to ask if a stranger has ever been kind to you?

[Penguinsarethebestest]

On the back of the negative thread of 'nasty to you'

Standing at the toilets at a station, bursting, no coins on me, about put a £20 note in the change machine that would had given me £19.70 all in coins. Nice random bloke pays the 30p for me to use the loo...

Student, broke, knackered, walking home up a big hill after a shift in late night takeaway 3 am, Cabbie stops, insists on giving me a free ride home the last mile and waits til I'm safely in door.

[Enchantmentz]

Another one or two but more of a group mentality of kindness for one of them. I was getting followed/harassed by one drunk guy late at night on a beach in Barcelona I was with a group of women but near strangers from a convention I was taking part in. They kind of corralled round me and the leader of the group kept warning him off. They made sure I got in a taxi first with a few woman as we were leaving.

In Amsterdam with my friend and again a man groped me in a bar and was not leaving me be at all. Another man my friend had been talking to sort of kept us close to him and warned the guy off he also escorted us to a taxi rank when we were leaving.

I find it kind and equally frustrating that I experience these behaviours wherever I go away from home and I can't deal with it myself. It has happened more than the times I have mentioned but the last time there was no one(volunteering) to rescue me so I dealt with it myself the best I could in a busy part of London.

[Aria2015]

Quite a few times but the time that sticks out the most was when I was travelling alone with my then 7 month old son and our plane home got cancelled. It was an evening flight and i to wait hours to get sorted for a hotel. A kind lady helped look after my baby while I got food and went to the toilet. Then the same lady was telling the airline off on my behalf for not getting me sorted sooner and demanded someone help me with my bags to the hotel. The next morning she was waiting for me to help me with my bags back to the airport for a new flight. She really made a difficult situation so much easier and I was very grateful!

[Penguinsarethebestest]

The travel ones remind me of the time I traveled with a toddler and 6 month baby home to see the GPs on my own. Short flight, but I brought the usual snacks, books, puzzles to do and they were great.
After we got off a woman came up and told me she thought I was a fab mum and she hoped she’d be like me when she had LOs and it made my year. Most of the the time I felt like I was barely
Keeping them alive half the time!

[Poorpigletsrevenge]

Many, many times.

Bus fare paid when teenager and was short.
Train fare paid when left boyfriend and left my purse behind. It was actually the ticket inspector that bought me a ticket and it was so kind of him.

Been given free tickets to events and theatre on 2 occasions as walked past people that had too many tickets as their friends didn’t show up.

Lift home when stuck in the rain from a stranger who saw me getting soaked.

Car pushed when broken down several times.

Buggy carried ever single time I’ve approached steps.

Free Taxi ride from hospital to the train station in a black cab as my Little boy had just been discharged. I cried when the driver said no charge. As I couldn’t really afford the cab, but wanted to avoid the rain.

I could list so many more examples. I think people are inherently kind. I’ve always tried to be kind too and try to help anyone I see needing it.

[vampirethriller]

I once left my handbag on a night bus and someone handed it in complete with my phone, purse, cards and £80 in cash.

[RiftGibbon]

Many years ago, travelling in Australia - before the days of mobile phones and online booking. We'd booked to stay at a youth hostel (I said it was a long time ago) but when we arrived, it was full.
The owners very very kindly assembled put-me-up beds in the office and slept there for the two nights we'd booked, and gave us use of their apartment in town. It overlooked the esplanade where the Australia day parade was taking place, and we had a most wonderful view.

[blankethog]

Used to work a couple of trains away at a pub when I was 18, i was doing 4 a levels in 6th form and working the pub most nights till 10-11ish and getting the last 2 trains home. I fell asleep one night and a lovely older lady woke me up and said I've seen you a few times and I know you get off at the next stop, I didn't want you getting stuck. I was skint and it was the last train so I would've ended up miles away without her.

