Random Acts of Kindness

[Serpentine]

What are some nice random things people have done for you, or you've done for someone else, or someone's done for someone else?

Everyone makes threads with a particular story or opinion to tell, so of course I have one: Just a little while ago, my sister, her two sons (12 and 2) and I were having dessert at a chocolate cafe. Hot chocolates and mousse and ice cream and brownie and ooooooh so good P: When we were about 3/4 done, the waitress came and told us that a man was "in his zone" and had paid for our meal and left so we didn't have to pay for anything! It was a good $30-worth. It was amazing :3
I talked to the waitress later, and apparently he was late 30s-early 40s, shy - she said she suggested he go over and tell us but "oh no, [he] couldn't do that!" - and (I think this may have just been hypothesising on her part) thought it was nice seeing two young women out with the kids.
It totally made our night, anyway ^_^

[Moff Chumley]

Well, the company manufacturing my band's CDs is giving us a couple hundred bucks discount 'cause they like our music... dunno if that really counts as random. :smalltongue:

[TheCountAlucard]

Does donating blood count? They seem really happy when I do it - perhaps it's because I'm an O-... :smallconfused:

[Dvil]

Well it was with a friend of mine, so perhaps it doesn't count as random. The friend's on this forum, so I won't name names in case (s)he gets embarrassed :smallredface:

Anyway, I bought this friend a PC game. Nothing big, just Morrowind. 10 years old, almost.

What did this friend get me in return (even though I specifically said a return gift wasn't necessary)? Why, my friend bought me Portal 2. I was flabbergasted.

Thank you very much, friend. You know who you are!

[Mauve Shirt]

I bought a bag of peppermint bark a few weeks ago as a joke gift (my mother didn't want any around the house, I jokingly whined that it was my favorite thing about Christmas), only to find out that my mother had bought 3 bags of the same brand of peppermint bark. So I took the extra to the maintenance guys in the basement of my office building. They seemed appreciative.
I've been quite generous with gifts this year. It's a side effect of having a job, I think.

[Helanna]

Well, it didn't happen in my store, but in a few nearby Walmarts, somebody went in and paid off almost a couple hundred layaway accounts, leaving just one penny as the balance. Considering that layaway this year was only open for toys and electronic items, at least 75% of those were probably parents trying to save up enough for their kid's Christmas. So that was really heart-warming.

[grimbold]

Well, the company manufacturing my band's CDs is giving us a couple hundred bucks discount 'cause they like our music... dunno if that really counts as random. :smalltongue:

thats pretty awesome...

[Asta Kask]

Some friends on another forum sent me a Christmas present. That really cheered and teared me up.

[Marillion]

Last year on /b/, someone started a thread asking for a 5 or 10 dollar paypal donation so that he and his girlfriend could eat, and mentioned that he wasn't going to make rent next week. One anonymous asked him how much his rent was...and then paid it for him.

I have it screencapped, but 4chan being what it is, it is just...filled with inappropriate language. Regardless, it was very heartwarming.

[Serpentine]

Well, had another one today.
Caught the plane from Canberra to Denpasar this morning. Stupidly didn't have cash, but I transferred a bunch of money from my investment account into my useful account. But by the time I got to Bali, it still hadn't gone through - meaning I didn't have the $27 needed to get my Visa to get into the country.
A man who worked there noticed me wandering around and making phonecalls to my cousin and stuff, and paid for my visa for me and took me out to wait for my cousin to pay him back (have to pay my cousin now...).
Bonus: apparently this guy gave people a "VIP experience" thing - for $20 he'd bribe the right people and get you through without having to wait in line. So, basically, he could be the sorta guy who'd charge a little extra for everything. He offered the "VIP option" thingy, but didn't push it ('course, I didn't have the money to pay for it, either...), and then only got the money he'd spent on me off my cousin.

Bloody stupid start for me, but at least I had help :3

[Zherog]

At the risk of bragging...

