Thank you, kind stranger

worded

gerrycollins wrote: »

My wife and I were driving home across the delightful back roads of our country.

we came up behind a car with a small covered dog trailer obviously going at a slower pace than me but with nowhere to overtake I settled into driving behind this car for a while.



After a very short time we rounded a bend and the door of the trailer swung open to reveal a very nervous greyhound.

Immediately I started blowing on the horn and flashing the lights and swerving for the driver to see me however I said to my wife that the driver is probably thinking that I'm an impatient driver.

with no response from the driver and the door closed I thought I should wait for it to happen again which it did. This time I engaged in a little dangerous driving to get their attention.

it worked he slowed down to let me pass and as I came along side his window his face changed from one of disgust to one of fright when I told him about uis trailer he stopped there and then.

Myself and my father were driving along and noticed the car in front had a little fire going near the exhaust, yes the car was on fire ! There were 4 teenagers in the car and we beeped and da flashed the lights etc to get their attention.

The ones in the back looked back at us though the rear window and looked at us all odd and their car drove faster and faster. We were pointing at back of their car and making gestures of alarm.
They though we were loopers.

They just sped off.

Wonder how that ended?

Gokei

Don't know of it's relevant as not a stranger, but my wife headed down to my home place so my mam could baby sit our baby while my wife went for a checkup.

She told me after that not only did my dad insist on driving her the goodly distance (in her car as she was blocking him in), but while she was in the hospital, he took the car for a valet and filled it with petrol!

in other news, I'm working away for a few days on a site where I've never been before, and the lad who works near me noticed I was away when the food van came around, so bought me lunch..

Both happened today.

L1m1tless

I was about 16 I went to collect my wage packet, £40 at the time. by the time I got back to my house I noticed I had dropped it somewhere.

I walked back to where I worked looking on the ground for it. It was only about a 3 min walk. I walked through a church grounds on the way. While I was looking about, a priest approached me and asked me if I was OK.

He helped me look but after a good while we gave up.

He then proceeded to take out £40 and give it to me. He said that it would make him happier for me to have it than for him to keep it.

I was over the moon and I went to the shop where I worked and bought him a card. I went to the church, he was inside praying, I went over to him and gave him the thank you card. He really appreciated it.

The strange thing was, I didnt recognize him, We have lived beside the church all our lives and would know all the priests. The other priests had no idea either and we never saw him again.

It might seam trivial now but £40 at the time meant a lot to us.

So thanks again!

Bog Standard User

CowboyDreams wrote: »

I was about 16 I went to collect my wage packet, £40 at the time. by the time I got back to my house I noticed I had dropped it somewhere.

I walked back to where I worked looking on the ground for it. It was only about a 3 min walk. I walked through a church grounds on the way. While I was looking about, a priest approached me and asked me if I was OK.

He helped me look but after a good while we gave up.

He then proceeded to take out £40 and give it to me. He said that it would make him happier for me to have it than for him to keep it.

I was over the moon and I went to the shop where I worked and bought him a card. I went to the church, he was inside praying, I went over to him and gave him the thank you card. He really appreciated it.

The strange thing was, I didnt recognize him, We have lived beside the church all our lives and would know all the priests. The other priests had no idea either and we never saw him again.

It might seam trivial now but £40 at the time meant a lot to us.

So thanks again!

go to confessional box after?

Bog Standard User

worded wrote: »

Myself and my father were driving along and noticed the car in front had a little fire going near the exhaust, yes the car was on fire ! There were 4 teenagers in the car and we beeped and da flashed the lights etc to get their attention.

The ones in the back looked back at us though the rear window and looked at us all odd and their car drove faster and faster. We were pointing at back of their car and making gestures of alarm.
They though we were loopers.

They just sped off.

Wonder how that ended?

owner reported car stolen....car found burnt out.... owner lost no claims bonus

Bog Standard User

kowloon wrote: »

I was in Borza, the chippers, in Balbriggan once and saw them give free chips to a homeless guy which I thought was pretty decent of them.

ive seen chippers in toronto give homeless people free food if they picked up the trash outside the chipper.

CountingClocks

This is act of kindness by me but if kind of backfired!