[Penguinsarethebestest]

Lost count of the number of times I’be woken up
A sleeping commuter at our station at night - we’re the final stop and if you don’t ’ t get off you’ll find yourself back in the big smoke!

[Welshmaenad]

Went on holiday to Florida as a teen, we always stayed at the same villa that belonged to one of my dads police mates. Dad forgot his driving licence so the hire car company wouldn't release our car. We got a taxi to the villa (late night arrival) unsure what we were going to do, it was out in the sticks.

Next morning we took the usual British newspapers and treats to the ex pat couple next door as we had done several times, and mentioned what had happened. They loaded the whole family into their huge 4x4, took us to Perkins for breakfast, took us grocery shopping, then spoke to my dads brother on the phone giving him the details of the local post office where he could priority post Dads licence after collecting it from our dining room table. Then they handed us the keys to their daughters car that was stored in their garage and told us to go and enjoy our holiday as planned.

Licence arrived several days later and they drove my dad to the airport to finally collect the hire car.

24 years on, both my parents are now sadly dead but we enjoyed many more trips out there, and treating them to a bbq was one of our favourite things to do. They hosted my sister when she went out to do work experience at a Florida manatee sanctuary. They are both still firm friends of the family and my sister and I are still in contact with them, and I love them dearly. Truly wonderful people.

[JamMakingWannaBe]

Lovely lady finds my dropped purse in the supermarket car park and waits for me to return to hand it over. She'd phoned her husband to come and collect her shopping!

Wouldn't accept any reward.

We were both in tears. I was SO grateful.

[Gulabjamoon]

This thread is making me very proud of Londoners! We get a bad rep as unfriendly and unhelpful but as this thread shows that’s an unfair generalisation.

[Dougalthesyrianhamster]

Yes! I was absolutely at my wits end in Sainsburys Cafè after a thoroughly miserable trip round the shop with my naughty then-4 yr old.

I was really losing my patience with her and had my head in my hands.

A lovely lady comes up and speaks to my now thoroughly sheepish looking daughter, explaining that Mummy has had enough etc and said how tired I looked. Bless her.

Only helped for a brief moment, then DD went back to normal and I was back to feeling almost suicidal! (Not joking or exaggerating there btw) Was so kind of her to want to help me though.

[MrsAvocet]

About 20 years ago when my DD was 2, we had just moved to the area where we live now, for my work. DH was still living hundreds of miles away in our old home, finishing up the house sale and working his notice in his old job and I was living with DD in a grotty house that we had rented to give us time to really check out the area before we bought. DD was miserable, missing her Dad, the rest of the family, her old friends and nursery and I was getting to grips with a new job in a place where I knew nobody. I was thinking that I had made the worst mistake of my life.
One day after work we went into the supermarket and DD was behaving like a demon. Well, like a tired, confused toddler actually, but you know what I mean. Lots of people were staring at us and I was on the verge of tears when a middle aged couple approached. I expected a telling off or at least a lot of unsolicited advice, but actually they joined me walking round the shop, singing songs and pulling silly faces at DD, making her laugh, then took us to the cafe for a drink before walking back to the car with me and helping me unload the shopping.
I never saw then again, but its making me tear up remembering that kindness even 20 years later. Things started to improve from that day because it made me see the whole place and situation differently.

[Ardessa]

About 6 months ago I forgot my purse at home whilst doing my local sainsbury's shop. Lady behind me in the queue offered to pay for it all (about £100 worth of shopping) said she would give me her bank details. Honestly such a kind lady, it really touched me x

[Ardessa]

The lovely people who stayed with me when I broke my ankle on the street for an hour until the ambulance came. Keeping me warm, not alone and giving me water. Thank you, thank you, thank you x

[rainbowscalling]

Suspected I was pregnant whilst on holiday, couldn't get a test anywhere. The lady that worked in the hotel gift shop purchased me one from a pharmacy that I thought was on her way home from work. I went back in the shop and she secretly handed it to me. Wouldn't accept any money for it. Turns out she could have got in real trouble for it and the nearest pharmacy was actually in the opposite direction to where she would need to go to get home, as the rep told me after speaking with them.