I've anonymously paid for meals for military personnel and their families while at restaurants.
I once paid a friend's rent and utilities, because otherwise he/she was going to likely end up on the street.
Last week, I anonymously paid off a large-ish layaway account at the local K-Mart that was overdue and in danger of being forfeited. It included little kid toys and clothes.
I've bought sandwiches and coffee for homeless people. (I generally try to avoid giving them money because I don't want to support drug and/or alcohol addictions they may have. Also, it's an amazingly easy way to weed out scam artists - they find all sorts of reasons why you should just give them the money rather than buying the food.)


That's all within the past 6-9 months or so.

[Orzel]

-On the subway, sometimes I do not merely give lost riders directions, I walk them to their destinations. Since they are not usually New Yorkers, they are not instantly suspicious and see it as good deeds.

-Once I ordered a pizza pie and gave slices away to school chidren.

Those are the ones that don't count as heroism.

As for stuff that happened to me.

-A lady randomly paid for my friend's (and the whole party of 9's) dinner at a restuarant.

-A random woman brought me 3 Gamecube games for helping her shop. Consider that I HATE HATE HATE shopping, it was kind of me not to run out the mall in a beserk rage.

A man ran blocks to give me back my hat that I dropped.

[RandomNPC]

Dunno if it's random, cause it's repetitive and for a close friend.

At a friends house my son was getting hungry, so I asked if he had anything for him to snack on. He showed me what he had, not even enough to feed his girlfriend and his two kids. So I excused myself, took my son to get something to eat, and spent $40 on food for him. Almost made him cry, now I try to pick up a sub or something on the way over and casually ask if we can cut it up later, I tend to "forget" it there and leave it for them.

Doesn't help that nothing has changed about his income (he and his girlfriend both work steady jobs) and last month they suddenly cut out his food-stamps without warning, they didn't reduce them or give any warning, just $300 in food no longer available.

[LaZodiac]

I accidently bought an already opened game (with the disc removed) from the bargin bin at Walmart. Two days later, even without a reciet, they let me exchange it for another copy of the game.

Additionaly, I've done one. Seeing a little girl struggle with a crane game with her Dad, I offer to get her what she wanted, and did.

[Bleak Ink]

My sister and her friend spent an afternoon writing kind and inspirational things on sticky notes, and posting them around a parking lot and in a lobby. While outside they passed a homeless person, to whom they gave one as well. When they went further into the building to continue posting notes, they were shooed off by a security guard, and as they left the building they looked around- all the sticky notes were gone! They were furious, thinking it was the guard, and were leaving in a huff when the homeless person came up to them. In his hands were all the notes, which he had thought were for him, and he was crying because he was so touched by what they had said. In gratitude to them, he drew them each a picture of a flower.

[polity4life]

During my undergraduate years in Detroit, it was pretty common to find homeless people on campus asking for anything from students and faculty. Some were sincere and some weren't.

One fellow asked for money. I bought him breakfast instead. He didn't even say thanks; he just took his food and left.

Another lady asked me for change. I gave her a $5.00. Minutes later, when I had to run back to the building I came from to get something I forgot, she asked me for more. That put me out.

One guy asked me for change and all I could give him was gum. He broke down in tears after I gave it to him. I wished I had the cash on hand to buy him breakfast and give him $5.00.

[Dr.Epic]

The fact I haven't obliterated society with a massive freeze ray is a random act of kindness I do every day. You're welcome. :smallwink:

[RandomNPC]

Come on Dr. Epic, didn't you swear to eliminate just the worst of the plague that threatens society?

[Dr.Epic]

Come on Dr. Epic, didn't you swear to eliminate just the worst of the plague that threatens society?

It's not about making money, it's about taking money. Disrupting the status quo because the status is not quo. The world is a mess and I just need to rule it.

[Karoht]

I rescued a kitten from a tree once. Got a stick to the eye for my trouble, but the cat was fine.

I once saw a couple trudging through the snow in the middle of a snowstorm, up hill, away from a shopping area and thus any kind of shelter Nearest bus stop was probably about 6 blocks at best. The guy had a hoodie on and it looked soaked. The girl had bare legs walking in at least a foot of snow, maybe more. Luckily, no frostbite. I pulled over, asked if they were okay (the girl had screamed, I thought something was way out of line), and gave them both a ride home. The girl was going into hysterics prior to me picking them up. She was showing early signs of hypothermia, and when we got to her house, I woke up her mom to make sure that the girl would be okay and got proper treatment. The boyfriend was a drunken buffoon.

