Nicest thing you've done for a stranger.
Discussion
The thread about picking hitchikers up got me thinking. What's the nicest thing you've ever done for a total stranger?
I adopted a large middle aged black lady whilst in boston airport once. It was her first trip abroad (she was visiting relatives on her own) and they had cancelled her flight back to Birmingham(uk) via NY.
She had no money left, no idea what to do and was in tears. So I took her to the desk and got us both on the next flight to NY. We missed our connections to Birmingham for her and Manchester for me so they put us up in a hotel for the night. We had most of the next day to kill so I hired a limo for the day and took her around NY (she'd never been).
When we got back to Newark her flight was full and they couldn't get her on it. So I had them put her on the flight to Manchester and I drove her to Birminham when we landed.
Anyone else ever done a totally over the top thing for a stranger just cos it made you feel good?
Of course, being on expenses helped
I adopted a large middle aged black lady whilst in boston airport once. It was her first trip abroad (she was visiting relatives on her own) and they had cancelled her flight back to Birmingham(uk) via NY.
She had no money left, no idea what to do and was in tears. So I took her to the desk and got us both on the next flight to NY. We missed our connections to Birmingham for her and Manchester for me so they put us up in a hotel for the night. We had most of the next day to kill so I hired a limo for the day and took her around NY (she'd never been).
When we got back to Newark her flight was full and they couldn't get her on it. So I had them put her on the flight to Manchester and I drove her to Birminham when we landed.
Anyone else ever done a totally over the top thing for a stranger just cos it made you feel good?
Of course, being on expenses helped
Nowhere near as charitable, but I did get a message on the answering machine last night from a lady looking for an old friend and how she would like to get in touch.
When I got back home and listened to the message and instead of just deleting it I called her back and told her that she had the wrong number, she was very grateful for that.
I suppose I called her as I didn't want her to be in suspense to see if she had the right number or not.
When I got back home and listened to the message and instead of just deleting it I called her back and told her that she had the wrong number, she was very grateful for that.
I suppose I called her as I didn't want her to be in suspense to see if she had the right number or not.
The PHer 'Saf' was good enough to send me a CD after i enquired about a certain trance track on here a week or so back - it arrived today recorded delivery and is pumping out now!
Doesn't sound quite in the same league but i'm still very impressed and very thankful someone was willing to do that for someone they've never met!
Thanks Sharon!
Rob.
Doesn't sound quite in the same league but i'm still very impressed and very thankful someone was willing to do that for someone they've never met!
Thanks Sharon!
Rob.
I gave away a computer to a PH-er I''d never met couple of months back when he asked if it was going spare.
I always stop if someone has broken down in a dodgy place - have pushed cars off main roads and roundabouts on numerous occasions.
I managed to stop someone's Corrado rolling down a very steep hill and into oncoming traffic a few months back (handbrake failure) whilst everyone else swerved and drove on.
I'll probably be giving my Rover to whichever PH-er wants it when time comes for a new car.
All-in-all average stuff I guess - can't recall anything else immediately.
I always stop if someone has broken down in a dodgy place - have pushed cars off main roads and roundabouts on numerous occasions.
I managed to stop someone's Corrado rolling down a very steep hill and into oncoming traffic a few months back (handbrake failure) whilst everyone else swerved and drove on.
I'll probably be giving my Rover to whichever PH-er wants it when time comes for a new car.
All-in-all average stuff I guess - can't recall anything else immediately.
That’s a lovely thing to do for some one!
I do what I can for people in the way of helping them out when they are in trouble (amazing the number of times you pull over on the road even and all they need is some water for their car because they have a leaky radiator or something of that nature). I was walking to another part of campus the other day when a poor lass was struggling to push her bike along as the chain had come off, it took 20 seconds to put back on (I advised her to go to the motorcycle part of the block because her chain was very loose and worn, I hope they helped her).
I admire people like you who go to great lengths to make others happy. I think the Buddhists call it “Karma” where you give in faith that one day you will receive the good will back.
I do what I can for people in the way of helping them out when they are in trouble (amazing the number of times you pull over on the road even and all they need is some water for their car because they have a leaky radiator or something of that nature). I was walking to another part of campus the other day when a poor lass was struggling to push her bike along as the chain had come off, it took 20 seconds to put back on (I advised her to go to the motorcycle part of the block because her chain was very loose and worn, I hope they helped her).
I admire people like you who go to great lengths to make others happy. I think the Buddhists call it “Karma” where you give in faith that one day you will receive the good will back.
I can't recall anything remarkable that I've done, but when I was 10, a woman gave me 5p because I was buying my dad a record for his birthday which cost £1.95 and I had only managed to save £1.90 of my pocket money.
I've never forgotten her and her act of kindness - that was 25 years ago!!!
