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Random acts of kindness from strangers

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whitehawk said:
Uh, who would hate you for this? Your a good man.
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Well I'm delighted I'm wrong. Thanks, GAF.

I told some dudes (co-workers, gym-buddies) this story and they got irked at me and flat out told me I should have minded my own business and that if they had been those guys they would have fought me. I don't care, I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Back on-topic. When I was a kid (11ish), I got into an accident on my bike. I lost control and hit a parked car so hard that my arm went through the driver's side window. My hand and arm were cut to shit, and I kind of sat on the ground in shock. The owner came out, and brought me inside and administered first aid and took good care of me. She was so kind and concerned and told me repeatedly not to worry about the car (I was pretty blubbery about it). She called my parents to come get me.

My parents and her developed a strong friendship after this. I actually don't know if my dad ever paid for that window. I'll have to ask him.
 
My car decided to break down at a Walgreens on the other side of town yesterday while a friend and I were on our way to go see Scott Pilgrim. I guess it wasn't getting any fuel even though it was on 3/4th's of a tank. We stop this older gentleman to see if he knows about cars, and after jumping it does nothing, he decides to go to the store across the street and buys me a gas canister and fills it with gas. He comes back, fills it up, but the bitch still won't start.

So, unfortunately my car is still stuck at Walgreens, we didn't get to see Scott Pilgrim, and I have to go back today to push it across the street to this auto center. But that man's willingness to help was truly admirable.
 
i had my first job over the summer as being a cashier, and i made plenty of mistakes but this one time i was ringing a woman up and as she was walking out the door she asked me if i gave her the right amount of change. And to avoid bringing the manager, who was also very nice to me, over to the register for the hundredth time that afternoon i just quickly said"yeah". well the very next day i was made to work on one register all shift and nobody would tell me why but i kinda knew. So luckily that women came in the day after that and handed me the extra twenty i gave her.
 
Faith in Humanity: +50000.

I read it all. So good. I've had my cases. I remember a long time ago AltogetherAndrews gifted me my first steam game, Half Life 2 and Episode 1. I was blown away. So fucking good. I'll forever thank him. Last Xmas I wanted to buy Bioshock but it didn't appear in the store for me, so I asked for someone to buy it and I would send the money over PayPal. I sadly don't remember who the person was but he was a common poster. I forgot your name, but thanks a lot man! There are many other cases in life but I wanted to apply it to GAF =).

I've done my fair share of good things, especially with foreign people coming over. I understand how lost people feel when they are in a strange country, so I try to help them as much as I can. I've returned phones, money, etc. I can't remember specific cases to be honest, but I am sure I've been a pretty nice guy. =).
 
MyOtherBike said:
GAF might hate me for this, but here we go.

1999, I was a bouncer at a popular night club in my city and was working the door this night. This one girl arrived with about 2 more of her friends, and later in the night they ditched her.

She was a very good looking girl and was still partying it up until about close, but she was getting really, REALLY drunk. Like, "there-is-something-wrong" drunk. When it was last call and we were kicking out everyone, she was leaving with a group of about 8 dudes...she obviously didn't know these guys until a few hours ago. She was really staggering, and her speech was quite off, even for someone who is drunk. She didn't really seem to know what was going on. It wasn't sitting well with me, so I sit her down on a stool, told the guys to fuck off (I'm muscular and have a mean look), and called her mom to come pick her up. The girl was passed out by the time her mom arrived.

Next Monday, the girl comes up to me at university and thanks me for what I did. She says she was certain she had been drugged and was scared to think about what would have happened. The girl's mom comes to the club at the start of my shift the next weekend and showers me with thanks and gives me a plate of cookies :D

5 years ago I also ran into a burning house and pulled two strangers out.
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dude why would anyone hate you for that? Good job for sticking up for a lady
 
such a warming thread. i always try to do the good thing and always hope that people i help do good to others too.