I once shamed a man in the middle of a coffee shop until he got back in his hummer and moved it out of the 3 handicapped stalls he was parked in.

I used to work with charities, but I don't think that counts, not exactly random.

[Starwulf]

I once shamed a man in the middle of a coffee shop until he got back in his hummer and moved it out of the 3 handicapped stalls he was parked in.


From someone who needs to use those, I say "Thank You".

[DabblerWizard]

This happened a couple years ago now. At a high school dance I noticed a guy sitting at a table by himself, sobbing silently. I sat down next to him and just listened to him. I didn't know him. Eventually his friends came around, and he left with a heart warming "thanks".

The infuriating aspect to this story is that a teacher had been standing not 20 feet away from this kid, and didn't make any attempt to comfort.

Jewel, in the song "Hands" said it right: In the end only kindness matters.

[SMEE]

Less fortunate people tend to hang around the nearest supermarket, and often I leave bags with food, warm socks and other stuff for them.
It's usual for some of them wake up to find a bag next to them with food for a nice breakfast.

Last year, this even caused me to beam for a few days, as the following situation took place:
"
I was very grumpy when leaving super market, because handling bags and an umbrella isn't easy for someone who lacks coordination. Then I heard "Hey you. Do you remember me?"

I looked at the guy and couldn't remember him. He then reminded me. He was one of the homeless, less fortunate people that usually hang near the supermarket begging for some money and food. I usually gave him some food and spare change when I went to the supermarket one year ago.

Today he was there selling umbrellas and thanked me for all the help I gave him. Now he has a job and a future.

I gave him my best wishes that things keep getting better for him. I am sure that he will do the same for other people when he is in a comfortable situation.
"

It was quite nice to see it happen. :smallsmile:

I also helped some friends through some tough situation during 2009-2010, helping them pay rent and other things, and today they're in a much more comfortable situation.

And I am known to sent random gifts to friends from time to time. It just feels nice and I guess it makes them feel special.

[Archonic Energy]

At the risk of bragging...


I've bought sandwiches and coffee for homeless people. (I generally try to avoid giving them money because I don't want to support drug and/or alcohol addictions they may have. Also, it's an amazingly easy way to weed out scam artists - they find all sorts of reasons why you should just give them the money rather than buying the food.)



this is what i use my costa card for... it's not like i need the free coffee/food it may as well go to someone who does... not sure how kind giving free stuff away to people is though. :smallconfused:

[Karoht]

From someone who needs to use those, I say "Thank You".I should probably clarify that the guy was a roid monster from the gym down the road, easily 3 times my mass. That was more of what made that a good deed.


Also, pats on the back for everyone in this thread. I love this forum, so many nice people!

[noparlpf]

Last winter I was on my way to class and noticed a couple of girls trying to get their car out of the parking lot where it was stuck in the snow. I stopped and dug it out for them, and then pushed it out the rest of the way. (And of course I was late for class.) And then later that day they tracked me down and gave me cupcakes!
Sometime over the summer I saw somebody with a pile of boxes that had just fallen off of a push-cart and offered to help pick them up.
Last time I was on a train somebody sitting nearby had a walker-thingy with wheels and the brake was broken. It started to roll away and I stood up and caught it, and then held it for her for the rest of the ride.
After last break I saw a guy with a couple of huge bags heading into one of the dorms and I offered to help carry one of his bags up the stairs, but he said no.
A girl at school had this huge cello in its case and had to carry it halfway across campus, so I carried it for her. Another time she had a hurt foot so I just carried her halfway across campus back to her dorm.
One friend will never let me hold a door for her, and another will almost never let me help her carry things. :smallannoyed:
Every time I'm in the laundry room and I notice a washing machine is done I move the clothes into a dryer. (I assume that if I don't somebody else might come along and just dump the wet clothes on top of the machines, which is what a lot of the kids do.)
Oh yeah, and the RDs in the freshman girls' dorm love me because of all the toilets I unclogged when I used to hang out there. I tend to just clean up small messes around the dorm, like paper towel on the floor of the bathroom, clogged toilets, something lying on the floor just outside the trash can, etc.