I've never forgotten her and her act of kindness - that was 25 years ago!!!
cazzer said:
The thread about picking hitchikers up got me thinking. What's the nicest thing you've ever done for a total stranger?
I adopted a large middle aged black lady whilst in boston airport once. It was her first trip abroad (she was visiting relatives on her own) and they had cancelled her flight back to Birmingham(uk) via NY.
She had no money left, no idea what to do and was in tears. So I took her to the desk and got us both on the next flight to NY. We missed our connections to Birmingham for her and Manchester for me so they put us up in a hotel for the night. We had most of the next day to kill so I hired a limo for the day and took her around NY (she'd never been).
When we got back to Newark her flight was full and they couldn't get her on it. So I had them put her on the flight to Manchester and I drove her to Birminham when we landed.
Anyone else ever done a totally over the top thing for a stranger just cos it made you feel good?
Of course, being on expenses helped
Thats fantastic! Good for you
I think that there are a lot of professionals who could be considered to have done 'nice things' for strangers.
I know that I end up giving thousands of pounds worth of my billable time up to help those who can't afford it or who just need to talk to someone for half an hour about some boundary dispute or other. I have even been known to charge a substantially lower figure than I should have on a number of occasions because I liked the clients and didn't want to present them with a £1000.00 + bill when they thought it was going to be iro£5550+vat, even though it could easily be justified.
As for in personal life can’t think off the top of my head, other than tracking down the owner of a wallet I once found with over £500 cash in it (is that being nice or just doing to others as you would have done unto yourself?).
I did stop to help a boy racer once though after he’d gone past me a ton up and then stacked it at the next round-about, lent him phone to explain to his dad, etc.
>> Edited by rude-boy on Thursday 19th May 13:01
I know that I end up giving thousands of pounds worth of my billable time up to help those who can't afford it or who just need to talk to someone for half an hour about some boundary dispute or other. I have even been known to charge a substantially lower figure than I should have on a number of occasions because I liked the clients and didn't want to present them with a £1000.00 + bill when they thought it was going to be iro£5550+vat, even though it could easily be justified.
As for in personal life can’t think off the top of my head, other than tracking down the owner of a wallet I once found with over £500 cash in it (is that being nice or just doing to others as you would have done unto yourself?).
I did stop to help a boy racer once though after he’d gone past me a ton up and then stacked it at the next round-about, lent him phone to explain to his dad, etc.
>> Edited by rude-boy on Thursday 19th May 13:01
I like to think that I wouldn't ever ignore anyone in a spot of bother, and that I'd do what I could to help them on their way
the incident which sticks in my mind is when I was at thurrock services in the queue behind a coachload of american pensioners buying breakfasts...it transpired that none of them had any british currency on them and were under the impression that the dollar is widely accepted in the UK...anyway, so I just paid for their breakfasts and bid them good day. came to about £85 IIRC...and I just thought well, I bet that comes around to help me some day in the future (reminds me of that film, pay it forward)
I guess american pensioners are just as befuddled as british pensioners
the incident which sticks in my mind is when I was at thurrock services in the queue behind a coachload of american pensioners buying breakfasts...it transpired that none of them had any british currency on them and were under the impression that the dollar is widely accepted in the UK...anyway, so I just paid for their breakfasts and bid them good day. came to about £85 IIRC...and I just thought well, I bet that comes around to help me some day in the future (reminds me of that film, pay it forward
) I guess american pensioners are just as befuddled as british pensioners
was also very forgiving and polite after a middle aged dear drove her VW Polo into the back of my Chimaera at some traffic lights. That took some doing, althoguh I did slam my door very hard after I'd clambered out of the wreckage. I think she thought I was going to kill her.
Bought a KFC bucket and a coffee for a tramp once.
Bought a bag of goodies for a tramp I met outside a pub - sarnie, crisps, choccie bar, packet of fags, lighter, and a coke. He wanted drugs, so wasn';t impressed. Git. At least i tried.
Bought a KFC bucket and a coffee for a tramp once.
Bought a bag of goodies for a tramp I met outside a pub - sarnie, crisps, choccie bar, packet of fags, lighter, and a coke. He wanted drugs, so wasn';t impressed. Git. At least i tried.
Probably going to get told I should do these things and I was stupid to do so but.....
Was in a night club when I delightful, v pissed, woman decided to fall into me, I caught her mid fall and picked her up, she did the same again, this time helped her over to a chair and tried to get some response out of her other than slur. Got "wheres Victoria" out of her, unfortunately there was no victoria and she had been left there. Looked after her while she proceeded to vomit on floor of night club and at kicking out time, with still no sign of victoria I helped her to a taxi rank.
Nice man in taxi said there was no way in hell she was riding in taxi by herself, so thought since she looked like a student I could drop her off on the way home........ Big mistake, she wasn't a student but a local who lived in one otf the villages miles away.. Fantastic!!
