What's the kindest thing a stranger has done for you?

[GimmeDaBoobehz]

Equally, what is the kindest thing you have done for a stranger?

People have been really, really kind to me in big ways and small. I hope I've been kind in at least as many ways. Since this is Mumsnet - thanks again to the MNer who sent me a slow cooker, after she read in a post that mine had broken & I couldn't afford a new one.

The woman who gave me a hug in Durham cathedral cafe, after a row with my ex.
The couple who gave me a dollar to get a bus over the US - Mexican border.
Countless people who have helped me carry push chairs and lift suitcases in airports.

There's a busy roundabout between my house and the park with no crossing. I was perched on the little island in the middle of the road, trying to judge when it was safe to go, cars zooming around without indicating so very tricky to judge. One hand on pushchair, the other trying to grip toddler who was tantruming because he didn't want his hand held. He was doing the slack legs thing so practically on the floor. Kind lady pulled her car across the junction and stopped so that no cars could get past her and I could cross safely. I could have kissed her.

The very posh gentleman in an expensive suit who pushed my sisters car out of the hedge after she had skidded on ice, he made sure it was still drivable and then got back in his car covered in mud to go to work.

About 1986 in a job centre in London a kind lady gave me £5. Her name was Linda. I was living pretty much hand to mouth at the time so it meant a lot to me. I had arranged with her to go back the following week to repay her but got a job in the meantime and never did. I've felt terrible for all those years. Linda if you're reading, I've never forgotten you and have felt terrible about it all these years. I hope I didn't ruin your trust in human nature - I honestly didn't mean to trick you out of it. Thank you

The kindest thing that has happened to me was from my next door neighbour. The day after I moved house my car was written off. I had absolutely no way of getting to work unless I wanted to pay £40 a day for a taxi.

She knocked on the door and said she had heard and would I like a lift to and from the train station for a week until I could get a new one sorted out.

I gratefully accepted and the next morning on the car ride I asked where she worked, turns out she doesn't so she was getting up at stupid o clock in the morning and coming out in the evening just to pick me up!!

Wouldn't accept a penny of petrol money either.

I try to pay it forward when I can and last year I was on the last train from Exeter to Waterloo on Xmas eve. As we went through a station I saw a young lad (late teens) rush to the door and realised he must have missed his stop. The next stop was mine and the lad got off as well.

I asked if he was ok and he said that he was an agency chef and was working Xmas day at a fancy hotel. There were no taxis to be found at all so when DH turned up to pick me up we gave him a lift to the hotel.

Sorry, I have to share this as I remembered it earlier today.

Four of my sixth formers (the ones who were always in trouble for something) were walking back from the shops at lunchtime and they passed a house where they heard crying and water splashing.
Turns out that the elderly couple who lived at the house had a burst pipe in the bathroom and the husband had slipped over on the water and couldn't get up. His wife was chair-bound and couldn't get up either so was crying.
My students were superb. One turned off the water at the stopcock, one phoned the ambulance for the man and put him into the recovery position. The two girls comforted the old lady, cleared up all the water, made them cups of tea and one of them phoned their father, who was a plumber, to come and sort the pipe. They even found time to ring me at the school to explain why they were late.

I couldn't stop crying at that one, I was so proud.

Oh and a small but powerful one. On my daily commute home I lost my train ticket. The inspector came round to find me frantically searching for it.

He asked where I was getting off the train, I answered truthfully and he said "Ok, I'll come back in 20 minutes and if you haven't found it I'll have to fine you. Understand? " We were only 5 minutes away from my station and he knew it...

On a bus to a plane with a 6 month old and a two year old, by myself.
An older couple was across from me, the man either having had fresh surgery on an amputated arm or the actual amputation, as it was still bandaged etc.
Out of a full bus onto airplane steps of people pushing to be the first onto the plane that was taking us all to the same place, the wife asked me if I needed help up the steps with the kids. Like she didn't have enough to worry about.

When a very good friend died, George Michael sent the most spectacular bunch of flowers to their funeral - he must have found out our mate was a massive fan, somehow. I have always had a soft spot for him since then.