[TheThan]

Well I tend to help old ladies at the grocery store get things down from the top shelf. its happened often enough that people have begun to make jokes about it. I Dunno why I’m the one that gets asked to do this when there are plenty of others around, guess I’ve just got a friendly face or something. (I'm not particularly tall either).

[Newman]

I like this thread.

[Maryring]

When I returned to Volda after spending the holidays with my family, I arrived late at night due to the plane being delayed. When I arrived at the bus stop, I had to wait quite a while for a bus, only for the last bus for the night to drive past the bus stop without stopping. When I tried to call the local taxi central, nobody picked up the phone.

So I started on the long trek, intending to walk all the way back to my apartment. But I haven't walked more than 5-10 minutes before a guy stops near me and asks me if I need a ride, and he ends up driving me all the way to my block.

Thus what could've been a terrible way to start a new year ended up a wonderfully great way to start a new year.

[Asta Kask]

Went to a little trouble to return a wallet I found.

[Ashtar]

A couple of things that I've done in 2011:

My girlfriend and me were walking in the winter snow in New Jersey in January and discovered a Domino's Pizza delivery car stuck in the snow. The driver had his weels spinning and couldn't move, so we pushed him out. He did 3 yards, thought it was okay and stopped to try to give us money for helping him. We refused it (Who could take money from a pizza delivery guy?). Of course, as soon as he started the car again, he had his wheels spinning and couldn't move. We had to push him out again and we told him not to stop again until he got to the cleared patch of road.

Another time, in August, we were on one of the last trains back to my home on the outskirts of Zurich. A Japanese guy got on and asked if the train was going to Affoltern, now the thing is, there's TWO affolterns around Zurich, one where I live (the south) and the other on the north side of the city. Once we'd figured out which one he wanted to go to (The northern one), we explained he had to switch trains and get to Zurich; but once there, there would be no trains. So I recommended he take a taxi, when I told him how much that would cost, he was shocked (Taxis are criminally expensive here) and told me he didn't have enough money. So as he was leaving the train, I gave him a 50 so he had enough to take a taxi. He was speechless.

[Riverdance]

There is a delay today thanks to the benevolent overlord that is the superintendent.

[Juggling Goth]

Shout-out to my new neighbour Jacob, who saw me struggling to get the TV up the stairs and came out to help. Thanks, Jacob!

[SweetLikeLemons]

When I lived in Alaska, my car had a flat tire one very cold morning. It was so cold that the rubber was frozen into its flat shape and the cheap plastic valve on my pump broke in the course of trying to inflate it. The jack that came with my car fit so ingeniously into the tiny compartment made for it that no one I know has ever been able to get it out, so my spare was not much use either.

My neighbor spotted my plight from his window and came out to help. He took the wheel off and brought it into his garage to thaw, then drove me to a mechanic's. They fixed it, and he told me that the mechanic was a friend and didn't even charge for the repair (I'm not sure if that is true or if he secretly paid for it).

I've had enough people help me with car trouble that I'm always really excited when I get to give someone a jumpstart or my spare pint of oil or something.

[Ceric]

Here's one that happened to me. (I wrote it down very recently, so the time is still accurate.)

"
Once I was walking home from high school by myself. Something from the day had upset me badly and I guess it must have shown on my face, because a boy biking past me told me to smile as he dashed by. I was startled into laughing, and I felt better for the rest of the day.

5 years later, I still don't remember what I was upset about, but I remember a random stranger who made me smile.
"


Another time after a very late school sports practice, I was tired and upset (there's a trend here) and trying very hard to not cry in front of the rest of my teammates. I was sitting near the back of the group so no one noticed me. Except for one girl, who I've known for a very long time but never really got very acquaintanced with. She saw me and immediately threw her arm around me, no questions asked. I'm not a huggy person, not even a touchy person, but that was the first time I ever realized how powerful a hug could be.

