Question of the Day - Tuesday, November 17

[cassiopea]

Salutations! I hope everyone is well this Tuesday


So had a bit of a difficult previous week, so let's throw in some positive stuff today!






When was the last time a stranger did something really nice for you?







It was last winter and a surprise heavy snowstorm came down on my way home from work. I ended up getting stuck in the middle of the road along a very steep hillside (It wasn't plowed yet. I had proper tires and everything but the downside of small cars and all) Very stressful and scary since other cars were still going up and down and was missed being hit by a transport truck by inches. I tried my best with all the techniques and strength I could muster but to no avail. I was really shaken up. Eventually an older gentleman in a small truck with a plow stopped and asked if I needed help. Long story short, he went into my drivers seat and with zeal and skill drove me out of that spot, down another road into a more plowed street. We switched seats again and managed my way home on my own. I was so grateful I friggin' gave him a hug and a kiss on a cheek! His name was Peter. I wish I could find him again and give him a proper thank you gift or something! But despite my best efforts no luck. At least if anything, it also reminded me to pay it forward.


It took almost four hours to get home through that storm altogether, when my commute was normally around 50 minutes. Not a fun day. But at least it ended with a positive light.

 

[BellaGooch]

Not sure if this is the last time, but it's a time that stood out to me.
I was at a concert (before covid obviously lol) and, being short, these tall people cut in front of us so that we couldn't see and were very, VERY rude when we asked them politely to move. The couple next to us was really sweet and offered to move so that we could see and gave us a guitar pick that the singer had thrown to them. The rest of the night we kind of stuck by each other, joking and laughing with each other. Although it doesn't sound like much, it was really sweet

P.S. Great question, cassiopea !

 

[maggiedemi]

I can't think of anything recent. But when I was a teenager, I used to have a terrible habit of running out of gas. One time strangers helped me push my car down the road to the gas station. Another time a stranger let me borrow a gas can and drove me to the gas station. And yet another time, a stranger gave me gas out of a tank he had on his farm.

 

[game misconduct]

the first xmas after my stroke i took my gf out for a nice dinner and some couple paid it for me while they were paying for their bill i never even got a chance to thank them for that uneeded but welcome surprise. also i was out again with gf pushing open a door to get inside a store in while in my wheel chair and some little kid must have been around five or so. came running up saying lemme get that for you and held the door open for us to get inside.NOW that is a boy who was raised right to be a proper gentleman. i had to make sure i let the lil guys parents know the gesture was appreciated and happy to see there are still parents raising their sons how i was raised. isee it all the time guys not holding ooen the door for a lady,elderly or just in general for the person walking behind them.

 

[Jem]

I can't think of anything other than simple courtesy like holing a door open for me. I'm not complaining......I just have not really found myself in any precarious situations where a stranger's help has been needed. And I can't think of anything in the past that stands out either. I have helped others though...and given the chance, I'm sure a stranger would come to my aid if needed. Most people around here are pretty decent people.

Oh wait! Just thought of something from last winter...
The plow went by leaving a huge bank at the end of my driveway right before I was set to leave to go to work. I feverishly got to work so that I could get out, and a neighbor just happened to drive by and waved me out of the way. He proceeded to scrape the end of my driveway for me (lots of people around here have blades on their trucks in the winter), then left as he waved in his rear view. I yelled thank you to him...I don't even know which neighbor it was...

 

[MoochNNoodles]

We don’t usually get a lot of snow here; but occasionally we get walloped. One time when my kids were probably 6/4 ish DH and I were out shoveling the driveway while the kids played. Being on a county road with schools on the other end; we still get plowed regularly. (Some roads near us don’t really get plowed at all!) So there was a ton of hard stuff at the end of the driveway. There hadn’t been much traffic but someone came along and grabbed that with their plow for us. Plows aren’t as common here either. I don’t know who it was; but man it was appreciated!