It was that snowy Christmas and I was at the airport on 23 December, as the hours went by the flight kept getting postponed so I went to the bar where I bumped into a friend and had a few drinks. Eventually it became clear there would be no flight to Dublin that night so we decided to head back to my place for the night. On the way we met two Irish lads who were in the same boat but were planning to sleep in the airport for the night so I offered them a bed for the night and we all headed to mine and had a few drinks.

Next morning got up early to head back to the airport and try and get on a flight, no sign of the two lads. Their bags were still there so we waited and waited , thought they must have gone out for fags or something and would be back to get their stuff. Next thing got a call to say they were at the airport and had just got two seats on a flight to Cork! So we headed straight to the airport ourselves to find all other flights for the day were booked out, they had somehow managed to score the last free seats.

So, I spent Christmas Day here on my own while those two fu*kers tucked into their Christmas dinner!

And they never came back for their bags

tallus

Loving this thread, it's a nice change from the usual doom and gloom.
Kudos to all involved.

Karona

I was stranded in Dublin before on my own around 3am after a niteclub, I missed the last bus home and flagged down a taxi to drive me to the bus depot so I could get the earliest one home. He insisted in driving me all the way to Louth even though he was finished his shift as he wouldn't like it if it was his own daughter stranded. I thought it was very nice of him.

Oryx

Mine may seem silly but it meant a lot to me.

Last year I was going through a tough time and feeling down in the dumps. Got a text from a friend that said 'when I phone, just listen' The phone rang, and they played the whole of 'You got a friend in me' from Toy Story, on their clarinet, down the phone. It was such a mad thing to do, but such a meaningful gesture, it really cheered me up and it still makes me smile thinking about it.

CountingClocks

CountingClocks wrote: »

This is act of kindness by me but if kind of backfired!:

I had one of those (not the same, but a backfirey one).

I was driving into work one morning, in Dublin City. Got stuck behind a car which at first I thought had broken down. When I looked again there was a woman pulling a young boy unconscious out of the car. I got out and tried ringing 999 but my phone wouldn't work, I tried a couple of times but nothing. Gobshyte here had Bluetooth on so it was ringing in the car :rolleyes:

Anyway, poor little fella wasn't responding. Mother didn't speak any English and was hysterical. Other people there had gotten hold of an ambulance and it was on the way. When it arrived the mother didn't know what to do with her car which was in the middle of the road, I told her I would take it to the hospital for her. I asked the ambulance guy where he was taking the child and he said crumlin. Off they went. Then I realised I now had two cars in the middle of heavy rush hour traffic :pac: one of the people who had been helping out had an office across the road and let me park my car there. So off i went in this teeny fcuking tiny cinquencento, nearly in the windscreen I was. Driving, no crawling, up the canal bawling my eyes out because I thought this child was gonna die. Took me an hour to get to crumlin and when I got there I had to join a big queue for the carpark.

I decided to drive up to the set down area in front of the hospital, and was trying to explain to the security guard that the owner of the car had come in in an ambulance. "no ambulance has come in here" says he. I told him he must be mistaken because the ambulance had left me an hour ago to come straight here. Nope. No ambulance had come in here today. So there I am, driving a car I don't own, having absolutely no idea who the owner is, or where she is! Security dude told me to park it up and go in and talk to the nurses.

Same again, no ambulance has come in here. Nurse was lovely and tried to find out where the ambulance had taken the child etc. Turned out, that fir religious reasons, the child ended up in temple street. I said I would take the car there and the nurse told me no, that there was nowhere to park. To leave the keys with her and the ambulance driver has let the woman know where the car is.

It was at that moment that I realised, not only had I helped noone, but I was stranded in crumlin with no car :pac:

Kid was ok in the end and the father picked up the car later on, apparently never even said thanks for the effort

CountingClocks

Another airport-y one, flight was delayed for 3 hours and a Russian girl who was transiting through on her way to Cork didn't really understand what was going on as her English was really poor and she also had no way to call Ireland to let them know of the delay.

Anyway I lent her my phone and she rang a guy in Ireland (she had met him online and was on her way to meet him for the first time) but he couldn't understand her so I explained the delay and he asked me if I'd keep an eye on her, get her something to eat and make sure she got on the flight. I did all that and wished her well.

