Strangers you remember fondly

[Conkernudge]

Thought it would be nice to have a thread talking about strangers who have touched your life, or who you remember for a good reason.

Mine:
My DH and I were heading up a long flight of stairs at a train station when suddenly we saw a frail old man overbalance near the top and start falling. My husband dived sideways and managed to catch him before he went head over heels. As the man was falling the lady he was with shouted “Stanley!” crossly. I’m sure she was terrified, rather than cross, but she gave him a bit of a telling off when she caught up with him, despite holding his hand tightly. They were obviously married or partners and he’d given her the shock of her life.

Now whenever I criticise my husband for something minor he goes “Stanley!” as though i’m telling him off for something unreasonable and we laugh.

The fall happened probably about 12 years ago now and it’s just stuck with us. We hope we’ll grow old together like they did.

So, which stranger do you remember and why?

The woman in Durham Cathedral cafe who gave me a hug after seeing me have an argument with DD's Dad.

The man who gave me a dollar so I could get a bus over the US Mexico border.

The people who helped me with my luggage when I traveled with DD as a baby.

The thread that keeps on giving! Loved adding my story and love coming back and reading all the new ones that are being added.

Oh, I must have something in my eye(s).

I have been on the receiving end of many little kindnesses and try to pay it forward when I can.

I vividly remember being helped in an airport when I was six months’ pregnant with my first child. I had lots of blood pressure problems and was huge and often dizzy. I’d been overseas for a work event (with 16 hour days) after having an unexplained bleed and check up the day before I flew. I got through the week, but I was exhausted and a wreck.

At the airport, the queue for security was huge and the airport was hot. I stood for a while, dizzy and sweating, when I started crying because I felt so sorry for myself. The staff didn’t do anything, but an off duty steward insisted I cut the queue ahead of her and made my wait much shorter. She helped me through security and kept an eye on me. Such kindness!

Later in the same pregnancy, at 8.5 months, I had a work event a few hours from home. It ended late-ish and at the rail station on the way back there was a huge pile of people milling about waiting for the (delayed) train. A wonderful woman spoke to the ticket guards and made them give me a seat, and then tell me ahead of time which platform the train would be at so I wouldn’t have to run or scrum for a seat. She was my hero that day!

I now have two kids and I remember every single time someone has complimented my children for their confidence and ability to chat to people. A friend’s mum recently said she hoped her grandchildren (who are small toddlers) would turn out just like my kids because they’re so polite, kind, inclusive, and willing to chat to anyone. It was all I could do not to sob in response!

Bump

Bump also :)

Bump

The nurse who treated my dad with such kindness and respect when he was dying.

The lady in Marks and Spencer who asked me how I was when I was on the verge of a breakdown - it felt like she was the first person to see something was wrong and I was so touched by her kindness.

When I was on holiday in Rhyl when I was about 7 and got separated from my Mom, I went into one of the shops and asked for help, as I'd been taught to do at school. One of the assistants bought me an ice cream and walked me round Rhyl until we found her. If there's anyone on here who would have been working in B Wise in Rhyl about 1997ish - thank you.

Watching!

When I was 10 my dad had died and we moved house to a new area. Our family felt lonely and small without him and in all it was a terrible time.
One of the first rainy nights in our new house in an unfamiliar area we went out for pizza. I was standing at the counter waiting and the lady that worked there got a paper bag and filled it with sweets, gave it to me and smiled and chatted to me. It made me feel so comforted when I was feeling so overwhelmed, for someone to randomly be so kind.

I was in Madagascar travelling and I fell over and cut all my knee to buggery. This was the final straw in what had been a terrible week (lost possessions, delayed trains, illness, getting lost) and I just sat on the side of the road crying.

People either walked past and pretended not to see me or just gathered in the crowd standing around staring.

A woman who looked like the oldest person I'd ever seen (this is relevant for how comical it was) and was about 4'6 barged her way through the crowd of men and bent over to have a look at my knee. Then she grabbed a huge branch which was nearby and started swatting everyone away shouting at them (what I can only assume was "fuck off").

Then she took me back to her hut, bathed my knee, treated and dressed it, cooked me dinner, let me stay the night and sent me off the next day with a bag full of food.

When I was back in Antananarivo about three months later, I went by her hut and gave her some presents

When I was 18 I returned to the UK after spending Christmas with my sister in the US and for some reason I took it really hard.
I took the national express from the airport back to my uni town, but just after we had pulled onto the road I realised that in my flustered state I'd left my handbag with all my documents and cards on the luggage trolley.
I jumped out of my seat, ran up to the front and basically started hyperventilating at the driver in an inexplicable American accent. The driver was so kind, he turned around at the first roundabout and I got to retrieve my bag.
I will forever be grateful to him, I would've had nothing, no money, no documents, no cards and I had no family in the UK.

Love this thread

I had terrible PND after dc1 and struggled to get out much. I agreed to meet my mum in the city which meant a train journey. I was really nervous and the train was busy.
A very kind man gave me his seat and came back when we got to the station and helped me lift out my pram.
So very kind.

On a ferry to Ireland, my DS(3) was really sick. I had just got off him off to sleep on my lap, when I also succumbed and to sea sickness. I held my son and frantically looked round to DH to help.....he was fast asleep. A woman of a similar age to me appeared with a sick bag- and high she held whilst I vomited repeatedly....then wiped my mouth with a wet wipe. Then held a water bottle to my lips. And then gave me a polo mint!!!!! I sobbed with gratitude and she smiled and said - you are a good mum, and I am sure that you would do the same for me....

When my Dtwins were 18 months old I had to take them to get shoes. I was only just coming out of the throes of PND, living in a city where I Knew no one and a pretty fucking useless DH (atm). All in all it was a struggle to have even got them dressed and into the car never mind into a bloody pram and into a shop.

