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

[GimmeDaBoobehz]

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

My car broke down at night in the middle of nowhere just after I started driving at 18. This was before the days when everyone had a mobile. I had no idea what to do, but a lovely lady stopped her car to check on me, helped me call my parents from the phone at the next petrol station and waited until I was safe. I don't remember her name but I always remember that.

Also, everyone who helped me on the tube while DS was going through his tantrum every five minutes phase. You expect London commuters to be grumpy and standoffish but people were lovely.

I was a new driver and got stuck down a one way street and no amount of trying helped me... I was completely panicking and had been there trying to turn around for about 15 minutes (street was very narrow and had attempted to turn at the wider end rather than reverse)

A man came out if his house, knocked on my window, and turned the car for me, all the time telling me how bad a road it was and that this happened all the time

The kind old man with a white transit in an Ikea car park who saw us struggling to get our new Leksvik or Hemnes or whatever it was into our Ford Focus who piled it into his van and drove it home for us!

One day when walking home from work a cyclist ahead of me shed his pannier bag and didn't realise - I shouted at him but he didn't hear and cycled off, so I went and picked it up. There was a work pass in the side pocket but it didn't have an address on, so I found his phone and started trying numbers working from 'mum' downwards trying to find someone local who might be able to contact him, or to tell them I'd got his stuff and was taking it over to the central police station. After twenty minutes or so the phone rang and it was the bloke who'd finally realised he'd lost his stuff so called his phone to see if someone had it - I could then arrange to meet him in town and hand it back to him. It was a bit of a faff but not exactly a hardship, and I was just glad to be able to help - I've left my purse behind in a pub before and was just overjoyed that the staff took it in and kept it and it wasn't nicked, I think it's good to pass on the karma in that way.

Most of the really breathtaking acts of kindness I've received have been from teachers, lecturers, friends, and of course family. However, there are a few from strangers that do spring to mind:

I e-mailed an artisan jeweler to tell her how much I admired her work and her business ethics. She sent me a lovely reply and insisted on gifting me a piece of my choice (which she posted from Australia to England for me). I thought that was incredibly kind, particularly considering that she runs an extremely small but very popular company.

My dad's boss once allowed him to take annual leave at a very awkward time in order to drive me to Bristol to see a friend's band play. Four and a half years later, I married the friend, who said later that he'd never have thought to ask me out if it hadn't been for that gig because we lived over a hundred miles apart .

I used to have an obsession with Slash from Guns N' Roses, and my dad's colleagues used to save magazines with relevant interviews etc in for me, which was very sweet. On one occasion, a colleague of his found some really good photos he'd taken of Slash playing in a casino and gave them to me. I framed them and still have them, although DH doesn't know...

I try to pay it forward in small ways wherever I can.

The nicest time was when DH and I were walking around the university campus on a Sunday, and noticed a Blackberry on a bench. We stayed with it for a while but nobody came back to find it, so we took it to the security office and signed it over to them. We then queued up in the library (the only other building open on Sundays) to tell them in case the owner returned, and realised that the lady in front of us was the owner of the lost phone. We took her to the security office as it's very hard to find, and on the way there she told us that the phone belonged to her employer so she'd have been in lots of trouble for losing it, and she was only in our city for the day so she'd never have got the it back if we hadn't queued up in the library when we did!

I was walking across the wobbly bridge in London and got a severe attack of vertigo. I was on my knees, trembling, my legs were jelly, panic, panic, just drawn towards the side and the river below...

...an elderly lady who cannot have been that far off 100 took my arm, and we slowly shuffled across to the other end.

I genuinely don't know what I'd have done without her.

Stealth boast about my wonderful 18 month twins yesterday. They've just started at nursery and are screaming the place down every morning when I drop them. But yesterday a Dad came in with a new baby who was screaming too. They both stopped and stared at her with concern. Then one of them bottom shuffled off to the toy box, got her a dollie, and gave it to her saying 'fank oo' (they haven't quite worked out who says it to whom yet

I don't think I have ever been more proud

StinkingBishop, that's so lovely re your dc

Toddler DS found a phone in the middle of the playing field behind our house, I rang the number listed as 'home' and left a message. The owner's husband called me back and then came round to pick it up. He tried to give me money because it was his wife's birthday that day, I refused and he handed a fiver to DS to say thankyou.

A lovely man helped me carry DS and his pushchair up two broken escalators in the train station, while carrying his own suitcase. And all the lovely surly looking teenage boys who have helped me with the pushchair and stairs at the tram stop over the past two years.

Oh, and the lovely lady who played peekaboo with my baby DS on the train to Birmingham, and then on the way back when he screamed for half an hour, the wonderful lady who said loudly and pointedly towards the tutters and sigh-ers that 'Some people have obviously forgotten that we were all babies once!' And then told me my baby was gorgeous and I was doing well.