- in various occasions i have returned found phones (2-4 times if my memory serves me) - even when once my mother found a lost phone which was shut down and i didn't have the pin code i tried calling the mobile operator but they would give me any info about the person to whom the card belonged (some security shit - i told the operator that if i couldn't found the person tho which this phone belonged it would be her fault), luckily there was a single sms stored in the phone memory and its was the persons parents so i got to return the phone;

- as far as bus tickets go - i always leave mine in the bus for somebody else to use, i clip it under the perforation device;

- latest memory is from the day before yesterday when i didn't have any coins for the cart in the supermarket and asked a paper stand lady to give me 5c coin and promised her to return her 20c when i go out from shopping (though she said that its not needed as it wouldn't make richer/her poorer if i keep them), but when exiting i didn't have any coins either and i took a nice ice tea juice bottle i bought and gave it to her in return - she seemed happy :).
 
This happened last night actually. I had a minor bump into the back of a truck. So light that he didn't even feel it and drove away (or just drove away because he was an asshole), but my bumper had become dented back and had pierced my radiator, so fluid was leaking everywhere. Pulled over at the nearest Car Park and didn't know what to do. My parents are on holiday in USA, the car had no manual or insurance details or anything like that left in it, I was utterly lost. It was also 1am.

Thankfully a few moments later, a Highway Patrol pulled into the car park on their break to grab some food from the supermarket. They saw me and straight away came to my aid. The guys explained exactly what had happened to my car (I was clueless, know nothing about mechanics) and helped me pop the stuck hood with a crowbar. They then let me use their phones to contact any friends to get me a lift as I had no credit on mine. Following my lack of being able to get help, they then helped me move the car to safer position and do a few tests to check if there was any extra damage. They then offered to drop me a lift home, despite at that time their break being over and they had to get going in the opposite direction. They wrote down a list of everything I needed to do to sort the situation out, and sent me on my way. I wouldn't of had a clue without them, and there was nobody else but drunk chavs around so I wouldn't of got any other help.
 
As an Englishman living in China I've has so many people here help me out. So whenever I have the chance I like to play it forward. Like the time I was on the bus and a woman got on outside the maternity hospital and did not have the correct change (2 Yuan) for the fare the jobsworth bus driver was not going to let her on even though she has a newborn baby in her arms. I paid her fare.

Thing is that in China this type of behaviour is not common so she did not even thank me for it. They dont know what to do so they say nothing. I realise that now so I'm not offended and feel good helping people anyway.
 
Just wanted to bump this thread because I witnessed something pretty awesome last week. I was at the Department of Licensing to renew my ID when I saw this guy, sort of mentally and physically handicapped, talking to an employee at the counter. The guy said he didn't have any money so the employee told him to come back when he does. Just as he walked out the door a customer followed him outside and asked him how much he needed and then both of them walked back inside and the guy was able to pay for whatever he needed to do.
 
just went to the corner market to buy beer and candy, I was 20 cents short and the owner told me not to worry about it.
 
I've had the opportunity to return some phones and student passes that I've picked up in my uni's campus over the years. Some people aren't grateful even though I've had to jump through hoops to give them back their stuff. One girl literally snatched her phone back and didn't even bother to thank me.
 
I live in atlanta and bums ask me for money all the time.
There was one specific time where I was walking to class with my gf
and a bum was very persistent about asking me for a dollar. After we got away
from him I explained to my girl not to give any of them money. (small women are kidnapped here)But 5 minutes after class started I went and bought him some groceries and talked to him.


A week later I was watching my girl walk to class trying to catch up to her cause a bum was
bothering her but to her rescue was the bum I bought groceries. Asking for nothing in return he took care of the bum that was bothering her.
Shit was awesome.
 
On Black Friday I had to go make a payment at KMart for my brother, he had waited till the last minute and was out of town. So I show up and of course the lines are insane, layaway line is about half way around the inside of the store, but I'm told I can pay for it up front. Lines aren't much better, some lady sees me just holding a piece of paper and says I can cut to in front of her. She's at the front and there's quite a few people between us, they're all okay with it and I'm out of the store within minutes! Good people.
 
