What are the kindest things that strangers have done for you?ve done for you

[TheKindestOfStrangers]

Just recently, we were on holiday in Europe and we went to a very well known "posh" cafe for coffee and cake as a special treat.

While we were there, we got talking to a very lovely couple from a central Asian country on the table just next to us. We chatted for maybe 10-15 minutes, and then they were ready to get their bill and go. Much to my surprise, they then insisted on paying for our bill too. I was bowled over by their kindness and amused by the slightly confused look on the waiter's face.

It got me thinking about other random acts of kindness that I have experienced from strangers. One that sticks in my mind is an American guy that I met at King's Cross tube station around 12 years ago. I was travelling to Heathrow airport to catch a long haul flight with my young daughter. We had left home with loads of time to spare, but there was a major problem with the tubes that day and there were no trains. Initially, I was unpeturbed as I had built in a significant buffer, but it gradually became apparent that the tubes just weren't going to be up and running any time soon, and I was starting to panic about whether we were going to get there. The American guy (who I had been chatting to on the platform while waiting) suddenly said that he would call us a taxi to Heathrow and he insisted on paying for it. So incredibly kind!

Please tell me your stories about the kind things that complete strangers have done for you! I am inspired to spread the kindness to others!

After an event, quite heavily pregnant whilst waiting in long taxi queue back to our hotel got chatting to a lovely lady and her daughter who were local and advised the taxis only take cash not card. Not sure what to do she quickly offered for us to share her taxi into the city and paid, refused to give us her bank details to reimburse. Such a nice lady, she also stated she was a foster carer and had been for years. One of life’s good people!

What a gorgeous thread this. I'm getting a little bit teary eyed

Lovely thread. My sister and I travelled in India and we met a man for lunch who she had some
business dealings with, first time they’d met in person. Had our meeting, wished us well. That night my sister became very unwell and couldn’t keep down fluids, we decided to call him to ask for advice on how to seek medical help. He came, brought us to the hospital, brought us to his home and looked after us there for a few days. So generous and a wise man too, gave us lots of sage advice in the process.

When my gran was on EOL care I had ti go down to Asda several times a day and collect the injectable morphine. The pharmacist looked at the prescription I had and handed me a pile of car park tickets (usually it’s minimum spend but I literally didn’t care about paying) and said use as many as you need in the next few days.
She died 2 days later. Have never forgotten the kindness.

Wigan 1992.
Jumped on a bus and then realised I didn't have enough change to pay my fare, and the driver had no change (remember when bus fares were less than a fiver?)
A kind lady got up from her seat and paid the difference, about 90 pence.
I had some postage stamps on me & offered her these in exchange, but she wouldn't hear of it, saying it was nothing. Bless her, I've never forgotten it.

Not me, but my mother. I was working abroad and she was visiting me- the first time she had travelled on her own. I was working and she was wandering around the city I lived in. She noticed a man following her, and every time she looked at him he would duck behind a sign or a display etc. She went into a shop and started crying in fear and the shop owner let her ring me at work (days before she had a mobile phone). While I was coming to get her in a taxi another female tourist sat with her and gave her a little glass figurine of her own to hold. When I turned up my mother tried to hand the figurine back to her and the woman told her it was her own 'lucky charm' that she always travelled with and she wanted my mother to have it.

That was 25 years ago, and my mother still takes it everywhere she goes.

Offered me a place to sleep

Thought of another one -

A few years ago there was a post on here asking if anyone had a specific happy meal toy - the emojis iirc.

I was working at McDonald's at the time and it was really easy for me to collect up all the spare ones to send the young lad.

Didn't expect anything in return but the family sent me a gorgeous card and box with two slices of cake it in! I was having a horrible time and it really gave me a lift!

Ds was 8 weeks old and the weather was horrendous outside, gales, big gusts and rain. (I didn’t drive at this point) was determined to prove that I was doing a great job as a mum and make it to the baby massage group I had signed up to. Only myself and another mum had arrived as others had sensibly cancelled due to the weather. Anyway the other mum who was there offered to drive us home, fast forward 22 years and she’s my best friend.

we were both obviously meant to go to that class and meet that day.