When I was in labour my midwife stayed with me until DS2 was born, even though it was five hours after the end of her shift, because I was holding her hand through every contraction and she was talking me through them. Definitely going above and beyond the call of duty, but it was lovely to have the same person there the whole time.

And one I saw the other day on the bus: a woman on crutches got on and asked for a ticket to her stop. It cost more than she had in her purse, so she asked how far her money would get her and tried to buy a ticket just for that distance and said she'd walk the rest of the way. A scruffy teenage guy who'd been lounging around at the back of the bus, and who the driver had previously told off for putting his feet on the seats, got up and went to the driver and paid the difference for her so she could get to where she needed to go, and then dashed back to the back of the bus when she started thanking him.

I can think of quite a few. The most meaningful in recent years was the MW who stayed on after her shift had ended to sit with me whilst DD1 was born by EMCS. DH had been with me up to this point but had been kicked out of theatre by the consultant when he said he felt faint. I had felt entirely abandoned and terrified but when the MW who had been with us all night saw my DH outside and asked him what had happened, she scrubbed up really quickly and came and sat with me and held my hand.

When I was 19 I crashed my car on a dark country lane. A woman not much older than me got out of her car and insisted on waiting with me until my dad arrived.

There are such a lot of nice people out there, and I do think it's important to give people the benefit of the doubt, and try and help people if you can possibly afford to (in terms of time or money or whatever other resources they need). Perhaps I'm naive/ a pushover (DH thinks so!).

I had a chest infection a few winters ago and would get very breathless when out in the cold air. On the way back from school I was leaning on a wall wheezing when a lady in a car stopped and insisted on giving me a lift home.

Some young teens in front of me at a kiosk didn't have enough money for the ice creams and beach toy they wanted. I gave them a couple of quid and have never been thanked so many times!

A few years ago I was pregnant with DS2 and I passed out at a bus stop with DS1 in the buggy. Luckily, a lovely lady was at the bus stop too and she rang an ambulance and sat with me as DS1 untill they arrived. She then followed us to the hospital and stayed untill she knew I was ok. I couldn't thank her enough, god knows what could've happened to DS1 if she hadn't been there. My faith in humanity was restored

Not a total stranger but I was pregnant over one of the recent icy snowy winters, and between 6-9 months was the real Dec-Jan-Feb time when the weather was horrid and I was working right to the end.

I went out to my car and the ice and snow had been cleared off it for me one morning, which was amazing not least because my maternity coat was rubbish and kind of gaped open when I tried to scrape the car meaning bump practically stuck to the ice!

And from then on until the end of pregnancy my car was always clear in the morning. I assumed it was DH, as he goes out earlier than me, although when I thanked him for it he said it wasn't, and I only discovered months later that it was the old gentleman across the road. He had seen me struggling with it one morning and as he walked his dog at 6 each morning, decided to do it for me. More poignant because his (old and much beloved) dog died halfway through the AOK but he still went out each morning to clear my car.

His wife told me about it months later and I was .

D

What a lovely thread.

I was in the GP's waiting room, with a very bored toddler, the Doctor was running quite late. This kind lady kept my DD amused by pulling faces at her and playing peek-a-boo. Was so kind as it amused her and stopped her throwing a strop.

Once a good few years ago I worked in a co-op, this man came in five mins before we shut (at 11pm), desperate for some Calpol. He was about £2.00 short of cash to pay for it, but I let him have it. Glad I did that as now I have a DD I can see how much he needed to get it!

A poster on Mumsnet whose GP wouldn't prescribed her DD any Aveeno bath oil, and they couldn't afford to buy any. I had a spare bottle that I didn't need so I posted it to her.

Just the little everyday things people do for me, just something as simple as holding the door open so I can get through with the pram, or smiling at DD, and it is pretty much everyday. They all add up

Kindest thing
When I was undergoing chemo for BC one of the ladies running my thursday play group used to bring round food every week. she knew when I was going and she'd leave on the door step a lasagne, cottage pie etc enough for about 10 people so my DH could divide and reheat, also she looked after my DDs once so my DH could come with me. didn't know her well and we are different religions but it meant so much.

PIF
I always offer to pick up buggys, look for pregnant women on the tube.
Yesterday I offered to pick up a buggy, a double phil and teds, the lady said could I walk her eldest down the stairs as she could do it herself. Another person offered to help her so I took her DD hand and we skipped down the stairs waiting for her mummy. She was so thankful which I brushed off as I've been there and she asked how old my DCs were as only someone who has been in that situation would help.

laly sending hugs - you have been through and awful lot. Is it you who was rescued by that group of lads pretending they knew you when a maniac with a knife was following you? I will always remember that story - it was very touching. Very brave men.

Saw that my shoes had given me a blister and gave me a lift to a shoe shop.