I have a soft spot of physically handicapped people, as my grandmother had MS for all my life and I grew up knowing the difficulties that come with someone who can't get around as easy as someone with functioning legs. Any who, if I ever can, I'll make sure to open doors, make a path, or whatever if the person(s) look like they could use a hand. Not a big deal, I certainly don't mind.

One day, I was at a bakery with a girl I was seeing at the time, and an elderly handicapped woman and her husband came in, ordered, and as they left, the husband kept pushing her feet into the door rather than get in front and open the door himself and let her roll through. I immediately got up and went to open the door, which the couple seemed pretty bitter about; as in, they told me they don't need anyone's help, and that I should mind my own business. So I apologized, and walked away. Felt kind of shitty, but well, not a lot I could do. Not as if I was being malicious or anything. Afterwards I sat down and resumed talking to the girl, when the owner approached me, said he saw what I did and that there isn't enough people in the world that would make an effort like that. We talked briefly, and in short, he ended up naming the next days cupcake (they make a daily special) after me. And I got a free cupcake. Woo!


For another story, I have a friend that accidentally saved a mutual friend that's a girl from being date raped. We were all drinking together, when the girl started acting very strange (it was early on in the night). My friend, thinking she had just a bit too much to drink, and seeing that she was attempting to drink more, started stealing and drinking her drinks so she'd slow down. As it turns out, my friend ends up face down about a half hour later, and the guy that had been feeding the girl drinks had ran off. After a brief stay in the hospital, my friend tested positive for date rape drugs.
 
Couple of years ago during a pretty harsh winter I came across this old homeless guy who obviously had had a couple of rough days/nights. I don't know if he went to shelter or not, since they were picking up people because of the dangers of frostbite/death, but he didn't look too good. It was already sorta late (like near midnight) so couldn't think of much to do for him but I gave him my gloves and a hot (turkish) rolled pizza. Man, that dude was so grateful it was heartbreaking.

It did bring a smile to my face when I saw him again in summer (town had less then 200K, not that many homeless people) and see him look a lot better. He didn't see me/recognize me but hey at least he was still around.
 
Dresden said:
I saw a woman riding a bike get slammed by a truck. Stopped my car, ran out, called the ambulance and waited with her as the firetruck, cops, and the ambulance all came driving by. The truck was gone by then, fucking scumbag, I didn't get his license plate number but I hope they caught him somehow.

Had to give a statement and stuff, but it was for a good cause.
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Out of curiosity where did this happen? Have a sister in law who was hit by a truck while bike riding in Texas, ass got away.


Thought of another story. When I was a kid I ran my bike into a parked car and some guy carried me like 6 or 7 blocks back to my house, as well as my bike.
 
MyOtherBike said:
Well I'm delighted I'm wrong. Thanks, GAF.

I told some dudes (co-workers, gym-buddies) this story and they got irked at me and flat out told me I should have minded my own business and that if they had been those guys they would have fought me. I don't care, I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Back on-topic. When I was a kid (11ish), I got into an accident on my bike. I lost control and hit a parked car so hard that my arm went through the driver's side window. My hand and arm were cut to shit, and I kind of sat on the ground in shock. The owner came out, and brought me inside and administered first aid and took good care of me. She was so kind and concerned and told me repeatedly not to worry about the car (I was pretty blubbery about it). She called my parents to come get me.

My parents and her developed a strong friendship after this. I actually don't know if my dad ever paid for that window. I'll have to ask him.
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What you did was awesome and your friends sound like rapists if they don't see anything wrong with trying to take advantage of a half passed out girl.
 
Dropped my wallet at a busy bus top in an evening a few months ago. It had a few thousands of cash, a couple credit cards, a couple of IDs among other things. Spent over an hour retracing my steps but couldn't find it.