Next night had a call from your man in Killarney to say thank you, that she was 'a grand girl' and they were having a great time getting to know each other

vitani

Karona wrote: »

I was stranded in Dublin before on my own around 3am after a niteclub, I missed the last bus home and flagged down a taxi to drive me to the bus depot so I could get the earliest one home. He insisted in driving me all the way to Louth even though he was finished his shift as he wouldn't like it if it was his own daughter stranded. I thought it was very nice of him.

Some taxi drivers are amazing. A good few years back, I got separated from my friends in a club and decided to head home. I went out on to the street to hail a taxi and some bloke starting trying it on. I wasn't that interested in him but talked to him, trying to be polite while waiting for a taxi.

One pulled in but the bloke I'd been talking to wasn't keen to let me go in it and the taxi driver obviously didn't feel like waiting so drove off. Next thing I know, another taxi has pulled in. The driver gets out, asks me if I'm alright and basically tells your man to back off and leave me alone.

He'd seen what had happened and could tell that I was trying to get away from the bloke on the street. He went on a full blown rant while dropping me home because the other driver had just left me there.

I'm so thankful to him for taking the time to care about random girl on the street. God knows what would have happened if he didn't.

mfceiling

ruthloss wrote: »

A stranger changed the wheel on my car one dark and wet night recently.

My faith in the kindness of strangers was renewed.

I always will stop to help a stranger (usually a woman - sorry but it usually is) change their wheel.

Was leaving sandyford one miserable evening and i saw an old man standing beside an older ford escort with a look of despair on him. People just driving past and paying no heed. I knew something was up, so i stopped...flat wheel.

Had the wheel changed in 5 mins (wife in the car, laughing at me in the rain - but secretly happy i'd helped the man). He was trying to give me money but i told him to "buy himself a pint" with it.

Stopped at the spawell another day only to be greeted by a gorgeous italian girl in a little fiat. Took the wheel off and then took the spare out only to find the tyre was flat and shredded into shít!! She tells me to head on as her boyfriend was on the way - ah well, the fantasy ending was never going to happen now, was it?

mfceiling

Deleted User wrote: »

I had one of those (not the same, but a backfirey one).

I was driving into work one morning, in Dublin City. Got stuck behind a car which at first I thought had broken down. When I looked again there was a woman pulling a young boy unconscious out of the car. I got out and tried ringing 999 but my phone wouldn't work, I tried a couple of times but nothing. Gobshyte here had Bluetooth on so it was ringing in the car :rolleyes:

Anyway, poor little fella wasn't responding. Mother didn't speak any English and was hysterical. Other people there had gotten hold of an ambulance and it was on the way. When it arrived the mother didn't know what to do with her car which was in the middle of the road, I told her I would take it to the hospital for her. I asked the ambulance guy where he was taking the child and he said crumlin. Off they went. Then I realised I now had two cars in the middle of heavy rush hour traffic :pac: one of the people who had been helping out had an office across the road and let me park my car there. So off i went in this teeny fcuking tiny cinquencento, nearly in the windscreen I was. Driving, no crawling, up the canal bawling my eyes out because I thought this child was gonna die. Took me an hour to get to crumlin and when I got there I had to join a big queue for the carpark.

I decided to drive up to the set down area in front of the hospital, and was trying to explain to the security guard that the owner of the car had come in in an ambulance. "no ambulance has come in here" says he. I told him he must be mistaken because the ambulance had left me an hour ago to come straight here. Nope. No ambulance had come in here today. So there I am, driving a car I don't own, having absolutely no idea who the owner is, or where she is! Security dude told me to park it up and go in and talk to the nurses.

Same again, no ambulance has come in here. Nurse was lovely and tried to find out where the ambulance had taken the child etc. Turned out, that fir religious reasons, the child ended up in temple street. I said I would take the car there and the nurse told me no, that there was nowhere to park. To leave the keys with her and the ambulance driver has let the woman know where the car is.

