Rescued Today By a Man. Feeling very grateful

[NeverGoingToBeThinAgain]

I have a reliable little car (had for 7 years old) and it has never given me any trouble. A few weeks ago I thought it was taking longer to start than usual and thought I better take it into kwik fit to get checked but then it seemed to be starting fine again and I have to admit it slipped down my priority list.

Today the battery died on me while I was out with the dog and had a full shop in the boot (with frozen stuff). In the interest of cutting costs/saving money I cancelled my green flag membership a few years ago. Mainly because I only drive about in our local town and hardly ever do long journeys now and also because up to now I've never had a days bother with my car.

Obviously I was regretting that today. I was sitting in my car helplessly trying to start it for 5 mins and coming to the conclusion I was probably going to have to phone up the AA and get charged a huge fee to join and get jump started.

I then realised the man at the next car along was talking to the shop worker and asking if he had jump leads to try and help me. I was so touched to realise this complete stranger was taking it upon himself to help me when I hadn't even asked.

Anyway shop worker said they weren't allowed to give us jump leads due to insurance but they sold them in shop. Shit - I had no money with me as I had just popped down to collect shopping (done online all paid for). Stranger Man was on phone to his mum asking how much jump leads were in Tesco and they were £15. He then went into shop and bought jump leads and insisted I take them home with me. That was after he used them to start my car. He had already diagnosed the problem while we were waiting.

I came home and cried because I couldn't believe how kind this man had been (I'm in my fifties and overweight, so not some hot young thing).

So if you are married to a train driver from Fife who shops at Tesco (his wife was a train driver too he said) your husband was my hero today. I'm back home now and of course will be taking out an AA membership before driving anywhere and also going to kwik fit to get the battery changed asap.

The man was also with his two young children and so it was not convenient for him to help me as he had to look after them and he had just collected his own shop too.

We read on here bad things about people all the time and I have to say I never expect kindness from strangers. So for all those that have lost faith in men (or people) this is my story for you.

Meanwhile I pledge to play it forward and help out someone just for the sake of it.

So Mr Train Driver from Fife. At Tesco's today at 4pm - thank you very much.

Anyone else like to share a nice story about help from a stranger

I came in to say this! Share on Fife Jammers it will get back to him.

Love this story so much.

You sound lovely yourself OP so I'm calling this Karma 🥰

Lovely to recognise such kindness OP

Mine were years back now, was around 23, but will never forget.
Was catching the train to work. A creepy looking guy was staring. I took a seat and then he sat beside me. He was getting more and more creepy and then put his hand on my leg so I jumped up. Another guy told him to let me out of the seat and offered a space on the inside by him. He was due to get off a stop before mine to get to his own job. We were both on min wage jobs paid hourly. But as the creepy guy was still on the train he stayed on, then walked me to my work and got a taxi back to his just to make sure I was safe. I offered taxi money but he never took it.

Another time, very minor thing, but I was doing a Tesco shop last min on Christmas eve. Didn't have change for the trolley so was standing in the long queue for change with my daughter. The woman behind me heard me telling her she had to be patient as we needed change. She then give me a pound. It strangly moved me that she would do that. The salvation army were playing outside, so I give the pound to them when I returned my trolley

I love hearing stories of kindness. All too often though, they're drowned out by all the badness on the world.

About 10/11 years ago, I was driving home from work and sitting at traffic lights when the man from the car behind me knocked on my window. I opened it and he a) told me off for opening it too much 😂 and then b) told me I was driving on a flat and to put in at the garage just past the lights. I pulled in, he changed my tyre for the spare and said he just hoped someone would do the same for his daughter if she ever needed it.

Lovely man. There are many of them out there. And, as much as I can change a tyre, I was very grateful to have not needed to ❤️

How lovely, definitely still some good samaritans still out there.

When my mum who was in her 70s at the time was in the very early stages of dementia, well before diagnosis, and before we’d realised what was going on, she started to struggle to find her way home when driving and masked it by saying she kept getting caught in diversions.