Next morning, I wake up to a call from my office. Somebody found my wallet, saw the ID card and called my office. The guy gave his store's address so that I can pick wallet.

My dad went paranoid and asked me to take some people with me as it could be a 'trap' or something. I shrugged off the apprehension, dropped by the store and got the wallet back with everything intact.

That was close to a miracle considering the country I live in.
 
Dude picked up my keys at a WU tang concert, I repaid his good dead by passing him a funky cigarette.
 
I wish I wasn't so socially akward so I could help random strangers without feeling like a shameful attention whore (stupid, I know, but I can't help feeling like that when I help someone out in the open)
 
I went to Japan last year during Feb for snowboard/snow festival visit with about 8 friends.

I arrived in Tokyo about 8 hours before them and was totally lost by the time I left the airport (stations were much more advanced/bigger then where I live).

While walking around aimlessly, get on the wrong trains and such (couldn't read or speak Japanese besides small words), I had random Japanese people ranging from young ladies to old man tried their best to help me find my way to a certain city ( I was going to meet one of my Tokyo friend at Sumida Ward until my friends arrived).

They had to mix up their Japanese with English sentences to help me seeming they couldn't speak fluent English (thankfully I had a translation book at the time). It was really nice that they went out of their way to help me even know I wasn't a native speaker (it was peak hour as well, so everyone was rushing back home from work).
 
My first time at a baseball game, I got really good seats. This is because a guy my Dad worked for wanted to treat us.

He's just a kind man in general. Also, this whole thread is super inspiring.
 
When I was younger, and California Adventure was newer, the family decided on a trip to said park.
Along the way we got in some childish spat, and it kind of utterly destroyed any positive vibes for the rest of the day.
While we're fuming and waiting in some shitty long line in the Anaheim heat, some random guy walks up to me and asks how many people are in my family.
I suspiciously answer "Four."
He replies, roughly, "Well, here's how it goes. One of my kids is sick, and my wife wants us to get out of here. But listen, I don't want these going to waste, so you guys take them and have a good time."

The guy ends up giving us all access passes that zip us to the front of any line we want. Needless to say, it was a nice pick-me-up for our moods.

Come to find out later, those kinds of passes at the time were only given to execs.

Might have been a PR stunt, but the guy's sincerity really struck me.
 
Recently, Sitting, chilling with my friend outside a hip hop show.

This guy comes up with half a hash joint in hand. He can barely walk straight, leaning on his girl, the guy is clearly severely stoned.

He goes "HERE! SMOKE.... SMOKE THIS! SM...."

I can't really make out what he's shouting, there's a hip hop show right next to us. I go "WAT?"

He goes "LOOK, HERE! JUST TAKE IT! SMOKE IT! I MUST... JUST SMOKE IT, MAN!"

And then his girl carries him off.

What a kind, young man.
 
I was once left stranded in MA, on my way back to FL (1200 miles from home?). My parents ordered me a bus ticket, so I was fine on that front. My credit card was stolen. I had maybe three dollars to last me the entire 2 day trip back home, food-wise.

I was browsing an ALDI-style grocery store before the bus arrived, trying to make the safest purchases possible for my trip when a friendly-looking old lady walked up to me and handed me five dollars, and told me "go get yourself a sandwich". I used that money to buy cheaper food, but thanks so much lady.
 
While in college, i made a late night trip to wal mart to pick up supplies for school. On my way out of the store, someone had run by a woman at the register, grabbed her purse and booked it for the exit. Having heard the screams, i turned around and tripped the guy, pinned him to the ground and punched him in the face (just once, enough to keep him down). Later I got called by the police saying I was being charged with assault. In the end everything worked out, but it was a big hassle that wasted my time.