Twin 2 was totally pissed off about being in the buggy and was screaming and kicking off. As we got into said children's shoe shop in was rammed and I had to get a bloody ticket. Everyone was staring at DT2 who promptly lent over and pushed a sale rack of shoes over. Shop assistant came running over and hissed at me that maybe we should return later when DT2 was a bit calmer. At which point I ran out and burst into tears in the car park.

A lady came up behind me and picked up DT2 out of pram and produced a packet of biscuits which she fed both twins till they stopped crying. She told me she had triplets (now 18) and it was fucking difficult. She hugged me till I stopped crying and then told me I was a great mum and twins get easier !!!

The man in a silver bmw in Bromley By Bow who helped me.

I'd gotten lost and ended up in the blackwall tunnel with no idea how to get home. I was a new driver, upset and nearly caused an accident. Our first contact was him yelling at me, then when I turned abruptly into a side street to to stop and cry a bit more he had followed me. He could see how upset I was, lost and pretty helpless (new driver and pre sat nav). He drove and I followed from there to the dartford bridge as it was the only place we both knew and that I knew how to get home from. He drove so slowly so I could follow. He pulled into a lay-by near to the bridge as it was the last place he could stop before not being able to turn back. He wouldn't take a penny off me for petrol. I will never forget that kindness.

Minapaws

Your story has touched me so much, had tears in my eyes ❤️

I remember being ten years old and being in hospital waiting to have my tonsils out. My mum and dad have always been shit at parenting (and I'm now NC) but my mum had been told to be back at the hospital for 9am as we were being prepped for our operations. (8 of us on the ward). That however would have meant my precious brother being taken to school by my dad. So instead 9am rolls round and no mum.
I remember looking at all the other children with parents there, and I'm just talking to the nurse as she puts numbing cream on my hand. She walked off saying not long now and suddenly I got really scared I'd be going on my own to the theatre. I started crying and this lovely woman who's with her son, comes over to my bed and sits on it and gives me a hug, she grabbed a story book and started reading it to me. I remember asking if my mum didn't turn up would she come with me so I wasn't on my own. She said of course but it all would be fine. She stayed sat on my bed for a good twenty minutes until my mum finally turned up. My mum didn't even thank her, she just told me I was being stupid.
I've never forgot that woman. It made me realise what mums could be like.

This is something my parents did.

When I was a child, was probably late 80s early 90s, we were in the countryside somewhere when we noticed a boy by the side of the road on his own crying.

It turned out he was part of a scout group. They were on camp and were out on some activity and he had (from what I remember) stopped for a rest. They all left him. So he was on his own crying as they had all left him and he couldn’t get back.

So my parents got him the car and drove him all the way back to the scout camp and made sure he was ok.

I sometimes wonder about him and hope to God this sort of thing wouldn’t happen now..

Lovely thread
The Moss Side stories made me chuckle - I was a student in M’cr in 1991 and we used to buy the odd mood-alterer (ahem) there. God knows how we got away unscathed
Kindness I remember - the lady who sat with me on a bench after a v hot commute when I was 8 months pregnant and very uncomfortable and also the lovely trainee HCA called Crystal, who took such care of my dad in his final weeks. She sat with him giving him water from a pipette when he was too weak to use a straw.

Flying with a 4 month old. He lost his shit. Tried feeding, flashed the plane. in the screaming fit DS kicked the business man next to me's book into the aisle. This was a commuter flight full of people just trying to get home... I was mortified, exhausted, starting to cry.... the man next to me started telling me stories of the nightmare flights he had had with his daughter, the passenger behind joined in with his nightmare child on flight stories, as did the man over the aisle. The steward came over and offered to move the man next to me into business due to the "inconvenience" - he responded - "this lady and her son are passengers not an inconvenience I think I'll stay here and offer assistance rather than judgment thanks".

Made me realise that however bad it seems, it's better than you think! I fly a lot with my now 3 year old and I think that strangers reaction to the worst flight ever gave me so much confidence. I wish I could meet him again to thank him!

A few years ago I was at our local walk in centre, I was alone as DH had to stay home with DC. I was miscarrying and in a lot of pain, it all became too much and I started silent sobbing; after seeing the doctor, as I was leaving a lady came up to me and said she had seen me crying and that she wanted to give me a hug.

I’d been feeling so lonely and scared. I’ll never forget her.

Car had broken down in middle of nowhere. Me and two kids aged about 3 and 2. Called the AA so all was ok but three different women stopped to ask if I needed help and one went out of her way to return armed with cartons of juice and some sweeties for the kids.

Also, backpacking in Germany. Was trying to get a bed in Bremen youth hostel. They kept saying it was full (it wasn't but they had some school parties staying and didn't like others staying at the same time). Managed to get a bed eventually (in a 4 bunk room with no-one else). My pal (male) also got a similar room but was sharing with a lovely chap called Gunter. He had just arrived in Bremen from Frankfurt to do his national service and was going to be staying at a pal's flat for a few nights after staying in hostel. As the hostel would only allow us to stay for one night he felt sorry for us and arranged to meet up the next day and stay in the flat too. He was true to his word and we kipped on a futon. He then guided us back to the train station and we bought him breakfast. A corker of a chap!

pagan you've just reminded me of another one.
Many years ago (before the internet) I was travelling in Australia. Me and then DP had phoned a hostel to book, but when we arrived (after several hours' bus journey in 40 degree heat) they said that they were really sorry but there'd been a mix up and they were full. Instead of turning us out to find something else at very short notice, however, they made up camp beds in the hostel office, stayed there and let us use their own apartment (with air con & balcony) for the weekend.