 

[strider rose]

i was at a chinese resturant and went to pay my bill when they told me that someone paid for me ... it was a nice surprise

 

[Boris Diamond]

I picked up a friend at the coast when a hurricane was coming. We got to talking on the way back and I forgot to get gas. We ran out on the interstate about 30 miles from home. As soon as we stopped, a couple of young men in a work truck pulled over and offered to help. They had a gas can and while one waited with my friend, I rode to get gas. They were extremely kind and gracious. They would not take money. We were on our way again in about half an hour. Bless these young men!

 

[Silver Crazy]

It was the cops actually.
I was trying to do a U-Turn with a large trailer/digital screen on a very busy and hilly road.
Only one spot to do a U-Turn safely and waited for ages for a gap in the traffic and everyone being ignorant and not giving you a chance as well..
Saw the cops go past me on my side of the road and next minute they were coming towards me and turned their lights on, blocked the 3 lanes and waved me through.
Thanked them profusely when they caught up and came beside me..could have been stuck there until doomsday.

 

[neely]

Both our kids live out-of-state so pre-pandemic I would travel several times a year to see them. Since I'm vertically challenged and cannot easily reach the overhead compartment numerous times a man or woman has been kind enough to help me. I like to be independent and do things myself but someone always offers their assistance especially when they see me stand on a seat to try and lift my carry-on baggage into the compartment.

 

[misty8723]

Not the last time, but this one stands out. I was working at a little shop, and took the bus to work (no car). It snowed all day, pretty much a blizzard. After work, one of my coworkers gave me a ride as far as her street and let me out to wait for the bus. It was really coming down, really deep snow and getting later and colder, and no bus. I didn't have much choice except to start warking and it was at least a mile or likely more likely more to my house. No cell phones back then so I couldn't even call my parents to let them know what was going on (they didn't have a car anyway). As I was walking along, cold and miserable, a guy in a bread truck pulled up and offered me a ride. Normally I would have been hesitant, but I jumped in and he took me right down to my house. I was so grateful!

 

[CatladyJan]

Very recently I had basically someone I've never met before set me up with free spaying and neutering.

 

[Tobermory]

Many, many years ago, BH (Before Husband), I thought I smelled gas in my kitchen. I called the gas company, and they sent a guy out...a guy who deserved an award and a big raise. He discovered not a gas leak but a dead mouse in my stove. Mousie had somehow crammed itself through a minuscule hole just under the stove top in the corner and, horribly, had been unable to extricate itself. There was absolutely no way to get Mousie out intact. Gas Company Guy somehow (I know how but I don’t want to think about it) removed the mouse for me while I was shuddering in the other room and removed all traces of the event. Unbelievably kind (with a strong stomach). My hero.

 

[miss eveliina]

Before Covid I was at the grocery store for my monthly order. I went in line and a sweet elderly gentleman in front of me said “Oh, you can go ahead of me Sweetheart”. I said “Thank you Sir, but it’s okay. You have only a few items and I have a cart load”. He told me a few more times to go ahead of him, so I did. As I was unloading my cart he said “I hope you aren’t offended”. I asked by what? He said because he called me Sweetheart. He began to tell me that he thinks people get offended by lots of things these days and he didn’t mean anything by it. I definitely wasn’t offended and we chatted for a good bit. He was such a sweet Guy.

 

[debbila]

I was living alone after being widowed, so I always had to shovel my driveway after we had snow. It had snowed all day while I was at work and I came home to a very deeply covered driveway. In order to get the car in, and out the next morning for work I got started shoveling. Cold and tired, I was ready to give up when my neighbor's son-in-law ( he was a stranger, I had never met him ) walked up and said, " I'll finish that for you. It's too much for you to do by yourself. " I couldn't thank him enough! I would have missed a day's work if he hadn't seen me out there and come to the rescue.