It was at that moment that I realised, not only had I helped noone, but I was stranded in crumlin with no car :pac:

Kid was ok in the end and the father picked up the car later on, apparently never even said thanks for the effort

That's a class story in fairness. Sounds like something that would happen me - only i'd get done for driving yer ones car with no insurance!!

donvito99

My uncle lives in London and was caught up in the King's Cross fire in 1987. He has a sort of nervous disposition and when it kicked off he sort of froze. A stranger led him out of the Tube station, hailed a cab, accompanied him home, boiled the kettle, set the mug down in front of him, and then left, informing the neighbour next door. It was all a sort of a blurr for my uncle, he didn't get his name or anything.

So a few years ago my uncle's back in Dublin, we're walking to a match in Croker and he peels off from my group and grabs this man by the arm. They recognised each other, exchange details, we met up after the match and and he tells the story. They remain friends in London.

There's something about Londoners or the London-Irish.

COYVB

Bog Standard User wrote: »

ive seen chippers in toronto.

where?!?

SimonTemplar

A few weeks ago I was waiting at a bus stop by myself. A bus was coming but it wasn't for me so I wasn't going to flag it down. I then saw a women absolutely sprinting after the bus as fast as she could. I could tell by the speed of the bus that it wasn't going to stop so I flagged it down and asked the driver to hold a second while the women caught up to us. She was very thankful.

Anyway, the next day I was in a cafe buying some tea and one of the people in the queue was actually that women and she bought the tea for me, which I thought was a very nice gesture.

Mint Aero

Alot of these kindnesses seem to occur during xmas and or 'snowy' times. Would I therefore be correct in saying people are generally c*nts every other time of the year as I'm accustomed to

Mint Aero

Mint Aero wrote: »

Alot of these kindnesses seem to occur during xmas and or 'snowy' times. Would I therefore be correct in saying people are generally c*nts every other time of the year as I'm accustomed to

I'd say a lot of them also don't, sooooo, no, no you wouldn't.

Lonesome Dove

theblaqueguy wrote: »

So I was in KFC buying my family some dinner. I decided to purchase the family bargain bucket , it was good value for money. I grab the tray with the food on it and head towards my family , they are seated about 20 metres from the counter all of a sudden I loose my balance slip and fall all the food ends up ruined on the floor . The children start crying because they are no longer going to be eating dinner tonight , I have no more money on me because I don't get paid until after midnigt . I don't know what to do the children are crying hysterically because they are so hungry , then a complete stranger approaches me and offers to buy my family another family bargain bucket . I was so happy at the kindness of this complete stranger helping me feed my family.
Thank you stranger!

Surprised that the KFC didn't just give you another meal. I've seen this happen a few times. Fair play to the guy who stumped up for you.

daRobot

Agricola wrote: »

Just entering a parking spot, an old guy gets out of his car, knocks on the window and tells me theres about a half hour left on his parking ticket and that I could have it. I think things like that might be gone in the years to come. Its hard to see young to middle age people even thinking of doing something like that. I know I wouldnt. Very nice gesture.

I do that all the time. It's nice when you get it back aswell.

Sh1tbag OToole

Mint Aero wrote: »

Alot of these kindnesses seem to occur during xmas and or 'snowy' times. Would I therefore be correct in saying people are generally c*nts every other time of the year as I'm accustomed to

If only we got a good 16ft of snow this year from about 1 December that stays till the end of January. Maybe then we could all get along once again and possibly shake off some of the "I have money now so other humans are just a nuisance" attitude that has crept up on us since the Tiger

Lonesome Dove

Was at my gym in Belfast and whilst walking through the carpark noticed a phone lying on the ground. It wasn't locked so I phoned 'Dad' who answered with 'Hello <daughters name>'. I explained the situation and told him I'd leave it in at reception at the gym for her to collect.
I'm usually a bit wary of using other peoples phones without permission but I thought this was the correct thing to do in the situation, wasn't it?

pharmaton

kind stranger saved my ass, no story.

SimonTemplar

I used to study in a particular university. I can't remember the exact email address but it was something like firstname.surname@theuni.ie.
So if you knew a person's name, you'd know their email.

So I was walking through the city one day when I found a student card on the street. So, I emailed the person and arranged to meet her outside library to return her card. A replacement cost about 20 euro so I thought that that would be my good dead for the day.