I paid that one forward. In the same sports team but the next year, we were having our end-of-season celebration and a younger member was sad because her parents weren't letting her continue. I put my arm around her and then she started crying, and a nearby teammate saw us and hugged us both, and it was very sad and very nice at the same time :smallfrown: Again, I didn't know her very well, but it was the right thing to do.

[Fri]

"
Once I was walking home from high school by myself. Something from the day had upset me badly and I guess it must have shown on my face, because a boy biking past me told me to smile as he dashed by. I was startled into laughing, and I felt better for the rest of the day.

5 years later, I still don't remember what I was upset about, but I remember a random stranger who made me smile.

Woah, that's pretty similar to what happened to me once. I ride a bike everywhere, so one day I was toiling uphill in the rain on my bike, when suddenly, someone on a motorcycle pats me on the back on his way and say "Fight!" or something in that line."

[Riverdance]

Today I was feeling absolutely awful. Usually I'm very happy and content but not today. Anyway, a couple people I don't talk to or hang out with very much wished me well and it made me feel much better.

[Kalmageddon]

Once I was having a very good day and a homeless old man asked me for 20 cents. I replied "I'm sorry I don't have 20 cents, I do however have 20€, is that ok for you?" and gave the 20€ to him.
He literally stood speechless for a few seconds before hugging me.

I'll admit that felt pretty good, he really looked like a man who needed some faith in humanity restored.

[Melanie]

It is important for us to show our gratitude to someone who has done something good on us. Saying thank you means everything. It shows an appreciation to someone for a job well done of for a goodness he has done. Do not wait to say thank you to somebody on your mind. Such politeness and good will make the planet a better place. Plus, it doesn't have to be costly. You may also read further: How to say thank you without breaking the bank (https://personalmoneynetwork.com/moneyblog/2012/02/28/how-to-say-thank-you-cheaply/)

[Trog]

I was passing through Indianapolis once and filled up with gas and inside there were these two big guys wearing dirty worn overalls and no shirt, trucker caps, rather unhygienic types... were screaming at the two young ladies who were working there.

Apparently they paid for gas and then pumped it but pumped too much and didn't have the cash to pay for the rest. They thought the pump would cut off at the amount they paid. Store was, naturally insisting they pay for the gas pumped and these customers were irate. Just *screaming* at these poor, rather scared girls.

I heard all this as I walked through... and in the bathroom... and as I went up to the counter to pay. Paid. Walked out and one of the girls was outside in tears calling her manager. Just shaking scared trying to find out what to do with these guys.

I stopped midway to my car, turned around and went back in. One guy was on the phone with the manager then and was screaming again through the phone. I silently approached the counter and asked the girl how much they over-pumped, nodded, said I was sorry for their behavior, then paid for the difference. She smiled a huge grin and held up the cash and said loudly "Hey! This guy just paid for your gas!"

Cue the guy on the phone pausing in mid-scream (and mid-point - he was pointing into the phone. I don't know what that was accomplishing but he was doing it), dumbfounded. Both the guys had the same shocked expression on their faces. I smiled, waved and said "Have a better day, guys!" and left.

I've paid for strangers' meals before too, I suppose, and once went into a storm sewer to help rescue a trapped kitten some kids heard mewing during a heavy snowfall. Cute little shivering thing. He was adopted that day by a friend of a co-worker.

Also, this thread makes me think of this video. (http://www.wimp.com/nicepeople/)

[_Zoot_]

I was leaving the car park late one night, and I found that I only had a large note to pay for the parking, I asked a woman if she could break the note, and instead she gave me the exact money. It was just a little act that brightened my day. :smallsmile:

[Cobra_Ikari]

Hmm. The first thing that comes to mind is an incident from high school. Years ago, so I don't remember it fully, other than I was having a very awful day and it must have been apparent from the way I looked because a girl I didn't know very well walked up and gave me a hug.

I don't remember who she was, unfortunately, but I still remember where I was standing when someone hugged me and completely turned around my crappy day. Anyone who's ever received a snuggle from me...you can thank the girl from my high school who taught me that sometimes just letting someone know that you're there and you care about them is the most important thing. :smallredface:

*snuggles*...I love all you guys so much. Playgrounders are the best.