A few weeks ago I was on my way home from work, on the cornor of a traffic light was a homeless man holding a sign asking for help. I usually see this guy once or a twice a week, but becuase of the extreme heat we have had this summer, i decided to help him this day. I went to a subway and picked him up 2 footlong sandwiches and maybe a half dozen bottles of water. When i went back to the spot he was and handed him the food and drinks, he told me that the meaning of the sign was for money, not food, i looked at him as if he had 5 heads. Needless to say, that will be my last good deed for a while.
 
Facism said:
A friend dropped his iphone at the Download music festival in June. We got a phonecall from the guy who picked it up asking to meet us so he could return it. We met him and bought him a pint of beer.

Surprising behaviour considering the scum demographic at that festival and the fact it was an iphone.
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I've found the Download crowd to be among the friendliest lot.
 
I did the "found-a-phone-call-mom" several times, the only time I didn't do it was because it was my professor's phone at college and there wasn't any "mom" in the phone...I had other hints to pinpoint him anyway :)

I once walked an old lady home under my umbrella (it was pouring) after getting off the bus so she doesn't get wet.

I recently lended my phone to an old man so he can call his son and his assurance (his car broke down in the middle of the road). He would insist giving me 5€ to cover for the communications, and I would insist telling him that's okay because I have unlimited voice calls.

But most of the time I think those things aren't "act of kindness" but more like things you could do to make life in community easier.
 
Went to Spa Francorchamps (Belgium) in 2009 to watch F1 and after the race we went for a walk around the track it self, as it was my first time there.
By the time we made it back to where we started practicly everyone allready left the circuit.
I said to my friend : "keep an eye out for wallets, cause with so many people here over the day there's bound to be someone who lost his or hers."
As i said it, we walk in to this small tunnel section that goes underneath the circuit and i see something brown and leathery behind a board thats stuck on a railing.
Opened it ofcourse, but there wasn't any money.
It did however contain a ID card, a British Public Transportation pass for that year and the year after, entrance card to what seems a Technical facility at the Univerity of York, driverslicense... a lot of personal stuff that seemed rather important!
I've lost a wallet with sort a like identical documents once... Was hell to get all paperwork in order and replace those documents and cards.

So when i got home (somewhere up north in the Netherlands) i got in contact with that perticulair University and asked them if they could give the guy my details so i could send him his stuff.

A day later this guy emails me with his details and asks me how much he ows me.
I tell him he ows me nothing, but ask him to do i what did if he ever found a wallet with expensive/important/personal documentation.

Why? Because i think there are enough assholes in the world allready.
 
One day my grandma went to the store to buy some stuff and she put her purse in the front of the cart like she usually does. Fast-forward an hour later later and my grandma is now at another store when she realizes she forgot her purse in the shopping cart at the first store she went to. She figured her purse was long gone by then, but she decided to check the parking lot anyways. So she went and started looking around when a girl approached her and asked her if she had lost her purse. Apparently, the girl and her family had found the purse in the shopping cart and had been waiting there to see if the person who lost it would return. They gave my grandma her purse back with everything inside intact. My grandma offered to give them a reward for their efforts, but they adamantly refused. That incident really made happy because you don't hear about those kinds of deeds often in my town.
 
last time there was a snowstorm, my brother and i hit the streets of our neighborhood and helped people push their cars out of being stuck in the snow...
pretty much did that until my arms felt like spaghetti noodles.

anyway, the hidden camera tv show "What Would You Do?" on ABC is just full of strangers doing the nicest things for people. I think theres a bunch of episodes on Hulu.
 
You can always depend on the kindness of strangers...
To pluck up your spirits, and shield you from dangers...

Now here's a tip from Blanche you won't regret...

A stranger's just a friend you haven't met...
You haven't met...


STREETCAR
 
Most people I knew hated/complained about my chemistry professor...so I bought some chocolate and wrote a "thank you for being a nice teacher" card and anonymously had it sent to her.
 
Can't believe it took this long. Best movie ever!

MV5BMTUwNzkwMTk5Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMDAzMDI5._V1._SY317_CR3,0,214,317_.jpg



Did you guys see this post on Reddit about returning a lost wallet? http://imgur.com/a/UUl2c
 
A server ran after me in the pouring rain when i had leave my wallet in a booth at a restaurant. Very nice of her.