It turns out that the photo on the card was old and she had completely changed her appearance since then. So, when I was waiting outside the library at the agreed time, I didn't recognize her. I overheard a girl say to her friend that she is waiting for her card so I started to walk towards her. The friend asked if the guy who found the card is hot and the girl replied that she hadn't met him (me) and that she hoped he didn't look like "that ugly bastard", while pointing at me, obviously not realizing I could hear everything. So, I walked straight passed her and emailed her later to say that I lost my wallet with her card in it. I hope she enjoyed paying that 20 euro.

(sorry, i know this is a little off topic)

D Trent

A good while ago the thought of a random act of kindness crossed my mind one day as I approached a toll booth on the motorway. I paid the €1.90 or so for whoever came to the toll barrier behind me. It makes you feel good that you've done a good deed for someone else.

btw for those posters that are questioning whether 'the young people of Ireland in this day and age perform kind gestures' I am 19

Witchie

I had to go to my local hospital this morning to get bloods done and forgot that it is all pay parking there now. When I was leaving I went to reception to see if they had change of €20 to pay the €3 fine. The receptionist said she didn't but tgere was a change machine around the corner but when she realised I had a twenty she stopped me coz she didn't want me to have so much change. She rang a porter who opened the barrier and let me out.

Thought it was very sweet of her.

YbFocus

SimonTemplar wrote: »

I used to study in a particular university. I can't remember the exact email address but it was something like firstname.surname@theuni.ie.
So if you knew a person's name, you'd know their email.

So I was walking through the city one day when I found a student card on the street. So, I emailed the person and arranged to meet her outside library to return her card. A replacement cost about 20 euro so I thought that that would be my good dead for the day.

It turns out that the photo on the card was old and she had completely changed her appearance since then. So, when I was waiting outside the library at the agreed time, I didn't recognize her. I overheard a girl say to her friend that she is waiting for her card so I started to walk towards her. The friend asked if the guy who found the card is hot and the girl replied that she hadn't met him (me) and that she hoped he didn't look like "that ugly bastard", while pointing at me, obviously not realizing I could hear everything. So, I walked straight passed her and emailed her later to say that I lost my wallet with her card in it. I hope she enjoyed paying that 20 euro.

(sorry, i know this is a little off topic)

You should have set it on fire in front of her!

Irish Stones

I was going to pay the parking at the machine in Wexford Town. A woman was leaving with her car and told me that she had paid for a longer time than she needed, so she gave her ticket to me and didn't want any money back.
It was a little thing but... Thanks so much, ma'am!

weirdspider

I was at an ATM in Cork and I had just done food shopping. Failing to budget properly, l hadn't accounted for the cost of the bus home. I took out 20 and knew the bus driver most likely wouldn't accept it. I asked the lady behind me if she could kindly change it for 2 tenners. I explained I needed the right change for the bus. Then she paid for my bus-she insisted.
Another time an old man started talking to me at the bus stop and let me on for free with his pass.
There are probably more I can't remember. I only moved down to Cork recently and the people are some of the nicest people I've ever come across!

Oranage2

A while back now I was walking into Tara dart station, some foreign lady just walked up to me and gave me an all day train pass said she didn't need it anymore.

Very nice of her.

D Trent

D Trent wrote: »

A good while ago the thought of a random act of kindness crossed my mind one day as I approached a toll booth on the motorway. I paid the €1.90 or so for whoever came to the toll barrier behind me. It makes you feel good that you've done a good deed for someone else.

How do you do that if it's automated
Wait til the barrier lifts then pay the extra?

bluewolf

bluewolf wrote: »

How do you do that if it's automated
Wait til the barrier lifts then pay the extra?

I only do it at a booth with a cashier.

Cool.
It's a lovely idea, that's why I wanted to check the mechanics of it for next time I'm at a toll

Gloomtastic!

