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Original poster

Kindnesses from strangers - share some happy stories!

61 replies

Miaou · 17/09/2006 21:17

Here is mine. It happened about 6 years ago. I took dd1 (then 3) to a local gala. By the gate was a man selling helium balloons and dd1 asked if she could have one. I said I would buy her one when we left, on the way home. She waited very patiently for her balloon at the gala but was getting more and more excited about it (bless). Naively, I thought that they cost about £1 so imagine my shock when I was told they were £4.50 each!! I didn't have enough money for one - poor dd was so upset. She held it together until we had gone about 10 yards away but then burst into tears . While I was consoling her I felt a tap on my shoulder - and the balloon man silently handed me a balloon. Dd1's face (and mine) were just a picture! She was so thrilled with the balloon and it lasted about three weeks too

Six years on every time I think of that it brings a smile to my face

OP posts:
southeastastra · 17/09/2006 21:18

ah that's nice

RTKangaMummy · 17/09/2006 21:20

In the hospital car park

a man came up to me and gave me his parking ticket that still had several hours left to run on it

And then when I had been to visit my Dad I gave it to the woman who came into my parking space

Spread a little happiness

misdee · 17/09/2006 21:21

i do that all the RTKM.

danceswithmonkeys · 17/09/2006 21:24

I was fishing around desperately in bottom of my handbag for change for carpark (children in car) cursing dh who had taken change for the paper and the lady in front of me paid for my parking! She obviously took pity on a frazzled mum and said she knew what it felt like! Could have kissed her but settled for gushing thanks

FrannyandZooey · 17/09/2006 21:28

I find people are generally terribly kind, especially when you have children with you.

We have been given presents, freebies and untold kindnesses from complete strangers. It is a lovely place to live.

Beetle73 · 17/09/2006 21:30

A few months ago, DD and I had a tustle in the street over my car key. When we both let go, it fell down the drain.
We were right next to the house, so I went back in and got some wire to fish it out before the tide came in, or whatever it is that happens with drains.
So there I was, holding 22 month old DD firmly by the hand whilst kneeling on the pavement fishing in a drain with a bit of wire.
At least 3 hefty blokes walked by and watched me with interest as they kept moving. Then a scandinavian woman got off her bike and came over to ask what the problem was. She also tried fishing about, and then said 'why don't we just lift it up?' This had not even crossed my mind. But she was right - drains are on hinges. She hoisted while I picked out the key.
I was so delighted that she'd made my problem her own.

Saturn74 · 17/09/2006 21:38

We were going through a very unhappy time a few years back. DS2 was having an awful time at school, and had lots of behvioural problems. The village we lived in then had practically labelled him 'the spawn of the devil', and he was a very unhappy little boy. I took him to get some new shoes, and the lady in the shoe shop was lovely with him. She made him laugh and was really patient. He took to her, and was as good as gold. When we went to leave she gave him a badge and a pencil set, saying that he deserved a treat as he was the politest and sweetest little boy that she had seen in the shop for a long time. I just about managed to compose myself until we left the shop, then I burst into tears! This lady would have had no idea how much her words meant to a mother who had only heard negative comments about her child for a very long time.

Saturn74 · 17/09/2006 21:40

I meant 'behavioural'.
Doh!

anniediv · 17/09/2006 21:40

HumphreyCushion, how lovely [lump in throat emoticon]

Bucketsofdinosaurs · 17/09/2006 21:42

I took my 2 out with ds in the pushchair the other week, went to a junkshop with an upstairs looking for a table. I'm very quick at scanning shops so I asked the old chap that runs it to chat to DS (utterly unfazed by strangers) while we ran up, looked around and ran down again. The chap seemed really touched and gave DS a little model car in its box.
(Yeah I know you shouldn't leave your kids with strangers but it was in a shop window and the chap has a business to run so nothing bad was going to happen in 60 seconds. Not making a habit of it )

harpsichordcarrier · 17/09/2006 21:46

oh god lovely things happen to me all the time.
the other day some random bloke carried dd2 in her car seat all the way back to the car, which he probably regretted pretty quickly as she weighs the same as a small labrador .
people are so kind.

