Add your random acts of kindness - given and received

[JeffM]

I saved a neighbor from getting his car towed this week. He was parked in a handicap spot (legit - he's ancient and has a placard) but his card had fallen on the floor. He had a $100 ticket and an impound notice, since he only drives once every couple of weeks. I left a note on his door telling him he ought to move his car, since that's what I'd want someone to do for me if I was in that situation. He has since offered to buy me lunch, but I told him it wasn't necessary.

[Guy]

Years ago, as a teenager, I took my dad's Mustang 5.0 out under false pretenses, and promptly blew a radiator hose at 115mph* during a high speed joy ride with friends late at night. Of course being young and dumb (as opposed to older, and still dumb) I decided to drive it home in stages. Drive for 10-15 minutes until the car started to overheat, then sit for an hour or two and let the car cool off, and repeat. During one of the stops on the interstate a black man pulled over and offered to give all three of us a lift to a gas station that was 10 miles away for some radiator fluid, and then drive us back**. We thanked him profusely, and he simply stated that someone had helped him, and he was simply returning the favor.

*-Nothing quite like coming to a stop after 115mph and a wall of fog passes you still moving 60mph

**-The gentleman did have one question for us. "Have any of you ever gone down on a woman?" He was curious, and wanted to know what it was like.  

[KenH]

I saved a neighbor from getting his car towed this week. He was parked in a handicap spot (legit - he's ancient and has a placard) but his card had fallen on the floor. He had a $100 ticket and an impound notice, since he only drives once every couple of weeks. I left a note on his door telling him he ought to move his car, since that's what I'd want someone to do for me if I was in that situation. He has since offered to buy me lunch, but I told him it wasn't necessary.

If he only drives once every couple of weeks perhaps he is lonely and seeks a reason to get out for lunch with a friend? Talk about an act of kindness--feeling useless and unwanted is a major problem with a lot of old folks. 30 minutes of your time may be the best gift he has received in 20 years.

[Mrs. DantesDame]

Not mine, but I thought this video was pretty awesome:

divers save starving shark

[JeffM]

If he only drives once every couple of weeks perhaps he is lonely and seeks a reason to get out for lunch with a friend? Talk about an act of kindness--feeling useless and unwanted is a major problem with a lot of old folks. 30 minutes of your time may be the best gift he has received in 20 years.

It's not like that - his wife is still with him and she does most of their driving as her eyesight and coordination are better. We live downtown where you can walk most places, so he doesn't need to drive and probably shouldn't. I talk to him pretty regularly when I walk the dog in the morning, as he reads the paper on the front porch of our lofts.

[Jeff N]

I dunno if it counts but I always make sure the correct amount of money exchanges hands at supermarkets, convenience stores and such. I don't know how many times I've been given change for a 20 when I paid with a 10.

Back when the International Motorcycle show was held at the Cow Palace I came across a CX500 that was parked on Geneva with the key in the ignition. I pulled the key and stuffed it 'tween the seat and tank and left a small note under the seat strap that would lead the owner to the key. A few hours later I noticed that the bike was gone. I hope the rightful owner rode it home.

[cultureslayer]

I thought the guy at the jewelry store changing my watch battery for free was being nice, turns out he fucked it up and didn't want to give me a receipt.   That's normally how random acts of kindness go for me.  

[CLAY]

I thought the guy at the jewelry store changing my watch battery for free was being nice, turns out he fucked it up and didn't want to give me a receipt.   That's normally how random acts of kindness go for me.  

   Why does this not surprise me in the least?  Awesome!

[cultureslayer]

Turns out the jewelry store did make it right for me.    When I get a real job I know where I'll go for a nicer watch.  

[bassjones]

10 years ago I had to sell some bass equipment to pay bills when we were in a particularly bad spot financially.  I was down to one bass and a bass amp head but no speakers.  I had a paying gig coming up but no money to buy a cabinet so I asked another bass player at church if I could borrow one of his spare cabinets.  Sure no problem.  I went to return it a week later and he told me to keep it, just do the same for somebody in the future if I was in a position to do so.  This was a high end Eden cabinet, not some cheapo piece of garbage.  His kindness has been repaid a few times, but that is between myself and the recipients.

[KenH]

It's not like that - his wife is still with him and she does most of their driving as her eyesight and coordination are better. We live downtown where you can walk most places, so he doesn't need to drive and probably shouldn't. I talk to him pretty regularly when I walk the dog in the morning, as he reads the paper on the front porch of our lofts.

That counts as RAKs.  

[Hardware]

About a month ago, on the way to work one morning, I pulled into a Tim Horton's I'd never been to before.  It's one of those with a poor layout for the entrance to the drive-through in relation to the parking spots and the actual entry lane to the lot.

Pulling in and trying to figure out the drive-through (which wasn't signed) I sort of cut off a woman heading for the drive-through lane as well (she was coming from across the other side of the parking lot).  

When I got up to the window I asked the girl what the person behind me had ordered - I didn't want to luck in with someone ordering 3 dozen doughnuts and a box of coffee for an office gathering.  It was a normal order, so I paid for her.

[KenH]

About a month ago, on the way to work one morning, I pulled into a Tim Horton's I'd never been to before.  It's one of those with a poor layout for the entrance to the drive-through in relation to the parking spots and the actual entry lane to the lot.

Pulling in and trying to figure out the drive-through (which wasn't signed) I sort of cut off a woman heading for the drive-through lane as well (she was coming from across the other side of the parking lot).  

When I got up to the window I asked the girl what the person behind me had ordered - I didn't want to luck in with someone ordering 3 dozen doughnuts and a box of coffee for an office gathering.  It was a normal order, so I paid for her.

People pay for the people behind them in drivethroughs all the time. Toll booths, too. Back in the olden days one of the tolls on the Miami expressways was a dime. I didn't feel like pocketing the $0.90 change and holding up traffic so I just handed the toll lady a dollar and rode on through. I watched in the mirror as she waved through the first couple cars. I bet the first person to have to pay was pissed after watching all those cars just ahead roll on through.  

[PirateT7]

it's just  a little thing but I like to think it helps make people's day just a little easier:  whenever I'm getting out of the car or off the bike at the grocery store, I look around for people unloading their carts, especially older folk or those with kids, and time it so that I'm passing them as they're getting the last bag of groceries into their car. I take their cart for them, and return it to the storefront so they don't have to.

[Leanintree]

Today I tackled a shoplifter fleeing a store from a botched shoplifting attempt. My elbow hurts but I have a good story. Is that a good deed?

LT

[Busy Little Shop]

Once upon a time I received mercy from the law...