I was once late for a hot date: on my way home I stopped off at a branch of Habitat on a very busy road. A very elderly and frail lady was trying to get across the road and as it was scarily busy to attempt on her own, I helped her.... She then asked if I'd help her back to her swanky flat block about five minutes (for a hail and hearty person!) walk away...well half an hour later I bade her adieu at the concierge's desk. This was the days before mobile technology, so I was unable to warn my date of my delay....he was still there waiting though - but only because there'd been some police involving 'incident' at the station opposite the pub so had been so distracted he'd failed to notice that I was late!

Best example of help offered unexpectedly was a youth of about 16 in a hoodie at a London Underground station with too many steps to negotiate safely with DS (under a year old) in a buggy. I paused to assess if I could safely do it alone; before I'd had time to finalise my risk assessment, this youngster appeared from nowhere, picked up the bottom of the buggy and off we went down about 40 steepish steps....He then gave me a big smile and jumped over the gates to avoid paying his fare!

Oh geez bohemian that story has me with a big lump in my throat!

A MNetter did me a lovely act of kindness today. I had never met her or even spoken to her before. She made an offer on a thread to help people and followed it through. She very much restored my faith in human nature.

During some floods a few years ago a lady in a 4x4 stopped to offer me a lift in the pouring rain as my car had stopped in a large puddle. I was soaked and therefore soaked her car but she insisted. This was after my car was pushed into a car park off the road by some nice blokes leaving the nearby pub. I always try and pass it on. My DH was stranded in the snow in his stupid midlife crisis rear wheel drive BMW and was rescued by a lady in a Fiesta The next day we stopped to help a chap trying to jump start his car for a job interview. We didn't manage to start it but I did let him know about a local garage which he didn't know about who could help him out. Last week I passed on a parking ticket to a family who were very grateful.

DH found a phone in the road on his way home, it was an expensive model, we looked through the contacts (a lot were in another language) but one said home so I rang it, the man was so pleased, he came to collect it and bought with him a very large box of chocs for us. Another time,
DH lost his wallet, the next morning his bank rang to say wallet had been found and the person had taken wallet to the bank as his bank card was in there, the bank cancelled the card and phoned DH, we never knew who found the wallet, there was still cash in it. Makes you realise that there are some good people about

ahh what a lovely thread!

The anaesthetist's nurse who saw me really freaking out as I was wheeled for the second time into theatre after a D&C for a retained placenta and was haemorrhaging - she stopped everyone for a second, took off her gloves, held my face with her hands, then kissed my cheek.

The wonderful ladies on MN who made me feel human and not a totally awful person for being completely unable to BF - it really affected me quite deeply, I will always be grateful.

The bus driver in dublin who found my handbag on the bus and phoned my mum on my mobile in said bag, then found out where I was staying, before driving his double decker bus to the hostel to give me my bag. I was a very poor student, it was the only holiday I had had in a long time - and obviously was v´was very upset about my bag, he refused all offers of money and insisted on dropping off wherever I wanted to go before heading home for his tea!

and many, many others - I find people generally can be very kind.

my paying it back..

I used to live in London.. I was out at a pub near Liverpool Street and it was freezing, and homeless man was sat begging and half crying. I sat down next to him (amid lots of tutting from colleagues) and ask him his story, he used to be a plumber but was made redundant, couldn't get work, lost his home and found himself on the streets. I took him to the cashpoint, took out 20 quid for two nights at the shelter and gave it to him, I took a taxi with him to said shelter and made sure he got a bed, I gave him another 20 from my purse for food.

I went to uni in Bristol, there was a young woman begging by a cashpoint (loads of beggars in bristol) and she was pregnant. Everyone ignored her, I sat down to talk to her, she had a missing front tooth and was pregnant (domestic violence caused her to flee). I took out my last 20 quid of my overdraft, and the walked up and down the street in my glad rags getting money from strangers for her - I got over 100 quid on top. I walked her to the ladies shelter. I gave her my number, but she never called. I hope she was ok.

