Random strangers you remember fondly

[JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff]

Do you have people who you never really spoke to or knew, but they kinda made you smile and you still think about them years later?

Mine was a middle-aged guy I used to see at the gym, dad bod type but took his training VERY seriously. He used to coach himself, out loud, throughout his sessions: "just one more... that's it... YES" or "smashing it today, 2 more reps.....ONE MORE...UH!"

It sounds like it should be annoying but it was actually endearing, his total lack of self consciousness. I called him Encouragement Guy.

Do you have anyone you look back on?

I feel like I remember this guy too!! Studied in London in mid 2000s.

A lady who I met in Norway, both of us travelling alone. She had someone cancel and I was on a work trip. Met on a group tour and went for a drink after, then arranged to meet that night at the sauna because we were both scared to do it alone! Then said our goodbyes and wished each other well.

Loads.

I was on my way back from visiting family in rural Wales, on my bike, panniers full, about 10 miles to the station. It started raining heavily, and as I got off to push my bike up a steep hill, a man in a truck stopped, and gave me and my bike a lift to the main road. (A risk yes, but it was fine.)

A few years later on a train from Paddington to Cardiff- it was absolutely ramped, last train that far on a Friday evening, so I was in the corridor. Sat on the floor with a guy who was going back home via Haverfordwest to South East Ireland - he told me exactly where by drawing a map in pencil on the train wall. When we got to Cardiff, I stepped onto the platform where my parents were waiting - and he leapt out after me, kissed me, and jumped back on the train, leaving me to explain to Mum and Dad...

Then there was the woman who handed me her baby to look after while she went to the loo, on a flight from Jo'burg to Perth.

And the woman in the petrol station who had forgotten her purse, and couldn't pay, but only lived locally, but also had her child, and couldn't leave her child, and it was all getting a bit tense. I paid for my petrol, and said, "can she leave the car here while I give her a lift home and back?" So she gave her carkeys to the cashier, i took her and her daughter a few streets away to their home, and she picked up her purse so she could pay, and I dropped them back at the petrol station. I sometimes wonder how her daughter is doing at football, if she still goes.

Almost exactly a year ago, I stopped in a service station on my way home from a funeral, and was eating some chips, and I started crying, and a lady from the next table came over and held my hand and I explained it had been a funeral in between using the pile of napkins she gave me.

People are mostly kind, really.

A few come to mind, the lovely man who stopped and towed by car out of a busy junction that crosses an a road when I broke down in rush hour. I insisted id be ok, but he.was adamant it wasn't a problem. When it then took the AA 12 hours to recover me, I was very greatful not to be in a junction on a poorly lit road in a black car.

The mum who gave my child a sticker after she fell over coming out the school and badly cut her knee. I was struggling to carry her and push ds2 in the buggy. I didnt know her as her child was in a different year and then left the school suddenly so never saw her again.

When I was in my early 20’s, I had just passed my test and had a roped old car (but I loved it!!) one day driving home from work in rush hour, my car wouldn’t start at the traffic lights and the traffic was insane! I was panicking as I couldn’t push the car anywhere and in front of me was a battered old transit full of road workers! They all hopped out, they ed a rope and towed me for 40 minutes all the way to my house which was the opposite way to where they were going! They were so kind and lovely, 🥰 I often think of them and that amazing act of kindness!

After I’d come all the way by train from Dijon to London, and was faced at IIRC Vauxhall station, with carrying a heavy suitcase up a long flight of steps - the lovely man who just picked my case up without a word, and carried it up for me. Thank you so much again, whoever you were.

I love these.

Mine was years and and years ago. Had moved to london and joined a local library. Went overboard and got 8 books. Went home on tube and left them on tube
Contacted lost property a few time to no avail. Eventually after a few weeks I bit the bullet and went to pay for them all in the library. A bit terrified as I was on a very low income and this was going to be a big problem for me.
Told the Librarian and held my breathe for the fine or cost. She checked the system and they had been returned! So thank you very lovely person who found them and took them back!

I

I was on the train in Finland and sat opposite this older woman and started talking. I complimented her English skills as they were unusual for someone of her generation and she told me about her life. She decided to just up and move to the US when she was 16, not knowing a single word of English, and she made a success of it - worked in some interesting jobs, married and had a family, and obviously learnt very good English. The bravery of moving to another continent alone at 16 not knowing the language at all - it really impressed me.

small Place nr Chelmsford.

This is such a lovely thread 😭

Unfortunately I'm yet to experience anything like the memories being shared here, but I live in hope!

Around 11 years ago I had newborn DD in the pram, I was on benefits at the time and used to take my full weekly money out in cash to pay my bills.

