Mom Grateful for Stranger Who Paid for Family Groceries: 'You Didn't Judge'

[vienna]

Something to think about:


https://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/mo...163003709.html


<O>

[vanjast]

Standing in the queue with my groceries, behind this guy.
His bill comes to a few notes and some change. He doesn't have change but has some bigger notes that he doesn't want to break.

So he turns to me and asks for a few coins - to which I reply.
'No ways mate, pay your own bills' !!

He gets all huffy trying to embarrass me and I talk even louder.
'DON'T COME HERE WITH THAT POORMAN NONSENSE WHEN YOU HAVE THE MONEY IN YOUR WALLET - PAY YOUR OWN BILLS'

He moved on very quickly... the usual chancers we get here ..idjut

[Sailor Steve]

My first thought was "That's great, but it's what anyone would do."

I have to remind myself that it's not what anyone would do. A surprising (to me) amount of people would not reach out to help a stranger, even with an amount so small even I could easily afford it.

I was taking a bus to work one night several years ago. The bus fare was $1.75 at that time, and to my embarrassment over not checking before hand I realized I only had a $5 bill, and the bus drivers don't make change. The driver said she'd let me slide and I said I'd make it up on my next trip. Then another passenger said "I'll pay it." So somebody else paid for my bus ticket. I've returned the favor more than once. I've taken time to show strangers how to get from one place to another. I help every time a neighbor, or a stranger, asks for it.

It actually started long before that bus trip. Many years ago I was at a birthday party for a friend. One poor frazzled waitress waited on thirty or so of us all night. When we were getting ready to leave they assigned a team to help clean up the room. We had all left tips on the table, but figuring that they would now be shared among the group one enterprising girl dumped the sugar packets out of the bowl and went around to everyone gathering a special tip just for the one waitress, and as we were leaving she quietly handed the bowl to her and said "This is just for you". As I recall it was around $100.

I'm not trying to toot my own horn, because I tend to think I'm less special, not more. After all, isn't it what anybody would do?

Oh, and thanks Vienna for sharing that.

[vanjast]

Had an old lady take her money from the ATM machine and walk off.
My turn next and was about to put my card in when I noticed a 100 ZAR note sticking out of the machine.

I could have pocketed it, but chased her down the road and gave it to her.
As a pensioner I think she was really grateful.. I had to rejoin the atm queue, annoying when you're in a hurry and people are slow.

That other guy in my previous post was just a lazy bugger.. even the teller was upset with him.

[Platapus]

Despite what the news media pushes, the world *is* filled with decent people.

Decent, however does not result in revenue for the media.

[Wolferz]

Don't just accept it and walk away.
Pay it forward.

Anecdote:
My wife and I were dining at our favorite restaurant one day and being regular patrons we got to know the wait staff. Our waitress was conversing with us about the upcoming school year and how tough it was to get school clothes for her six kids. Waitresses don't get paid a lot of money in America and they must depend on tips to round out their meager wages. We left a Benjamin ($100.00) and departed. She came running out the door before we got out of the parking lot and we just smiled and waved goodbye.

Helping others is like tossing a stone into a pond. There's a ripple effect.

[Jimbuna]

Agreed....there isn't a better feeling than helping someone and expecting nothing in return. That used to be a duty/requirement expected of me but I'd like to think I've carried on doing that at each opportunity since said duty/requirement was no longer expected of me.

[u crank]

Originally Posted by Wolferz

She came running out the door before we got out of the parking lot and we just smiled and waved goodbye.

Helping others is like tossing a stone into a pond. There's a ripple effect.

Nice.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Platapus

Despite what the news media pushes, the world *is* filled with decent people.

Decent, however does not result in revenue for the media.

Point of the day.

Good things aren't usually considered news.

Wolferz, Vanjast, you guys actually brought tears to my tired old eyes. I like reading stories about good deeds and good people.

[Wolferz]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Point of the day.

Good things aren't usually considered news.

Wolferz, Vanjast, you guys actually brought tears to my tired old eyes. I like reading stories about good deeds and good people.

I'm sorry Steve. Do you need a tissue?
I must confess, the story in the OP made me a bit verklempt.

I don't normally extol my good deeds. It kind of defeats the purpose.
I prefer that my generosity be done from the shadows, so I won't mention any of the other opportunities I've had to help someone out when they needed it most. There have been times where I had to fight off evil in order to do the right thing.

[swamprat69er]

I don't toot my own horn...
If others want to toot my horn, they are more than welcome to.

[TheDarkWraith]

This story doesn't involve money but rather it follows in line with helping someone in need.

I was heading down a state route to home behind a Dodge caravan doing ~60mph in the left lane. It was a normal, sunny day with barely a cloud in the sky. I was listening to my favorite country radio singing along to the song in the car. In my amazement I watched the Dodge caravan in front of me quickly veer to the right and then to the left smacking the guard rail so hard the rear end of it got airborne. It then veered back to the right crossing both lanes of traffic, going down in the ditch, coming back up, getting airborne again, finally hitting a tree bringing it to a stop. Mind you this all happened in seconds but I can still replay it in my mind in slow motion.