[SarahV]

Well I tend to help old ladies at the grocery store get things down from the top shelf. its happened often enough that people have begun to make jokes about it. I Dunno why I’m the one that gets asked to do this when there are plenty of others around, guess I’ve just got a friendly face or something. (I'm not particularly tall either).

You and I must have the same face. :smallbiggrin: I'm like a magnet for old ladies. There's one woman in my neighborhood who I am practically friends with in spite of us not having a language in common, because we use the same bus stop and I always help when she needs it. She once stopped me on the street to mime at me that I wasn't dressed warmly enough for the cold day we were having.

I like this thread, too - I'm a big believer in the random kindness stuff. It makes me happy. Some things I've done:

* Anonymously sent a big package of gorgeous chocolates to some friends of mine who were dealing with major medical problems and needed a smile.
* When I DJed at an internet radio station, there was a young man (12-13) who always listened to the show, we had the same favorite musician. I did someone at the musician's record label a favor and I asked if, in exchange, he could get me an autograph for the young man. Ended up with an 8x10 Anton Corbijn print personalized, signed and doodled-on by one of his musical heroes. I got him to give me his mailing address and sent it to him, he said he just about dropped dead when he opened the envelope and saw it. :smallbiggrin:
* At a party at a restaurant with a bunch of friends (and strangers) I grabbed the waitress as she went by and paid the check she was about to deliver to someone (I didn't know who). Several hours later, I was approached by total strangers who had been trying to find out who "accidentally" paid for their dinner and had somehow figured out it was me...
* Buying over-the-top toys for Toys for Tots: my favorite was the ginormous purple dragon plushie, it was like two feet tall and awesome. Some of my co-workers saw it in my office and were inspired to go get Toys for Tots themselves just due to the joy of seeing such an awesome toy, it made them want to go buy some too. :smallsmile:
* While on vacation, overheard a conversation my friend was having with two women he'd met the day before, they said they had no place to stay that night because someone had flaked out on them. I happened to have a hotel room and no one to share it with because a friend had flaked out on me too, so I told them they could crash with me. Strangely, I met up with one of them again a year ago and we had this whole weird "wait... aren't you that person who shared a hotel room with me that one time in Alabama?" moment. We're friends now.

I could go on all day, surprising people with nice things is one of my major joys in life.

Things people have done for me...
* That same trip to Alabama, my friend who'd flaked out on me was supposed to be driving (it was a road trip vacation). I was left more-or-less stranded. A friend found another friend who was driving the same way and he not only gave me a lift to Birmingham, but he wouldn't even take so much as a dollar of gas money. And he was such great company too, tons of good stories to tell, and he took me to the Hank Williams museum... we're friends now, too.
* Several years after some kind of "you win an internet cookie!" type of silly contest thread on a web forum, I went to a big forum meetup. The person who had started this totally-forgotten-by-me thread had remembered, and brought me a prize for winning the thread, which turned out to be a really nice picture painted by her daughter. It's on my wall now.
* Also on my wall: framed and autographed large photo by a name-brand filmmaker/photographer that a friend sent me, after she'd sat next to him at a show and befriended him and he later sent her a few of his pictures as a gift. She got them all framed and sent me one. It's awesome.
* Delivered to my office as a total surprise - a soccer-ball-sized fortune cookie covered in chocolate, caramel, and toffee. Inside, a custom fortune written by my friend. (Everyone in my office thinks my friends are awesome.) That arrived on the day a co-worker/friend of mine found out she had to have surgery and was freaking out, so by accident it was a huge pick-me-up for her too.
* On my facebook page one night, my friend posted a photo... in a train station in Amsterdam, holding up a record I gave him for his birthday (a band we both like). He went to see them at Bimhuis, and got the guitarist, who happens to be my favorite musician in the whole world, to sign it "HI SARAH!" basically just to make me smile...

My life would be so boring without random acts of kindness :smallbiggrin:

[Taffimai]

I remember three instances of people (two of them complete strangers) showing me kindness at a time when I was feeling particularly low.