D Trent wrote: »

A good while ago the thought of a random act of kindness crossed my mind one day as I approached a toll booth on the motorway. I paid the €1.90 or so for whoever came to the toll barrier behind me. It makes you feel good that you've done a good deed for someone else.

btw for those posters that are questioning whether 'the young people of Ireland in this day and age perform kind gestures' I am 19

Off topic slightly: I pulled up at the M1 toll a few years ago, two cars in front of me. The first car threw their money in the basket and pulled off. The car behind nipped in behind him and got through before the barrier came down. Fair play I thought and threw my money into the basket. Barrier didn't move. I had to pay twice because of the scheming little sh1t! :mad:

YbFocus

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

Off topic slightly: I pulled up at the M1 toll a few years ago, two cars in front of me. The first car threw their money in the basket and pulled off. The car behind nipped in behind him and got through before the barrier came down. Fair play I thought and threw my money into the basket. Barrier didn't move. I had to pay twice because of the scheming little sh1t! :mad:

Why didn't press the assistance button?

Gloomtastic!

YbFocus wrote: »

Why didn't press the assistance button?

Never thought of it!

ShadowHearth

I always park in same carpark when I go to town. I always overpay for parking as I never know how long I will get stuck in town. When come back and still got 1 hour on parking ticket, I always check if some is about to pay for parking. I just give them my ticket. People always get nicely surprised.
After doing that thing for good few times, I got a fella come to me and give me his ticket! It was really damn nice.

seosamh1980

Last week we had friends visiting from abroad and we took them to Dingle. Just as we got out of the car in the car park a woman came over and asked if we'd use the last hour of her parking ticket, we said "nice one thanks" and carried on as normal, our friends looked so confused. All they saw was a stranger approach us, give us something and us looking like it was normal...which it is here When we explained that she was just giving us the last hour of her parking ticket they didn't look any less baffled

homeless student

Agricola wrote: »

Just entering a parking spot, an old guy gets out of his car, knocks on the window and tells me theres about a half hour left on his parking ticket and that I could have it. I think things like that might be gone in the years to come. Its hard to see young to middle age people even thinking of doing something like that. I know I wouldnt. Very nice gesture.

I do that with my tickets all the time and im young.

alexlyons

These are all good deeds people have posted, and 98FM are looking for people to text in their good deeds (that they've done, not been on the receiving end) which will help raise money for charity. More details on their website. You don't have to be in dublin, just text them to 53981 for 20c.

I've no connection, people might remember one they've done when they read this thread. I might just text this in as my good deed for the day, spreading the word about what they're doing

NakedMonkey

I was in holiday in Crete and the first night was such a mess that one of the lads managed to lose a flip flop and me my wallet with €150 and my bank cards with access to the rest of my spending money.

The hassle I had cancelling my cards and arranging for somebody in Ireland to make a withdrawal on my behalf and lodge the money into a friends account who was with me was something else but I managed to get it sorted in the end thanks to one particular person in my bank.

A few days into the holiday there was a big group from our complex drinking on the beach and I ended up talking to two girls. Mentioned about our first night and how drunk I was and losing my wallet. One of the girls just suddenly asked if I went to DIT and I said I did. She had found my wallet that night and was planning on dropping it into DIT as my student ID was in the wallet. Got my wallet back with all the cash and the now cancelled bank cards but couldn't believe that it was found by somebody else from Dublin and who had planned on giving it back with everything inside. Unfortunately the flip flop was never found.

When I got back I rang customer services for my bank and put forward how the person who helped me went out of her way to help and that I wanted to put in a good word.

A few months later I needed help again and wasn't haven't much luck so I asked to speak to her. She told me that she got entered into a draw and won a holiday because of me praising her and she was promoted not long afterwards. Was delighted to find out that ringing up to sing praise instead of the usual complaints that people usually only bother to make.

realgolfgeek

this thread reminds me of one of my favourite speeches ever, by a man I admire very much.
Skip to 2:25.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs9tcK-_yIE

realgolfgeek

realgolfgeek wrote: »

this thread reminds me of one of my favourite speeches ever, by a man I admire very much.
Skip to 2:25.

He's so right

ivytwine

donvito99 wrote: »

My uncle lives in London and was caught up in the King's Cross fire in 1987. He has a sort of nervous disposition and when it kicked off he sort of froze. A stranger led him out of the Tube station, hailed a cab, accompanied him home, boiled the kettle, set the mug down in front of him, and then left, informing the neighbour next door. It was all a sort of a blurr for my uncle, he didn't get his name or anything.

