Random acts of kindness

B9exchange - I did that once. Got caught. Big fine.

I'd never do it again.

It is probably illegal, but I will always offer my car parking ticket to someone else if there is over an hour left on it.

I have to confess I do get a buzz from helping someone out, cheers me up for the rest of the day!

Yesterday my OH and myself went for a walk through one of our very beautiful local parks.
There were lots of families, cyclists, joggers etc all enjoying the sunshine when we noticed a young woman jogging towards us.
As she got closer it was impossible not to notice that one of her (large) breasts had broken free of her clothing and was proudly flapping as she ran. I immediately said 'Oh god, I'll have to tell her" but my OH said - "don't say anything"!
My reply was "of course i'm going to tell her, I would want somebody to say something if it was me".
So yes, I went straight over to tell her - she just laughed, said thank you and tucked herself back in!
(I couldn't believe my OH wouldn't have told her - aren't men strange)?
Before I got my bus pass I always used to pass my 'all day' ticket on to someone waiting at the bus stop as i'd only used it once. My OH used to say I was mad.
Kindness costs nothing as far as i'm concerned.

There is no wrong or right answer in this sort of situation. I think I'd have tried to repay you the £1 with change but would have accepted your offer gracefully if you'd insisted.

I can see both points of view.

I agree Grandma2213 it's like solving the krypton factor (remember that??) buying best tickets for rail travel.

Yesterday I parked my car on a steep hill near the local high street. An elderly lady came down walking very slowly using a walking stick, asked me if I knew did a bus come here going to the Q.E. hospital. (there was a bus but back at the top of the hill she'd came from)
After a conversation I offered to take her there saying I was going that way, it didn't matter which way round I did my errands. She refused politely.

I don't believe I look like a mass murderer (whatever they look like ) but then what would I have done if the situation was reversed, don't know!

Lazigirl a friend and I were travelling by rail to a concert. The cost was around £19 for a single ticket each. However the ticket seller suggested that we buy a 'couples' return ticket (or similar name) for £18. He didn't have to tell us but it meant that we saved all that money. Unfortunately we could not find someone to use the return tickets as we had a lift home. That would have meant even more savings! How can such huge discrepancies be justified especially when they are not even advertised? Thanks to the very nice man who alerted us that day.

This happened about eight years ago. I was still working and between appointments I called into a farm shop and cafe to get a sandwich and pot of tea for lunch. I got to the till , reached into my purse for my debit card, only to realise I had left it on the dining room table at home. By this time the sandwich was being made in the kitchen of the cafe. In a panic I checked the bits of change in my purse. There was enough for the tea bu not the sandwich. I quickly asked for them to cancel the sandwich and I paid for the tea. I went to a table and sat down to drink my tea. Suddenly a waitress appeared beside me with a sandwich. I was really embarrassed and explained that I had cancelled it. She told me not to worry and that the lady behind me in the queue had paid for it for me. I recognised her sitting across from me and thanked her profusely. She was so gracious about it
and I have never forgotten her kindness. I am a big believer in paying a kindness forward and I do actively help anyone whenever I can and I just say "someday someone you meet may be in the same position , help them out if you can". It obviously came true for me with the sandwich.

I've done a few acts of kindness over the years, but alas never had any done for me

I used to volunteer in a charity shop. One day, it wasn't busy and an old lady wanted to talk. We chatted happily for about 15 minutes and then she thanked me for talking to her and gave me £5 for the charity. I thanked her and put it in the till but felt sad.

ps there was an elderly couple behind us at the till, he was pushing her in a wheelchair. They were grinning all over their faces! I was surprised, because I was feeling a bit embarassed.

" FC61 Thu 22-Aug-19 23:13:32

Greengran78 That Mash Report was hilarious !"
It certainly is!
We live on Tyneside and I regularly chat with strangers, and often they initiate it. I've met some really interesting people.
Husband and I have a bit of a slapstick relationship. We were shopping in Tesco yesterday and I noticed a few people chuckling at our repartee. Not in a nasty way. There's more of a sense of community.