The old man who looked very odd and everyone walked round to avoid came over to me. I have a little dog and he asked me if he could pet her, since he used to have a dog similar and he missed his dog. We chatted and I gave him a big hug before heading home. It made him cry, he said he hadn't been touched my someone in so long, he just wanted a bit of human contact.

Also - I always let cars out when I am driving, even if people behind tut and beep at me

Lady at a m1 service station

She help Squeeze ketchup onto my daughters plate.

I was tandem bfing my twins and my eldest daughter couldn't help her sister

I was about to scream with frustration and this lady came and helped

Thank you who ever you were

Teaandflapjacks I left my mobile in a cab a couple of months ago. The driver found it and rang "Dad" who rang me at work most confused! The very nice driver dropped it to my office when next in the City. I was in a meeting so couldn't go and see him but it was such a kind thing to do! I was really grateful.

Oh and another one. This time from the lovely people of London. I was catching a bus with my friend in a wheelchair and she'd got the bus number mixed up so we were going West rather than North West. A lady overheard our conversation and told us where to get off, the bus number we needed, where the new bus stop would be and what direction to catch it in. Then on that bus another lady told us all the details of how to catch the next bus we needed. All in the pitch black pouring rain getting a wheelchair on and off in London rush hour. Took us 2 hours instead of 20 minutes but we did it!!

Ive really been enjoying reading this thread and having a good cry and I just feel compelled to share this.

Even though she isn't really a stranger...
The lady who runs a course I've been going to with DS (he is 10 months old) for the last 6 ish months. Every week she asks all the mums how they are, how their week was and what the LOs are up to. Most of the time it's little developmental things or questions about feeding/weaning/sleeping (she is also a children's nurse). She had been tenderly asking me for a few weeks how I was doing and that I looked worn out and could someone take DS for me to have a rest etc. Until one day I couldn't keep it in any more and I burst in to tears, I was so tired and so miserable. But had mostly been trying to put a stupid brave face on and tell myself I'll be fine.
She listened to me and after everyone else had left I asked her to repeat what she had told me so I could remember it she promised to email me and I sobbed on her shoulder and she gave me a big hug (while DS tried to escape out of the room in his usual hooligan style ) and just held me until I was done.
I went home, told DH I wasn't coping and we went to the dr the next day. Dr diagnosed PND and prescribed therapy. It is so odd but I feel like a huge weight has been lifted.
I'm so glad that she is so lovely.

Bohemian you've done it again (I'm a teacher), fabulous story!

When I was a teenager I went on a camping holiday with my boyfriend. We were travelling around and asked a guy in a car for directions. He told us how to get to where we were going and he then carried on in the other direction. A minute later he was back - he'd decided to turn round and give us a lift. It would have been a long walk with all our camping gear and I remember being really touched.

I took my DDs who were about 1 and 3 to Formby beach, and DD2 got stung by a bee. I am allergic to bee stings, and her finger was swelling up alarmingly.

So we set off up the sand dunes with 3yo, 1yo who is screaming hysterically and won't go in the pram, pram, buckets etc etc etc. A lovely man picks up the pram with DD2 in it and gets her over the dunes. In the car park a lady lets me use her mobile to ring DH and most importantly, someone held DD2 while I took DD1 for a wee, despite the hysterical screaming.

Once a young lad, about 17 drove into the back of my battered car. He broke the bumper. He got out and looked terrified. I gave him a big hug, and refused to take his details. I think I told him we all make mistakes.

I did one yesterday, I was driving round the back streets of the market town where I live, it was peeing it down and I saw a girl in the local high school uniform, sitting alone on the side of the road, no coat, crying, it was about 11am. I drooped my window down and asked if she was ok, she told me she had been sent home from school ill and was waiting for her Mum to come back from work to let her in as she'd forgotten her keys, she started to cry as she felt so ill and sick with dreadful period pain. I got out the car and gave her a brolly, I also had a packet of Jelly Tots (one of my DC's had left them on the back seat) so I gave them to her and said something like 'these will make you feel better' she smiled. Her Mum then pulled into her drive and she jumped up and said 'thanks' and I drove off.