In a hospital car park trying to pay for parking after an appointment with DD. Apple Pay would not work, I had no other payment method in me. DD2 was trying to run off whilst I was taking to the car park attendant through the machine speaker who was basically berating me for not having another payment method on me and I was close to a breakdown after about 10mins of this. A young man came up and asked to pay for my parking. It was £5 so I said I would just get my SIL to bring me some cash down and wait. He tapped his card and said no arguments get yourself and DD home. I got in the car and cried because of how kind he was.

[Elderflower14]

Posted on the other thread... Happier story here.. Took ds2 who is deaf and autistic to South West London to see some very special friends performing in a theatre which is part of a school... After failing to book a taxi with 3 different cab firms ds2 was about to have a meltdown... Came across a man and two ladies getting in a car.. Asked them the way to the theatre... They very kindly told us it was on their way and they loaded us into the car and dropped us off at the theatre... Am sure I have others... Will think...

[BlooperReel]

The stand out one for me was very early in my pregnancy, I fainted on the train, a lady scooped me up, got me off the train, gave me water, got me to open my phone and called my husband for me, then my boss, then stayed with me until she was absolutely sure I was ok. I ahve never forgotten her, she was lovely. Everyone else on the train totally ignored me slumped in the corner.

[MrsAvocet]

I've just remembered another one, which is both good and bad. I had been at a work meeting in London and was on my way back to Euston, cutting it fine, so stressed as it was, and i was about 35 weeks pregnant so not terribly agile. I got onto an underground train just as the doors were closing, caught the edge of my coat in the door and then fell flat on my face. I was kind of like a reverse upturned turtle, balanced on my bump, stuck coat preventing me from being able to roll over and nobody helped, for what seemed like ages. Then 2 young men came pushing their way through the carriage, helped me out of my coat and one helped me up, whilst the other one held onto my coat, ready to retrieve it as soon as we got to the next station. They then carried my bag for me up to the platform at Euston. I was both shocked that so many people ignored my plight and very grateful to the young men who helped me.

[Carouselfish]

Locked my.car keys in boot having just put weeks worth of shopping inside. Me and four yr old DD outside car. Two couples and the security guard from the supermarket stopped to help and it must have taken an hour to break in. One of the couples was so lovely and had same age child with them, rather wished we could have swapped details! Bought them all celebrations as a thank you.

[Carouselfish]

Oh and the most major one when I was 18 that I've posted about before. Moved to London and living on a packet of toffees while I waited for my first paycheck. Literally toffees and cups of tea at work. Went to buy a hotdog from a street vendor and found they were fifty pence more than I had. My face dropped and I was about to move off when a homeless guy gave me the extra.

[Howlat]

I was sitting in a shopping centre food hall with my friend as a teen. We had no money and were hungry. We were fine, not homeless and starving, just hungry. We were chatting and then a lady came over with some chips. She pointed to her husband at a nearby table and said they'd been watching us. They were on holiday and it was "a gift from Malaysia". It was completely unnecessary and totally lovely. I've never forgotten them! We were so happy!

[Hushabusha]

I was skiing once and a list descended. I was already on the slope so couldn't go back. I had never skiied that run before so had no idea which way it went , where the turns were, where the edge was. A man skiied past, figured out what was going on and stopped ahead of me. I followed him. He skiied the slope bit by bit, showing me the way to go and waiting til I had caught up before skiing the next little bit. When we got out of the mist he just skiied. Dramatic but he potentially saved my life. I think of him as my snow angel

[Hushabusha]

He just skiied *off

[Orangecake123]

My dad had phoned me that my granmother had just died.I was out of the house and began to cry. Stranger asked if I was okay- we got on the same bus and she hugged me.

I've paid £3 for tickets on a bus for two guys I didn't know.