Greengran78 That Mash Report was hilarious ! I live in London which made it even funnier. There are three reasons why Londoners don’t usually smile/ talk to strangers . A ) their smile might mean they are on something or escaped B) they probably don’t speak English C) they might be looking for free accommodation

My DH was driving home down a country road and saw some £20 pound notes near a hedge, he stopped and saw some more and a pension book. Gathering them all up he drove to the address on the pension book then knocked on the door. The poor lady was overwhelmed and explained that as she was struggling with her shopping she had placed the book with the money in it on the roof of her car, then had driven off without thinking. She tried to give him some money but he wouldn't hear of it. I did feel proud.

Pantsglas your O levels about the same year as myself. Depended on exam board at the time, I suppose. Macbeth, Jane Eyre, Yeats, American poets. Some others long forgotten. Thought we got good syllabuses at the time.

Not a rejection but something lovely. Years back I helped someone who nearly fainted waiting for the bus. She was ill and had had to go into town for her prescription and felt faint. I found somewhere for her to sit and then travelled with her last my stop and made sure she got home safe. She thanked me profusely. Some years later waiting for the same bus after being dropped off in town by a works colleague I realised that I had left my purse at work. I must have said "oh no" very loudly as I was worn out and the thought of a half an hour walk was one step too far. A lady standing next to me asked what was wrong and I told her and said "well I have a long tiring walk home". She straight away offered me the fare. I tried to refuse but she insisted and said "you don't recognise me do you?" When I looked more closely I realised it was the woman I had helped a few years before. She said she had always remembered my kindness and it was a small way of repaying me.x

It's really great when employees of faceless companies are kind (unlike jobsworths). We were on our way to Hull and our journey meant a change in Manchester, but our train was late and we missed the connection. We had purchased split tickets which meant we would have to pay again from Manchester to Hull. A lovely rail employee on the gate gave us a pass to travel and ticked a box stating "random act of kindness". Would you believe it of a rail company employee, they have such a bad press?

Shizam, your bank will change an old pound coin, well so far my branch if Barclays has done anyway

My French Jewish granny used to always make sure it was anonymously given. My mum received a pure wool coat from an expensive store and a ton of coal anonymous sender but she guessed it was granny. And every time we visited a young widow who used to live next door to her until the lady's house burnt down she would go into the kitchen for a drink of water and put a bundle of notes in the tea towel drawer. I was only young and she told me 'You keep quiet say nothing' when I saw her. Think it was the best way then the receiver doesn't feel bad.

I had the opposite with a shopping trolley. Guy offered me his trolley to save me doing the coin in the slot in return for my coin. So I did. When I returned trolley, turned out to be the old pound coin that you can’t use any more! How petty of him. But I can still use it at Tesco, so it’s become my supermarket coin.

I was going to amend my last sentence from 'can't distinguish' to 'find it hard to distinguish'. I didn't mean to sound judgemental and My words weren't directed at any particular person! ☺

What I would have received was a nice, warm feeling that I'd done someone a good turn. I wasn't looking for approval. I think that's the idea that random acts of kindness are their own reward. The principle of 'one good turn deserves another' doesn't necessarily mean that the person on the receiving end is morally obliged to reciprocate. It's more likely that the world becomes a better place if people are kind to one another in small, everyday ways.

I accept, though, that some people can't distinguish between a kind gesture with no strings attached and 'charity' especially when there's a very small amount of money involved. If those people are not used to and can't, or won't, accept occasional kindness from strangers, that's very sad.

Be careful about smiling at strangers, especially in London!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT0ay9u1gg4

A few years ago I had paid for several hours parking but was back to my car much earlier. Seeing someone else park I shouted "have you got a ticket?" as I was going to give them mine. I got a lot of abuse as the person seemed to think I was accusing them of not buying a ticket!

Those who have mentioned being a gracious "receiver" have made me think. We shouldn't let pride get in the way, as I have occasionally.
jaylucy wrote
"Many people, especially elderly don't like to think they are getting something for nothing".
Yes that's me.