Pruni · 17/09/2006 21:48

Message withdrawn

Kelly1978 · 17/09/2006 21:49

a coupel of guys together gave dd and ds bananas while waiting for the tube after the motor show.

when I went to hosp once as an emergency a really nice lady the next day shared cigs and gave me money for a phone call.

dd gets given money often from strangers.

It is really nice to see that htere are nice people around.

Original poster
Miaou · 17/09/2006 21:51

oh it's traditional up here pruni (scotland)

Ds made about £30 in his first two weeks

OP posts:
Saturn74 · 17/09/2006 21:51

LOL at Harpsi's comment; I've now got a lovely mental image of a set of scales with a small labrador on one side and a small child on the other!

Pruni · 17/09/2006 21:54

Message withdrawn

harpsichordcarrier · 17/09/2006 21:54

oh these stories make me sob. esp the OP and HC's

Beetle73 · 17/09/2006 21:54

sorry if this is a hijack, but 2 funny (nice) things have happened to us just in one week.

Last week I was walking along with DD (2), having just left a pizzeria. Betwen us we were still munching a last bit of pizza and DD had tomato-orange chops and hands. This man walking by stopped, exclaimed, took out two tissues then bent down and started cleaning up DD. I just looked on with amazement, laughing and hoping that his tissues were clean (they were). Then he said 'I remember this with my children. Best wishes to you and your son'

Then today, a woman stopped in the street and kissed DD on the cheek.

Both the people involved were Arab, and whilst the uptight, European in me was thinking 'germs! abduction! personal space!, the rest of me was thinking how kind and spontaneous the gestures were.

Original poster
Miaou · 17/09/2006 22:03
  • not a hijack at all beetle - all stories welcome!!
OP posts:
aDAdOnMumsnet · 17/09/2006 22:04

black cab driver refusing to accept our money when it came to paying our £15 fare to hospital when dp in labour with dd.
As the cab pulled away i desperately tried to memorise the licence number on the back to try to trace him and thank him properly after the birth. Did I remember it 24 hours later emerging from the hospital, with life having changed forever? Err nope. take more black cabs these days though.

harpsichordcarrier · 17/09/2006 22:08

when I was pregnant with dd1 I was staying in a hotel in PAris for a conference and there was a party of business men and women from Nigeria, who basically treated me like a cross between a the Goddess of Fertility and a visiting Head of State. Exclaiming loudly about how marvellous I looked and bringing me gifts and drinks and waiting on me hand and foot.
I was quite keen to go home with them

Original poster
Miaou · 17/09/2006 22:13

lol hc!!! Makes a change from " 'aven't you 'ad it yet?" or "ooh you'll hate being a mum" etc

OP posts:
naki · 17/09/2006 22:25

went to our local friday market and dd (6) who wanted to buy me some flowers (with my money of course) she picked me out 2 bunches of lillies and he gave her 2 other bunches of flowers (for nothing) and her 50p to buy some sweets needless to say we were both happy i got free flowers ans she got sweets.

SewingMadMummy · 17/09/2006 22:56

I remember being 17 and workng in a local hotel. It was about a week before Christmas and we had been burgled a few days before. Anyway a diner and I were talking and he didn't realise I was a waitress. Later I took him and his family coffee and he tipped me £150!!! I cried of course. At least Christmas was saved...

dmo · 17/09/2006 22:57

i really love to do a good turn
when my sons were smaller i used to walk into town with the double buggy on my way home one day i saw a couple who had been to a super market and were carrying bags and bags of shopping so i caught up with them and offered to put their bags on my pram they were very grateful

i also give my car parking tickets away or stick them to the pay and disply board

i also look after everybodys kids at weekend to give their parents a break (my boys are 9 and 10) and i work 59hrs a week

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