The first incident happened when I was at university. I was living in a house where all the others were short-term post-graduate students from other countries. Over the Christmas holiday, I got struck down with flu quite suddenly, coming down with a very high fever without warning. I felt too weak to get out of bed, let alone walk across town to my GP. When I called my mother, she told me she was too busy at the time preparing the house and visiting relatives, but she might come to see me after the holidays. All of my friends had gone home. I slumped back into my bed and slept fitfully until the next morning, when my Lithuanian housemate, with whom I'd only spoken twice up till then, came to check on me because she hadn't seen me the day before. We had a brief conversation. Half an hour later, she came back with a pot of "soup" (everything she could find in the fridge thrown together). Upon fasting for close to 36 hours, fighting my fever and feeling miserable, it was the most divine thing I'd ever tasted. Sadly, she left before I ever got a chance to repay her.

The second time was a few days after we had moved to Ireland. I didn't know anyone and was renting an apartment about twenty minutes from the nearest shop. We hadn't bought a pram yet, so I was carrying my six month old twins in a sling. I was standing at the checkout when I discovered that my foreign bank card couldn't be read by the machine and they didn't accept Visa. Being close to feeding time and without any cash on me, I asked the cashier whether I could please take two pots of baby food and return with the money after I'd fed my kids. Just as he was telling me how he wasn't allowed to do that, another customer paid my entire bill and then walked out of the store before I could thank him.

The third stranger to move me to tears with their unsollicited kindness did so last winter. The children and I all had pneumonia, and at the end of an exhausting day, I dragged myself outside to put our garbage bins out for collection, only to find that someone had already done so. I hadn't told anyone we were ill, but one of our neighbours must have noticed and decided to help us out anonymously. Just as I felt the warm and fuzzy feelings well up, I found a silver bow (http://www.google.ie/imgres?hl=nl&client=firefox-a&hs=ClE&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&biw=1152&bih=725&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=kIFz1graoUFJzM:&imgrefurl=http://www.giftbagshop.co.uk/shop/bows-stick-on-pull-bows-75/stick-on-bows-76/hm-metallic-silver-confetti-stick-on-bow-1797.html&docid=eLyg0ap5iDX7IM&imgurl=http://www.giftbagshop.co.uk/shop/images/hm-silver-bow.jpg&w=600&h=600&ei=V45TT8q4CcOnhAft-sSBDA&zoom=1) lying on my doorstep. It's still sitting next to my computer.

[Sholos]

A friend got me conversation hearts after I mentioned that I liked them.

...

Um, that's about it. Random acts of kindness don't really feature too heavily in my life. You all make me jealous. :smallfrown:

[Serpentine]

I've had soooooo many of these the last couple of days. Just a whole lot of little things. For example:
- I asked a man whether I was at the right bus stop for the train station. Not only did he confirm that and point out the station for me, he carried my heaviest bag there for me.
- A (rather odd) man working at a bus station helped convince the driver of a fully booked bus to let me on, and...
-...a bus driver let me on his fully booked bus (and made sure he gave a shout when we got to my destination).
- A guy at the service station the bus stopped at tried to call me a taxi, and when he was told they didn't have any 'til after 9am, found someone to drive me to my hotel.
- Someone drove me to my hotel from the service station.
- The hotel had my room all ready when I turned up at 7am, even though check-in is meant to be at 1pm. They also have been helping me work out my travel arrangements.
- The bartender/chef gave me a free drink - I was the only one there, so he "bought a round for the room".

I told the hotel manager about some of these things, and he said "you've had some bad luck!" I disagreed :smallsmile:

[Bonecrusher Doc]

I hate it when people try to scam you because it decreases trust and kindness in the world. And I'm not just talking scruffy-looking guys in a Wal-mart parking lot - without dwelling on the negative, we know there are plenty of mean people in the world.

So I try to do my best to help people without contributing to scams. Food for people who are hungry instead of money. Or offering to call the police to see if they could help a guy who came up to me with some hard-to-believe story about his wife being in the hospital and he needed money for gas to get there, etc. Not that I really planned on calling the police, but mentioning them tends to scare off the scammers while it doesn't turn away the rare people who really are desperate for help when they come up to you in a parking lot.