 

[Mia6]

This wasn't really the kindness of strangers but it is something I will always remember. About a
month before my Vincie girl went to the bridge, she didn't come back from her daily walkabout
and with her being deaf I was concerned. I live in a small city and called the police and they
said of course they would try to find her. They asked for her description which was funny, I said
she's about 8 inches tall, long black hair with red highlights. While I was still on the phone she
came home.

 

[Winchester]

When I was working, I used to buy donuts at times for the guys in the department. We all took turns. I was in the drive-thru line and waiting to pick up my donuts. Got to the window and the lady said that the guy in front of me had paid for my order. Cool! So I said, "OK, I'll pay for the person behind me!" and paid their bill. I wonder how long that went on that morning?! That actually happened to me a couple of times and I always paid it forward.

One time, Rick and I were at Olive Garden for lunch; this was years ago. Well, there were two old ladies having lunch and they were having the time of their lives. They were giggling and cackling and just having the grandest time. They made us smile. When we got our bill for lunch, Rick paid for their lunch, too. Just because they were grand old ladies. And then we left. We hope we made them smile. And to this day, we still think of those two old ladies.

 

[Norachan]

Not the most recent, but the occasion that I remember the most:

Mr Husband and I were traveling in Pakistan. We were in the Chitral region, which is very barren and mountainous, but we were there just after heavy rain. The bus we were on was supposed to take us all the way to the next city, but at one point it stopped because the rain had washed a bridge away. Local people had strung together a little rope foot bridge, but there was no way a vehicle could get across.

So there we were, stranded in the middle of nowhere with our big backpacks and no idea of what to do. We crossed the river with the other passengers from the bus and a few of the men offered to flag down a car to take us to the nearest town. They managed to stop a jeep for us. The people in it made room for the two of us and our backpacks and started driving. We thought they were just going to take us to the next bus stop, but the driver insisted on taking us to his house where his daughters cooked lunch for us (the most amazing spinach curry with fresh eggs). After lunch he took us all the way to the bus station, found a bus that was going to the town we needed to go to and haggled over the price of bus tickets with the driver.

We were so grateful! I can't imagine anyone in rural England doing all that for a couple of lost tourists. We tried to give the man some money for petrol but he wouldn't accept anything. He must have driven a couple of hours out of his way.

Actually everyone we met in Pakistan was very kind, but that man stood out the most.

 

[gilmargl]

I had to think hard - people who have helped me have usually been neighbors, friends or colleagues. But, a few years ago, before Covid 19, when I used to go aqua-jogging every Friday lunchtime, we were at the deep end of the swimming pool trying to walk upright balancing on a long swim noodle under each foot. I was doing remarkably well until I lost control and first one and then the other noodle decided to be independent and literally jumped out of the water knocking my glasses off my nose!

My extra-thin, bifocals with a prism to help correct a squint had cost a small fortune and there they were floating out of my sight, down to the bottom of the pool almost three meters away. I can swim but not underwater and neither the instructor nor the rest of the class were capable of searching for a pair of glasses.

Fortunately a group of young men from a workshop for adults with special needs were in the pool at the same time. Two of the lads saw my predicament and challenged each other to find the lost item. I must admit that I was rather worried that they were perhaps taking on a bigger task than they were capable of achieving. But, although they made a lot of noise, egged on by their mates, it took them no time at all to locate and retrieve my precious possession.

They refused any compensation for their athletic services and were obviously glad to have some excitement instead of swimming lengths of the pool. I never saw them in the pool again. I get very cross when people complain about young people with special needs disturbing the rest of the community by behaving "abnormally". I hope this group did not have to forego their hour at the swimming pool simply because of local prejudice.

Since then I have been wearing contact lenses in the water - I see double and can't see to read - but at least I can see the instructor and losing a contact lens is cheaper than losing a pair of glasses. Covid 19 has of course put an end to aqua-jogging, which is a great pity.

 

[aliceneko]

I didn't have enough money on my card last year and the man behind me in the queue offered to pay for my meal. That was the last time I can remember really being blown away by a stranger's kindness!