I was walking into a shop in a busy town centre and a woman came running up to me and gave me my bundle of cash back 😭 I'd dropped it. I've never forgotten that, it was a huge amount of money to me at the time

- months later.... my ex partner had attacked me and I had literally ran out of the house with DD to get away from him. I couldn't run fast with a baby in my arms so I'd hid around a corner and watched him run past. The road round the corner was a long straight road so he'd seen I wasn't on that, ran back and saw me at the corner with DD. He ran towards me with his arm raised about to hit me when a tiny tiny woman, smaller than me ( and I'm 5'1 ) appeared out of nowhere, ran towards us with her dog and told him if he didnt fuck off she would set her dog on him 😭 he left and she literally walked me 25 minutes to my mums house. I don't remember what we spoke about but I know she was so very kind to me and put herself at risk protecting me and DD. Oh I'm crying now, what a lovely lady I've never forgotten her

Edited to add:

Months ago my cat was ran over outside my house. I was absolutely distraught. A man had seen my cat get run over and had got out of his car to try to help. I rang my friend to take us to the vets and the man waited until my friend turned up, prior to that he offered to take us to the vets himself. I was so so upset and the man was very very kind. My cat died whilst I was waiting for my friend with the man

2 days later I had an envelope posted through my door and it was a really lovely card from the man with money inside to put towards a memorial for my cat. He also remembered my cats name in the card too 😭

I will never, ever forget the hospital porter who was so kind to me about 15 years ago when my partner was rushed to A&E. Actually, he wasn't a porter, but I don't know what to call him: he went round A&E with a trolley serving tea and coffee. At the point I met him I had no idea what was going on but it was clear my partner was seriously ill (he actually had a perforated bowel). I was crying and crying while waiting for a doctor to come and talk to me, unsure if he would live and with very little information to go on. Anyway, this chap sat me down, bought me water and tissues and gave me a pep talk. It felt like he had seen it all before (of course, he had!) and knew exactly what to say at that exact moment. Luckily about five years later we were back at the same hospital in a far less dramatic fashion and I saw him and was able to say thank you. He truly made all the difference on an awful day.

Also the couple who drove us back to our holiday accommodation after we had walked 7 miles to a pub for lunch on holiday in Wales. We thought we'd get a cab back but cabs in rural villages in Wales on a Sunday are non-existent. We were facing a 2 hour walk back again but they overheard our plight and whizzed us back in ten minutes.

Oh my god at all of this post 😭💗

Everytime I remember them I have a little cry. I've had many a stranger be very very kind to me

The last time my ex attacked me the neighbours had rang the police. The police man came, took me to my house ( I had left ex and was dropping DD off at his house ) tried really hard for me to press charges but I was too frightened of repercussions. He took a very detailed statement. He had to go as there was an active crime in the area and came back a few hours later and tried to gently get me to press charges against ex ( it had been a long term DV situation)

I ended up moving areas and after 5 months ex was still harassing me so I decided to report him, the very same policeman came to my new house, was very very lovely to me, took another very detailed statement that hugely helped in court - and ive spent almost a decade living a lovely peaceful life with our two children with him legally not allowed to contact or communicate with any of us 🥰

Working for the police. Had contact with a lovely older man on the phone. I managed to solve his particular problem (can’t say too much as very outing) and he asked would it be inappropriate for us to meet so that he could give me a gift. I told him that wouldn’t be possible. He sent me some chocolates through the post. I think of him often

Lovely thread. Very cheering on a dreary wet morning.

The Greek man who went miles out of his way when he realised I was on the wrong bus in Athens, and didn’t have enough Greek to follow directions for a complex walk to the right stop. I thought at first he was going that way, but he wasn’t at all.

Bless you xx

This is such a lovely thread. I remember as a teenager getting on a bus in central London in the mid 90’s and realising I had lost my purse which also had my ticket in it. The bus driver was grumpy and just said “no ticket no travel” meaning I had to get off the bus, but a very kind man behind me had obviously heard him and then paid for my ticket. I sometimes think there are Angels walking amongst us.

I was robbed in NYC and was travelling solo. A bunch of homeless guys came to my rescue, long story!

The lady in M and S who sold me my first bra. In those days they had actual counters. Can still see her face

I'm so glad you found peace and what a lovely police man. 💗

The posh woman who stopped and talking to me when I was sitting crying in a side road near the office when our house sale had fallen through and I'd just seen all the solicitors fee and was worrying if we'd even be able to afford to move to somewhere big enough for out family if anything else went wrong. It had generally been an awful and stressful year too. She was very kind and I remember her saying (very poshly) 'Life can be shit sometimes'

She really did help.

? This is a great thread. Where on earth did that come from?

I love this thread and I would love it if some random strangers recognised each other! Someone messaged me on Instagram & asked if I had ever met him on a train to Edinburgh. I said no but afterwards thought that it was highly possible and maybe I just forgot?!

Mine is the lady who talked to me about how to do shorthand when I was 6 and my dad took us to the launderette to dry our clothes one winter evening.

There is always one. But the thread has had more than a hundred posts and only one twerp, so we're doing pretty well.

It's actually made me realise why I'm still here! Such a great thread.