One evening, she was driving home in the dark and must have got hopelessly lost, she parked up and was getting panicked when a man and his adult son saw her and stopped to help. She told them where she needed to get to and they told her to follow them and guided her back to where she needed to be before heading back on their original journey.

I’ll never have a clue who those men are but I was so grateful to them for looking after my mum.

That’s so kind.

Some years ago, on a bank holiday, 2 men towed me off the hard shoulder and took me and the car to a garage (quite remote and before mobiles so I’d have never found it). Left car outside garage so I could ring when opened and left me to bus stop. Wouldn’t accept any money. I’ll never forget, still so grateful. I try and pay it forwards.

My car wouldn't start last night when i came out of Asda. Battery completely flat, and it was dark and freezing cold.
A lovely man jump started my car.

Okay it was my husband, who drove 3 miles to come and help 😁 but he was lovely.

I once saw a young boy near my house around 9pm, kicking a wall. He looked around 13/14 and it was -3 outside. I took my 10 year old son with me and spoke to him as he’s been there a while. I asked him if everything was okay and he told me he was locked out of his house and didn’t have keys. He then changed his story and said he had an argument with his stepdad. I asked if he had eaten anything since he got back from school ( he was still in his uniform). He said I’d like that.

So we got him a warm blanket, 2 sandwiches and a glass of warm milk. As he was eating and chatting with my boy, I told him did he want to call his family, he said he didn’t have his phone with him. So I slipped in to my house and called the local police and explained the situation. They came within 5 minutes and took over. You could see the relief in his eyes. And he thanked me and shook my son’s hand and said “you’ve got a great mum, look after her”. My son was so proud. Mind you we were all outside for all this.

5/6 years later, I saw the boy who was now a young man in a shop near my house and I wasn’t sure who he was, as he was now towering over me with facial hair, but he said “ do you remember me from that freezing night in front of your house and we started chatting 🥹 and he told me how it went after he left.

That's the wonderful thing about random acts of kindness and generosity of spirit; the ripple effects are huge. Huge because now all reading this, feel a softness in their hearts. Kindness will now move up our agenda's and spread itself a little bit more. Thank you Train driver from Fife. We salute you!!

And that ladies is why you should bring your sons up to be Gentlemen

My car once died at traffic lights at night in the middle of nowhere and i was left in total darkness in the middle of a busy junction. A car drove up behind me and a man hopped out and pushed my car all the way across the dark junction into a petrol station forecourt and after checking i had a phone etc (and could call my partner) he was on his way. I was so grateful to him and my partner for rescuing me between them. What a lifesaver to get me out of that dangrrous situation!

About a week after I passed my driving test I managed to reverse our car into a column in a carpark in such a way that I couldn't possibly get it out without causing far worse damage - basically one back door was stoved right in. I was in floods of tears and an older gent passing by offered to drive it out as best he could, which he did. It still took a little more damage but it was totally drivable - thank you kind man!

Thank you for sharing your story. So fab to spread some kindness,xxx

I have 3 stories. None of which involve me (except 1).

When I was a lot younger I was with my friend in her car. It was an old shell, but her dad had rebuilt the engine (it was rapid 😂). Broke down at some traffic lights. Cue lots of beeps and glaring. Car stopped full of (what looked like) total chavs. However, they got out, helped get the car across the junction and into a nearby car park. Only people to stop and help. Taught me not to judge by appearance!

My grandad once fell while out shopping (he wasn't actually very old at the time). Shopkeeper came out, got him up, got him a chair and some water. Made sure he was ok before he'd let him leave 😍

My dad once witnessed someone being forced off the road by an aggressive driver (into a ditch). He stopped to help and it turned out it was a younger girl who had only just passed her test. Very upset and scared. He stayed with her until the police (?) or AA (?) arrived and made sure she was ok / had his details for the accident report. I was in my early 20s and whilst I know my dad is a kind and lovely man, this poor girl must have been nervous about some middle aged bloke stopping while she was already scared. So I know he must have really put her at ease. Her parents sent my dad some flowers and a thank you card for looking after her 🥰

I know my husband would 100% check someone was ok too. One of many many reasons I love him.

