driving me all the way and just asked if I’d put a bit of petrol in the car. Eventually I ended up in the right city, no idea where I was staying and just by chance bumped into my so called friend. Luckily her friends thought she was wrong not to tell me the backpackers that had been booked, she actually said I’d lost my booking because I was 2 days late, but I hadn’t. She was going to leave me on my own in a city with no where to sleep.

I bumped into the lads that gave me a lift and hung out with them for a while. I was back in the backpackers by midnight because she’d “lost” me. The next day I made some plans to enjoy the city without her, did what I’d always wanted to do and then booked myself on a coach to take me out of there. The following night I had one of the best nights of my life in a random city with a group of backpackers. By weeks end I was back in the city I’d made friends and got my temp job back. They ended up sponsoring me to stay in the country another year.

I met lots of nice people while hiking, but those 3 lads changed their NY plans to help me out, even feeding me. I will never forget that, especially as they were so young about 18.

Was with dd on the way to a party (driven 2hrs) and a Highways Van decides to block the road right outside the attraction we had a timeslot for. He had parked diagonally across the road on purpose side to stop traffic coming in the other direction as that was the road being closed. After 15mins of waiting to him chatting to 2 cars and deliberately ignoring me stuck behind him, I decided to try to go half a meter onto the grass to get around his van and make our time slot. Didn't see a small ditch, tyre sized, in the long grass. My car dipped and got stuck. At this point he turns, laughs and points and shouts over to me it was my fault and that I deliberately drove into the ditch. Then moves his van 1 meter to the right, into the lane he was meant to be blocking. I've had to send dd off to the party alone (not too far thankfully as this was at the entrace to the venue) and am sitting in the car trying not to cry, having called RAC while the delightful Highways man has called 2 mates to come and see me stuck. They're relishing in my obvious distress.
About 20mins later a truly lovely man with a white ute and spaniel came by, saw my dog in the boot and stopped to ask what had happened. Was quite shocked that the man was still staring and laughing and thankfully asked if I wanted a tow. While he helped tow me out the Highways man kept shouting "Help her out at your peril mate!" Was out within 5 minutes and could finally join in with the kids' party. I hope the man with the ute and spaniel has a wife or partner on here who can thank him, he really restored my faith in men that day. If you're married to the fat bald Highways guy, I'm very sorry for you 😔

My brother took his life at Christmas and a couple of weeks later I went into our village church to light a candle. It’s just something I like to do. There was an elderly lady there about to start cleaning but she told me to go ahead. I lit the candle and sat for a few minutes. I realised how quiet it was and she hadn’t started cleaning. Got up to leave and saw she had also sat down to give me time or whatever. As I walked past her she stood up and asked if I was ok. Of course I burst into tears and she just took me in her arms and comforted me, listened to the whole story and gave me some great words of wisdom. She was incredibly kind and I’ll never forget her. I haven’t seen her again but I really hope to at some point when I’m feeling better and thank her and tell her what it meant to me.

At our Vets surgery there is a candle on the reception desk which has a card next to it reading 'when lit, someone is saying goodbye to their beloved family member, please wait quietly and respectfully'. It genuinely makes a huge difference.

Our Vet also sends personal handwritten cards after the final visit. Heart-warming, especially as we know it's a hard part of their job too.

I'd had to go to the hospital by myself to have a miscarriage confirmed - my husband had to stay at home to look after our other children and no one else could come. I was expecting it, but obviously came out distraught.

I was quietly sobbing in the lift and an older lady just held my hand and patted it without talking, walked me to my car holding my hand, gave me a hug and whispered 'it will be alright pet'.

That few minutes of quiet comfort meant the world to me

I'm 53 now but when I had recently passed my test in my 20s I was driving from a country road in Hampshire and I was in the wring lane mistaking it for a dual carriageway not single lane.. this driver flashed and flashed me and drove right up behind me - I thought it was aggressive so moved over .. only to realise they were not only warning me but also had put themselves in a dangerous position .. I think about this often and shudder and am grateful at the same time

Wrong lane **

@fluffycloudalert that didn’t happen in South Wales did it?

I was on holiday in Europe, alone. Felt very ill. Upshot was I was taken by taxi to hospital with suspected meningitis. Taxi driver helped me into the hospital, explained to a receptionist and she found a wheelchair and pushed me through to A&E. Seen by a doctor in less than 10 minutes. Turned out to not be meningitis but a really vile virus. Had to stay in my hotel room for nearly a week, reception staff, unasked, brought me pots of tea.
Eventually made it to the airport feeling very weak as I’d barely eaten in a week. Got talking to a lovely lady and her son who helped me into the plane, got my luggage for me in Stansted , then called her husband to meet us at the exit door where they drove me to where my car was parked.