So a few years ago my uncle's back in Dublin, we're walking to a match in Croker and he peels off from my group and grabs this man by the arm. They recognised each other, exchange details, we met up after the match and and he tells the story. They remain friends in London.

There's something about Londoners or the London-Irish.

Definitely, for all their reputation for being reserved and uncaring, I think Londoners are great.

My mother got robbed when I was around 12 at the London Eye. Only had my pocket money to go on (around £8!). We had left our luggage in Victoria (before the new baggage chain, can't imagine that happening under their watch). We had a lovely old-style Londoner called Stan, who said he'd beat up the thief if he tried to claim our luggage. Police were great, staff at the London Eye were great (gave us tea) BOI in Kensington too.

Another time I was struggling with a suitcase on the tube steps when an underground worker just stopped and helped me, which is something you don't expect on the Tube. Another time a woman stopped and gave us her ticket as she was going home and didn't need it for the rest of the day.

Definitely not just an Irish thing but we should make sure we keep it alive.

The one which meant most to me was on my last day in Australia. I had completely run out of money, and I remember chatting to people in the hostel I was staying in. Some French people gave me tea and an Irish girl gave me fruit for breakfast. And the day before, when I couldn't find my hostel (struggling with a huge suitcase again), a guy gave me $10 for a taxi, knowing there was no way of me paying him back. I asked him his name and address and he was like, "there's no need!"

Meant so much when I was alone and so far from home

Esoteric_

Somebody did a good deed for me today.

I went into the shop to get the paper after work. Accidentally dropped my purse on the way out, but had put my headphones in and didn't hear it. It had several hundred euro, bank cards and lots of other cards in it.

As I'm walking on my merry way, a man who most would instantly think is a scumbag (dirty tracksuit, shaved head, thick north Dublin accent) chased me down, tapped me on the shoulder and gave my purse back. I thanked him and opened it to give him some money as a reward, and he flat out refused to take it, even though I quite clearly had a lot of money in it (rent mainly, I'm not rich!).

Can't believe the kindness of him.

Canard

When I was around 12 I saw a guy put his wallet in his back pocket, but it fell right back out. I ran after him and gave it to him, but he didn't thank me at all. I think he might have just been really shocked that he dropped it or something. The worker in Centra, though, took the €2 I was using to pay for my maltesers and gave me back two €1s for my honesty, I was delighted.

I already posted about this one in another thread but I don't know where that is now. This summer I was in Belgium with a friend on the way back from Hungary, a 22 hour stopover during which we had made no plans other than "just chill in the airport after a day in Brussels", but the airport was way too small for that so we were a bit fcuked! We found an Irish pub (whose staff had found us at 8am, they were locked, typical Irish :P) and they let us stay there til 4am! They even let us put our bags into a locked room He assumed we spoke no French though and "kindly" told the taxi driver to bring us to "l'airport", he was gas :pac: They were so friendly, really made me appreciate Irish people's kindness.

Smudge_pot

The stories in here are serious tear-jerkers. Always good to hear about these things, especially in times like these.

I have to echo the poster who mentioned the friendliness of people in Cork city, I just moved here last week and the general niceness of people here has been so helpful when I'm feeling a bit lost and alone. A guy saw me studying bus times (I must have looked every bit the confused culchie), asked me where I was going and gave me advice on what bus would be handiest for me. And the two people I've encountered in the social welfare office have been so friendly and even chatty...definitely not usual!!

As for the other side, last summer my mother and I were in London catching a train to Gatwick airport. We were just about to get on the train when a guy's briefcase burst open and sent documents flying everywhere in the wind, like something you'd see in a movie. We helped him gather them, even though we missed the train and had to wait for the next one, but how could you just ignore a situation like that?

MurdyWurdy

I had posted in the parenting form recently about my baby's teething and how I didn't know what to give him to soothe him.

A fellow boardsie read my post and sent me a pm offering to send me some teething gel that is not available in Ireland. He had found it great on his kids but they were now passed the teething stage so he had a stash he didn't need. When I offered to pay postage he just said to give a few euro next time I saw a collection for the children's hospital instead

I've had a crap week with a very cranky baby and someone doing something so nice for no gain for themselves really cheered me up. It made me think of this thread instantly - thank you for your lovely act of kindness fellow boardsie, you know who you are!