So nice to read a lovely post on here. Glad you were ok and hope this man and his family know how awesome they are x

What a hero. 2 train drivers married, they must be loaded, as Starmer just gave them pay rises of £90,000 a year lol.

Not an emergency, but having come by train on my own all the way from Dijon (inc. the horrible Gare du Nord) I found myself, with a heavy suitcase, at the bottom of a long flight of steps at Vauxhall Station - yet another train and a bus ride from home.
As I paused I dare say my face said it all, but without a word a lovely man picked up my suitcase and carried it up for me.

Bless you, whoever you were. ❤️

A few years ago my husband managed to drive onto an area of grass in the dark and it was muddy and we promptly got stuck. Loads of people drove past despite waving for help, but someone stopped who had a rope and pulled us out. We were out of mobile phone range. Thank you to whoever that person was!

And my mum said that when it was icy a few weeks ago a young man spotted her and said "let me help because you might slip on the bit I've just walked along" and got her to take his arm and escorted her to the safer bit.

Not long after I passed my driving test I was nervously driving my old Renault 5 to work at Southampton General Hospital. In all the hectic rush hour traffic one morning my little car conked out and wouldn't start. Before I had time to freak out too much, a man appeared and quickly established I'd flooded the engine (it was the days of the manual choke!). He pushed my car out of the traffic, told me to leave it 10 mins and then try restarting it - then he was back in his own car and off into the melee! His advice was right of course and all was well. I was so grateful but probably just managed to mumble thank you a couple of times. I have quite a high opinion of quite a lot of men, many of which have their own kids or partners - or at least mothers! - and are just good, kind and helpful people.

Aeons ago my first car (an old Mini) had a puncture when I was a long way from home at a GM’s house. DM was also there. I hadn’t a clue how to change a wheel, and I didn’t belong to anything like the AA. However DM said phone the AA anyway, and tell them that if they come, you’ll join.

So I did, they did, and I did. 🙂

My mum's car broke down recently, two men stopped and helped her move it off the road and onto her driveway. I asked her why she didn't call the recovery service, she said 'Your dad's responsible for renewing the insurance and the policy didn't cover breakdown!' Bloody hell dad 😑

A couple of years ago I rang my mum to break bad news to her (BC diagnosis). She was so distraught and distracted, the following day she tripped and fell on the high street - smashed her face on the pavement and broke her glasses. A young couple passing by picked her up and offered to take her home, my mum refused. They insisted and took her to the door, the next day she found a huge bouquet of flowers from them. What amazing people 🥺

Thank you for sharing this. Since taking early retirement, I've enjoyed having the time to stop and offer help when I see a broken-down car. RAC & AA are often very slow, some people don't have any cover at all. I've fetched petrol, changed flat tyres and jump-started cars - it costs me 30mins at most, and helps me feel like I'm still a good & useful fellow.

There are knights in armour still. Being a biker I find it strange that all sorts will stop to offer assistance, if I’m alone, but if it’s my husband on the side of the road, he gets little attention.
I was left with my husband’s bike once while he walked to get help and I had a car of four old ladies (I do mean old, 2 walking frames in the boot) offered help with their tool kit. Other bikers I’ll accept help, but never from van drivers or guys in flash cars.

It’s not usually my bike that breaks down, it’s usually his, and always when I borrow it!

My brother is a genuine, lovely man. He looks like he'd mug you, but he'd do anything to help really.

Once a woman posted on the local Facebook page that she wanted to say thanks to the man who had helped her at the train station when she was feeling faint, then carried her bags all the way to her house which was the opposite way from his. He's a chatty lad, so she knew his very unusual first name and why he'd been on the train. Loads of people knew him and responded to her with tales of him helping them out. I was a proud sister that day.