In return I found some guy's iPhone laying on the ground outside the driver door on his car. The dude was no where to be found so I left a note saying "check you pockets, did you lose something? It's with Bestbuy Customer Service" and left it with customer service at Best Buy (we were both parked in their lot). Hope he got it back.
 
One of the worst nights of my life where I ended up getting arrested for the first time ever and over something so stupid. I couldn't remember anyone's number to call out and I had left my wallet. This kid I met in my cell and got cool with bailed me out for $200. I was sooooo happy and grateful.
 
I was once taking a walk with my dog and got asked by a homeless man for food. I said I had no food to spare and apologized, he was coll aout it and we parted ways. Something felt wrong to me and I called my mom asking if there's any spare bread at home. She said yes, so I searched for the guy and found him and told him to wait. I went home, and back to give the food to him. He was waiting for me near an apartment block, when I was approaching him some other guy came out and said to him to get away or he calls the police. I thought "Uh oh, trouble." and thought about walking away but I didn't, I stood there watching as unthinkable happened, the guy that was aggressive at first, listened about how the homeless guy was standing there waiting for me. He must've felt really sorry for the guy, got cool with him and walked away. Then I gave the homeless guy the food and went home.

I feel kinda weird about this, as in it's not something i thought I would do.
 
A year after I graduated from high school our basketball team made the playoffs. This means the band would be playing, and since I was their patron saint, I wanted to get in and visit them and play with them. So I show up at the gate to the stadium, but it turns out I didn't have enough money, and I was holding people up in line. A lady behind me said, "Don't worry, I'll pay," and she paid for me. Turns out she was some new teacher I had never seen before. Bless her heart. I don't remember her name and I don't think she works there any more, which is a shame.

Here's a thing on Radiolab about goodness. The middle story about the Carnegie Hero fund is particularly amazing.

Radiolab - The Good Show

VeritasVierge said:
Does a cop that apologizes after having pulled you over for driving while being black count as a random act of kindness?
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Beggars can't be choosers.
 
Never been helped out by a complete stranger before. I stole money from a wallet I found lying on the ground when I was a kid, though...could be the universe balancing my karma.
 
Movie theater guy gave me refills on my daughter's small popcorn bag and drink today, even though only the large sizes are eligible. I told him he was my new best friend.
 
A while back my wife loaned a coworker Rhythm Heaven DS which is gaming gold for people new to video games. Her coworker loved it so I picked up a cheap copy for her at the swap meet.

It turns out she's married to an Imagineer at Disneyland. That weekend she got us into Disneyland with VIP seating for the shows!

Rhythm Heaven = kindness all around
 
In Milwaukee, one of the bigger radio stations does this thing every year, where on one day (I forget which day it specifically is) they ask their listeners to pay for someone else's food at a drive-through.

Like, if you're at a drive-through, tell the cashier you'll pay for the food for the person behind you. When they drive up to the window to pay, you'll be long gone, and their food will be paid for. The whole purpose being to do something nice for someone anonymously and not expect anything in return.
 
Not exactly a total stranger, but close...

I'd had an exhausting month at work and the commute (3 hrs a day back then) was also slowly killing me. I probably looked in a bit of a state half the time because I was so fried, and I'd dropped to about 97lbs. During the end of that crunch this old Japanese woman who took my route sometimes and who I'd chatted with occasionally between waits came up to me right before she got off. She told me she'd gotten a new job and wouldn't be on the bus anymore. She hugged me and gave me an unmarked envelope and got off without explaining. Inside the envelope was a handwritten note and $50.

She'd written, "You look like you're having a tough time right now. It's not good to work so much. I think you should go out and have some fun. I enjoyed our chats very much. Good bye. ~Saeko"

I must have looked a fool crying on the bus, but I was happy. I never did see her again after that.
 
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