Got to her Village, were she started making ralfing noises and being the decent bloke I am, in one swift motion opened her door and pushed her out so she could carry on vomitting. Taxi driver decided he couldn't be arsed to hang around so there I was stuck in a villages miles from home trying to help a woman back to her parents house so I could go home.
Only she couldn't remember where abouts she lives, was close to just walking away and leaving her in the middle of the road at this point. Luckily for her I didn't, so propped her up on the wall while she attempted to ring her friends to find out where she lived and where they were, would of helped if she didn't just slur at the phone. After the 4th phone call I took the phone off her just as it started to ring, I answered it and talked to one of her friends and explained the situation, he thanked me for looking after her and sent a taxi so she could do the £50 trip to huddersfield.
Taxi came and refused to take me with him as it was only ordered for her, so I ended up walking most of the way home before being able to flag a taxi down my self, cost of said detour £28 and 4 hours lost.
Morale of story, next time a drunk falls into me, side step an place quick boot to head as it seems that no good deed goes unpunished!!
Just my luck eh?
>> Edited by ProPlus on Thursday 19th May 13:19
Was in a night club when I delightful, v pissed, woman decided to fall into me, I caught her mid fall and picked her up, she did the same again, this time helped her over to a chair and tried to get some response out of her other than slur. Got "wheres Victoria" out of her, unfortunately there was no victoria and she had been left there. Looked after her while she proceeded to vomit on floor of night club and at kicking out time, with still no sign of victoria I helped her to a taxi rank.
Nice man in taxi said there was no way in hell she was riding in taxi by herself, so thought since she looked like a student I could drop her off on the way home........ Big mistake, she wasn't a student but a local who lived in one otf the villages miles away.. Fantastic!!
Got to her Village, were she started making ralfing noises and being the decent bloke I am, in one swift motion opened her door and pushed her out so she could carry on vomitting. Taxi driver decided he couldn't be arsed to hang around so there I was stuck in a villages miles from home trying to help a woman back to her parents house so I could go home.
Only she couldn't remember where abouts she lives, was close to just walking away and leaving her in the middle of the road at this point. Luckily for her I didn't, so propped her up on the wall while she attempted to ring her friends to find out where she lived and where they were, would of helped if she didn't just slur at the phone. After the 4th phone call I took the phone off her just as it started to ring, I answered it and talked to one of her friends and explained the situation, he thanked me for looking after her and sent a taxi so she could do the £50 trip to huddersfield.
Taxi came and refused to take me with him as it was only ordered for her, so I ended up walking most of the way home before being able to flag a taxi down my self, cost of said detour £28 and 4 hours lost.
Morale of story, next time a drunk falls into me, side step an place quick boot to head as it seems that no good deed goes unpunished!!
Just my luck eh?
>> Edited by ProPlus on Thursday 19th May 13:19
When I was about 16 a friend of my Dad's who was training to join the police came to the house to see me. He'd come across a car parked in a layby near Edinburgh City By-pass with a clearly distressed family in it who he reckoned were probably German.
We went out to the car with him and it turned out they were German, didn't speak any English and had been touring round the UK with their friends, who were in a separate car. They had managed to become separated from their friends on the bypass, but stupidly didn't know where they were meant to be staying that night or have any contact details for their friends. They just knew it was a campsite in or near Edinburgh.
We took them around four or five of the main campsites to look or their friends but didn't find them. By this time they were totally distraught, especially as their daughter had been in their friends' car and their friends' son was with them.
We offered to take them to a hotel but they weren't keen on that, given the language problems (and as it turned out, the fact their passports and money were in their friends' car as well, FFS). Eventually we put them up in our spare rooms and then the next morning took them to the German Embassy to get sorted out.
They ended up being put in temp accomodation by the Embassy for one night and then eventually meeting up with their friends again in Dover.
Pretty much ruined their holiday I reckon but there were really grateful to us and I corresponded with them for a couple of years afterwards as well.
We went out to the car with him and it turned out they were German, didn't speak any English and had been touring round the UK with their friends, who were in a separate car. They had managed to become separated from their friends on the bypass, but stupidly didn't know where they were meant to be staying that night or have any contact details for their friends. They just knew it was a campsite in or near Edinburgh.
We took them around four or five of the main campsites to look or their friends but didn't find them. By this time they were totally distraught, especially as their daughter had been in their friends' car and their friends' son was with them.
We offered to take them to a hotel but they weren't keen on that, given the language problems (and as it turned out, the fact their passports and money were in their friends' car as well, FFS). Eventually we put them up in our spare rooms and then the next morning took them to the German Embassy to get sorted out.
They ended up being put in temp accomodation by the Embassy for one night and then eventually meeting up with their friends again in Dover.
Pretty much ruined their holiday I reckon but there were really grateful to us and I corresponded with them for a couple of years afterwards as well.
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