I quickly pulled over to the right side of the road and started running over to the Dodge caravan to see if everyone was alright. To my amazement many people were stopping their cars and just staring at the accident. Noone was trying to help.

I reached the caravan and started assessing the situation. The caravan was totaled. There was no fuel smell or leaking evident, no fires, etc. which was good. Looking into the driver's side I saw no person in the seat nor did I see anyone in the passenger's seat. I thought to myself this is bad! I checked the back of the caravan and there were no people either (and no child seats). I checked the front windshield and there were no impact marks of someone hitting it with their body or head. Looking around the accident scene I saw no bodies. Well someone was driving this caravan!

I went around to the passenger side and looked into the window. Then I saw a lady pushed into the little space for your feet and up under the dash. I yelled at the bystanders on the road for help and for someone to dial 911. I had to yell multiple times to get someone to finally come and help me.

I opened the passenger door and asked the lady in a calm voice if she was ok. She responded with something incomprehensible which told me she hit her head pretty good on something. I saw no blood or bones protruding from any of her skin. I told her I was trained in first aid and was going to help her.

I instructed the young man who finally came to assist me to lift up on the dash while I try and gently get the lady out from under it. After about 5 mins we were able to extract the lady from the vehicle and lay her flat on the ground with her legs placed above her (in case she was in shock). I assessed her condition and to my amazement I couldn't identify any broken bones, puncture wounds, bleeding, etc. She was one lucky lady! She did have a huge bruise behind her left ear probably the result of her hitting her head there on something.

I spoke to her in a calm voice asking if she knew her name, what she was doing, where she was, etc. and her speech was still pretty incoherent. I instructed the young man to search her vehicle and locate her purse. He came back with it and we opened it up and found her cell phone. I asked the lady if she knew what it was and while her speech was incomprehensible she did nod her head which told me she understood what I was saying to her. I asked her if she could unlock it (it was an IPhone) and she was able to type in the numbers to unlock it. We found the lady's drivers license in her wallet in her purse and noted her last name. We searched the phone till we found someone with her last name and called the number. To my amazement the first one I dialed was her husband.

I told him his wife was involved in an accident and that she was ok and 911 was called. He was frantic and asked for our location. I told him where we were and he said he was on his way.

I kept talking to the lady in a calm voice asking her very simple questions just to keep her calm and relaxed. Her eyes were very dilated and her speech was still not comprehensible. It seemed like an eternity but the police and an ambulance finally arrived and took control of the situation.

They took the usual precautions of placing a neck brace on the lady and putting her on a stretcher and then took her away in the ambulance. No more than 5 mins after taking her away in the ambulance her husband showed up. He was a mess. I identified myself to him as the one who had called him. I told him what had happened and his first question to me was "Did you see her talking on her cell phone when you were behind her in your car?". I told him I didn't see her talking on her cell phone but I really didn't recall as I wasn't paying much attention to the car in front of me. He said she had done the same thing a couple of years ago (totaling a car) because she was talking on the phone, she dropped the phone, went to reach to pick it up and lost control of the vehicle Wow.

The police took witness statements and everything else they usually do. I got back in my car and headed home thinking nothing more of it.

About 3 weeks later I received a phone call on my cell phone from an unrecognized number. The lady identified herself as the one who was involved in the accident. She wanted to thank me for helping her and for calling her husband in time of need. There aren't many things that make me choke up and shed a tear but this one did

I hope someone will do the same for me if ever I find myself in a similar situation.

I'm still amazed at how people just pulled over on the side of the road and sat and stared, not bothering to come help this lady in need. It took me yelling at them for one young man to finally step forward and come and assist

[Wolferz]

I hope someone will do the same for me if ever I find myself in a similar situation.

Easy fix. Don't talk on your cell phone while driving.

The correct speed for talking on your phone, eating, reading, applying makeup, having sex and getting dressed is ZERO MPH!!!
I've seen people doing all these things while operating a two ton piece of equipment on public thoroughfares.

[swamprat69er]

Originally Posted by Wolferz

Easy fix. Don't talk on your cell phone while driving.

The correct speed for talking on your phone, eating, reading, applying makeup, having sex and getting dressed is ZERO MPH!!!
I've seen people doing all these things while operating a two ton piece of equipment on public thoroughfares.

You forgot shaving. Way back when, battery operated razors fist came out some of the ads suggested that you could shave while you were driving to work in rush hour.

[Wolferz]

Originally Posted by swamprat69er

You forgot shaving. Way back when, battery operated razors fist came out some of the ads suggested that you could shave while you were driving to work in rush hour.

If I saw someone driving with a basin full of water in his lap and scraping off his chin hairs. No doubt someone has tried it prior to portable electric razors.
I'm guilty of using one of those while motoring to Fort Knox for a MUTA.