One evening I was riding my bicycle fast down a busy 4-lane street in San Antonio and as I whizzed by a frail-looking old man standing on the sidewalk he looked up and I just barely heard him say "Can you help me?" I turned the bike around and went back. Turned out the guy was legally blind and he was trying to cross the street to get to a store to buy some food. I knew there was no way I was going to get him across that street safely the way he shuffled and wobbled when he walked, and after talking with him a bit, his adult child who usually cared for him had abandoned him. I had my cell phone and I figured he needed some kind of social services, but I didn't want to put him on the defensive or embarass him by saying I was calling the cops, so I said "I'm going to call the City and see if they have someone who can help you out here." He said, "Oh, the City! That's a good idea." I called 911 and after 15-20 minutes (the man sat on a bench) a police car pulled up. I gave the officer my report and then asked her what her name was. Then I said "Sir, this is Officer Smith and she's here from the City to help you out." He was thankful and the officer told me she would get him linked up with the appropriate social services, so I got back on my bike and left while she started to talk with him.

As far as being on the receiving end - when my wife and small children eat at a cafeteria, the staff frequently offer to take up their trays for them at the end of their meal. It seems like an awfully small thing, but when you have multiple children under the age of 5, it takes an enormous amount of physical and emotional energy to get up and move anywhere, especially if you want to leave the table fairly clean and put the booster seats away and get everyone into their warm clothes before going outside again, trying to prevent them from putting their hands on the sticky floor before sticking their fingers in their mouth, then one of them bonks their head on the sharp corner of the table, etc. So keep an eye out for parents with small children to see if you can open a door for them or pull a grocery cart out of the stack for them; it can make a huge difference in their day. Oh yeah, returning a grocery cart from the parking lot is a HUGE help because I don't want to leave my cart in the parking lot where it can damage other cars, but at the same time I don't want to leave my small children alone in the car while I return the cart.

@Sholos: Here is a RAOK from a fellow Hoo from Hooville: \o/ (big hug).

[Skeppio]

I tracked down a lady at the train station this morning who'd left to board a taxi, but left her glasses at the ticket booth, and returned them to her. She was very happy to have them back. :smallsmile:

[late for dinner]

I like this thread....anyways...I sing at my church (volunteer) A few times, I have received checks ($100-$500) from anonymous strangers. The pastor just handed them to me and said someone wanted you to have it. I have also received a shopping spree for some new clothes (maybe they were trying to tell me something :) )

At the risk of not sounding full of myself...

I like to pay for the people in the cars behind me at McDonalds sometimes.

Just like some random person at church gave me money, I returned the favor and gave 500 dollars to a kid who was always serving and giving back. It was great too, cause his family was really poor and he literally had no money.

[UserClone]

I once saved a young boy scout from drowning. He and his scout friends were at a lake I was visiting, and I had canoed across to nearby where they were swimming across a short distance to a small cliff to jump off of. I was just tying the boat up below the cliff when I heard them shouting to me, turned around and saw the kid floundering exactly halfway. I jumped back in the boat and paddled over. The most difficult part was getting him to not try to climb up into the boat, so I could keep it steady as I paddled it back over to his friends.

One that's really stuck with me was on a school music trip to Quebec City about 13-14 years ago. I was about 14 at the time, and my group was passing by an excellent street musician, guitarist I think, and distinctly poor-looking. I dropped one of those two dollar coins into his instrument case. Maybe a minute later, he comes running up behind me, waving a $20 I had dropped near him on the ground.

I bought a playgrounder in need seven months of his favorite MMO to help cheer him up at the holidays once. I had the money and he's a real nice guy.

I frequently enjoy having lunch with homeless people (my treat of course :smalltongue:).

[captainspazam]

This morning, a warlock burst into my room screaming celtic or something. He looked hungry, so I gave him my sandwich. He screamed "NO! NOOOO!!!!" And then with sandwichy rage, he blew up my bedroom and kidnapped my dog. But I forgave him. Does that count?

[Asta Kask]

A lot of people have said kind things to me during my illness. Thank you, all of you. It means a lot.