I broke down on the motorway when my car had run out of fuel (fuel gage was broken showed half a tank but had none) I was pregnant and driving from work to my mums house for the night. Had no mobile phone on me either. A couple pulled over because the woman said she could see me looking upset, the traffic was slow enough to see in. The guy sucked fuel out of his own tank to put some in mine. They let me use my phone to call my husband who was worried sick as I was hours late. Nicest thing anyone has ever done

I once stopped for a girl who had broken down on the side of the road and gave her a lift home so she could get her dad to come help her with her car. She was only 18 and so grateful.

I used to live in London and passed out a few times on the tube when it got really hot and crowded and always had someone check I was ok.

About 20 years ago I ran away from a live in job in the middle of the night and a lady gave me £8 to get a train ticket. I still hope one day she will see this and I can thank you again and pay her back.

This summer holidays we got lost as a road was closed and a man drove us to where we needed to be - we followed in our car - so that I could visit a friend for the first time in 30 years.

Held my newborn in a cafe while I got something from the car park and didn't care when his nappy leaked on her trousers.

Thank you again to all of you.

When my granddaughter was stillborn a group of people from an internet forum secretly clubbed together and sent me flowers, chocolates and a tree to plant in the baby's memory. Along with a card (well, more of a folder really) of messages they had all written.

I had never met the great majority of them and will always be grateful for their support at a really dreadful time.

In a previous life I was working in a bookshop in Los Angeles. I had a lovely time chatting to an elderly woman who was looking for one of my favourite books (Brooklyn, Colm Toibin). Unfortunately we didn't have it in stock, so I made some recommendations for her and we had a lot of books in common.

She came back a half hour later, came up to me and said how she thought we had had such a nice chat, and that she wasn't sure if I'd be interested in this as a very strange question, but might I be interested in a ticket to the ballet at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion? She had a season ticket and this wonderful Spanish ballet company were in town that weekend, but she was going to be away on holiday. She only had the one ticket as she went to the Dorothy Chandler regularly with her friends, and she was looking for someone to give the ticket to. She thought given our chat about books in common that I might appreciate the ballet. It was such a kind, lovely thing to do, I was floored! So sweet.

In all honesty the Dorothy Chandler was about an hour's drive from my house, so not exactly convenient, but was so shocked by how nice she was that I went along, no way I could pass it up! When I arrived at the theatre I sat next to her friends who were also lovely and said thanks for the book recommendation! The ballet was beautiful.

Long story but a genuine act of kindness I'll never forget!

I find this thread lovely. My experiences have led me to believe no one notices kindness and that people see it as a weakness. I however treat others as I'd like to be treated and try to find and do at least one act of kindness a week.. Recently I:

Found a wallet with 600 euros in it on uni campus and returned it to campus security. It belonged to a Greek student who claimed it and it had been his family savings to help him at uni.

Bought a fleece for a homeless person who was old and wet, begging in the rain.

Took a suicidal member of staff for a coffee and time out, letting them know I would support them all I could. Despite them previously taking out a fictitious grievance against me.

Stopped a student from jumping down a stair well from the 8th floor. Then waiting with her until help came, she was schizophrenic and had not been taking her medication.

I'd like to be bold and suggest everyone try to do one kind thing a week, even if it's just telling someone at work they look nice. It's amazing how these small things can really pick someone up and make a day, week, month etc. Costs nothing and feels great to make someone feel noticed and or cared about.

I lost the ability to walk or leave the house unaided, and friends I didn't even realise I had formed a kind of informal rota to make sure I got out the house in my wheelchair, got taken out to lunch, got taken shopping and so on, so I didn't go nuts. Remarkable. And it wasn't the people I would have expected, either.

I like being a bit of a secret kindness Ninja, but one of my favourites was standing up for a couple of Oz visitors, very young, who had booked some college accommodation as cheap holiday digs, without realising you don't get use of bedding, towels, cookware and so on. An incredibly patronising college employee was lecturing them on their stupidity, as if they would have had any idea about this. It was clear they were on a really tight budget and did not have any money to cover anything like that. I shut the old bag up, apologised on behalf of the British public for the shortcomings of the college, told them not to worry, popped home and made up a pack of necessities for them - bedding, duvet, pillows, towels, basic cookware and a few British delicacies. They were amazed, wrote in gratitude to me later on, and gifted me a set of eucalyptus covered coasters I still use to this day.

A couple of years ago I had my handbag stolen in Spain - I put it in the car then went to load the shopping in the boot and it was nicked. It had in it my passport, driving licence, all my cards etc.

An off duty Spanish policeman saw what happened. He told me the procedure for reporting the theft, then took me to the bank where the lovely staff gave me money from my account even though I had no formal ID (they did know me by sight). They let me use their phone to cancel my cards etc, then the policeman drove me home. Then other people helped me get my spare passport (don't ask - complicated) couriered to me.

The bag was never found but thanks to all those people a nightmare didn't turn into a disaster. Now I'm a lot more wary.

Kindness I will never forget, though it's 30yrs ago, is the kindness of the nurse who looked after my father in his final days at home when he was suffering from cancer. She made the whole awful experience bearable and my mum kept in touch with her for the rest of her life. Thank you Barbara.