When I had just passed my driving test I got stuck in a parking bay as I was too close to the car next to me (wall on the other side) and couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to get out, so of course I was panicking.
A man came and talked me through it bit by bit and got me out of the spot, I initially thought he owned the car next to me and that was why, but no, just a Good Samaritan trying to help and I was so grateful, I don’t know what I’d have done without him!

Your story made me cry, what a lovely lovely man.

I received some unexpected bad news over the phone while I was in a supermarket. I finished the call and burst into tears. Without saying a word, a young woman came over to me and said "would a hug from a stranger help?". I've never been so grateful for a hug in my life. We didn't speak and after the hug she just said "I hope you are ok".

Thinking back, as well as being incredibly kind, it was kinda brave too to put herself out there not knowing what my reaction would be.

During lockdown there were restrictions on buying baby formula. I picked up 4 of the small ready-made bottles for my grizzling newborn (no boxes of powder left on the shelf) and went to the till. They said '2 bottles only' and refused to sell me more. I went out to the car park and a man shouted and came running over. It was the person behind me in the queue. He had bought the 2 remaining bottles and gave them to me. I could've hugged him ... but, you know, social distancing forbade it. I'll never forget him.

I love this. Those little comments when you're feeling overwhelmed mean the world. I too try to do the same.

In mcdonalds with my non verbal autistic son. He was absolutely fine waiting as we were practising our makaton in the collection line. Lots of workmen came in with really loud booming voices and he started to fret, turned into a meltdown and was on the floor beside himself.

I was picking him up to leave and a staff member shouted over "what's your order number?" and immediately rushed to complete it ahead of others. At this point I didn't care about the food, honestly, and just needed to get him out of there. Another lady, a customer, came over and handed him her chips - she didnt say a word.

I was really at the verge of tears at the not only the stress but the kindness of the staff member and the customer. We got to the door and was headed to the car when the staff member ran after me with our order.

When I got him in the car (still screeching and violent), I sat at the wheel and just sobbed. The pair of us for a good 4-5 mins. Eventually he regulated himself and signed for "dinner". I gave him his meal and he was happy to eat it in the car.

It's only a very small gesture of kindness but my god it went a long way. Had the staff member not ran after me with the order, I'd have had another problem not having "dinner" for him at all!

Half a century ago I was on holiday with a friend in Communist Poland when we were invited by a mother and daughter we met in a park to go around to their place for dinner.

When we got there they were living in two rooms with granny and a dog as well in a dilapidated old building. They shared a toilet with nine other families, and their only cooking for facilities comprised a cooker and a sink behind a curtain in the living room.

After dinner I used my phrase book to tell my hostess how much I admired a table lamp she had which depicted a bouquet of flowers, with a tiny little light bulb inside each flower head. She immediately jumped up unplugged it and took it out of the room.

I was completely bewildered and wondered if I had said something to offend her. She reappeared a few minutes later with a brown parcel wrapped up very neatly with string, beamed at me with a big smile and laid it in front of me saying 'twoja lampa'. I was so embarrassed because I did not mean that I wanted the lamp, I was just complimenting her on how pretty it was.

I was mortified but also deeply touched that someone who lived in such terrible deprived circumstances would immediately give her pretty lamp to somebody from the West, who, compared with them, must have seemed like a millionaire. I struggled with the phrase book and dictionary to try to explain that I could not possibly deprive her of her beautiful lamp but she absolutely would not take it back it was mine; it was a gift; I was her guest; and I said I liked it and therefore she wanted me to have it and take it back to England.

I had the lamp adapted to the British electrical system, and put it in my bedroom. It made me remember her every single day for years.

Years ago I was at the supermarket checkout with the DDs in their double buggy. I was 1€ short and as I’d bought a newspaper I was going to put it back when the woman behind me in the queue handed 1€ to the assistant and said the newspaper was on her. It was a very tiny gesture but it meant a lot to me as life in general was a bit difficult - we didn’t have the internet or a TV, hence the newspaper.

Since then I’ve done the same for other people a few times.

Earlier this year my son was in hospital with suspected meningitis. I popped out to get myself some breakfast, our baby had a chest infection at the same time so DH had to stay at home with her as she was off nursery. We don't have much family support. There was a little gift shop in the hospital so I stopped to see if I could pick my son something up. Well they had these little "to my son" cards with lovely sentimental words and I lost it, started crying despite trying to pretend I was fine. The lady on the till literally ran over to me, asked me all about my boy and gave me such a big hug. I didn't realise how much I desperately needed that reassurance and it meant so much. Also being able to get it out and have a cry to return to smiling positive mum for my son. Thankfully it wasn't meningitis in the end just a combo of another infection with a virus on top and he got to go home 2 days later. She probably sees upset or stressed people every day yet it was so heartfelt. Bless her.

When I was in secondary school I had to get off the bus about 20 minutes from home to throw up. A girl my own age got off after me, offered me water and tissues, and then walked with me all the way home before going on to her own home.

What a wonderful thread! I have a few I can’t add also as too outing, and the more unusual ones are from travelling or living in other countries but I have plenty from the UK too especially people going above and beyond to help in an emergency.

It just goes to show that the vast majority of people are good and kind and decent. The vast majority. I wish we heard about them more often. It may help people feel more optimistic about the world!

In fact I’m going to remember this question as a nice one to ask when socialising with friends and family in future 😊

After my first Botox appointment, I walked out onto the street and fainted. I awoke having been lifted back to the clinic by a couple of people. Embarrassing but also nice to know people are decent.

We were in Paris, waiting to board our Eurostar home, when a fire broke out in the tunnel. No one quite knew what was happening apart from there being no trains! We went back to our original hotel but they had no room, but the guy on reception rang around other hotels to get us a room. We were then trying to figure out how to get home - this was pre smart phones as it was 2008 so headed to an internet cafe.

By luck we were sat next to a British girl who lived in Paris who very kindly translated websites for us, wrote down instructions on how to get to the coach station and also offered to pay for our tickets as our credit card wouldn't work (we refused her kind offer!) She was so lovely and made a stressful few hours less so.

Then the next day we headed to the coach station and there were no coaches till the next evening. But we befriended an Aussie couple in the queue who were then informed by a friend that Eurostar were putting on coaches - they told us so we could all leg it back to Gare du Nord and we all managed to get on one of three coaches home that day. They didn't need to tell us but did anyway! I'm not sure when we would have got home if they hadn't!

Virgin Atlantic long haul, alone flying first time with baby. My 8 month baby threw up during food serving with trolleys blocking aisles. I had purchased a seat for him as no cots available. I was frantically trying to clean and apologise to everyone. So horrified could barely make eye contact with anyone.
The flight attendant brought me fresh clean towels, a toiletries kit & plastic bag for dirty clothes from first class and escorted me to extra large loo. I took my time, carefully washed up my boy in the loo, came back to seat where someone had finished cleaning the mess. He had needed full clothes change, & hair wash in the loo. I sat down, flight attendant brought my meal as I had missed. And then asked for my baby and she carried him around the plane cooing and soothing him while I ate, then returned baby and took the tray. Thanked her profusely nearly crying from her kindness
Still amazed that a flight attendant did this. I sometimes cynically think - carrying a vomit baby probably a nice break from passengers!

This is a lovely thread. I agree with pp who said that most people are kind. I have to remind myself of that sometimes but it is generally my experience.
When I went to university, I had a very long journey. My parents couldn't take me. The train was too expensive so I did a bus journey that involved changing in London. It was carefully planned and didn't involve much distance at the changing point. I was loaded with bags and could only take a few steps before having to stop. When I arrived in London, my route was unavailable. I had to walk a much longer distance in an unfamiliar direction. Despite being skint, I had to get a taxi. The driver was lovely. Reassured me, encouraged me, helped me with my bags and then refused to take any payment. I have never forgotten him and always try to pay it forward.

I recently went to a building society to open two ISAs for my children. My DM died last year and left them both a little bit of money each. The lady who was doing the appointment was around my age and we got chatting. I'm a single parent and money is very tight and I now have a mortgage until I'm 70 after I bought the ex out. Anyway, she offered to go through a few of my finances, gave me some contacts for boiler cover and insurances and advised me about how to do wills and POA the cheapest way. None of this was to sell me her work products. She was just being super kind and spent ages with me. I wanted to hug her. Being a single mum is overwhelming sometimes and she was so kind