We haven’t had a “Kindness of Strangers” post for a while…..

Thank you S J, that made me smile. And it reminded me of a recent kindness of strangers act in Lisbon. We were trying to find one of the "secret" elevators to São Jorge Castle. We asked a business man - who was clearly in a hurry but who most likely spoke English - who gave us very precise directions and then hurried on his way. We of course couldn't remember all of the turns and were getting confused but we noticed he would stop from time to time, look back, made sure we had made the right turn and then he would hurry back off. He was evidently also heading to the elevator but couldn't wait for dawdling tourists but was thoughtful enough to make sure the dawdling tourists didn't get completely lost.

I have had quite a few this year. The latest one was in November. I had just had knee replacement surgery and was not cleared to fly yet, but my mom was not doing well and I had a bad gut feeling, so I told my surgeon I was going. We had planned to just go for one night to check on things. I had to call my brother to get on a plane and come immediately, and I extended my trip. We made arrangements to move mom "home" to her assisted living, with hospice while we were there. After my brother and I said goodbye at the airport, I sat in one of the handicapped seats just near where you board. I was trying to keep it together, when one of the agents came over and asked me if I would like my bag to be gate checked. I couldn't do that as I had so many important "mom" things. I explained the situation, and the 3 agents were so sweet. They all gave me hugs and were crying too, lol, and then one of them took my bag all the way down the ramp and onto the plane and put it in the hold above. They did not let anyone else go down the ramp until I was seated. I did not need that much extra help, but it was so helpful as I had my purse, my suitcase and my cane, and going down the ramp of course is harder than going up. They were just so kind, and they didn't have to do any of that.

On a somewhere similar note, a week or so after that trip, again on my flight home, I had an amazing seat mate. My mom had passed at this point, so it was a difficult trip. Thankfully at this point I did not need the extra help etc, but I was sitting in my window seat not sobbing entirely, but the couple who sat down next to me were so sweet. She could tell something was wrong and made small talk. Turns out she was the co-owner of mom's former hair salon, and she knew mom very well and remembered me from when mom took me in there once. She knew all sorts of stuff about mom, including her name of course. She made that flight home so much better, more than she will ever know, and she is coming to the service this week.

During our time in Dublin, we became turned around while walking to the Guinness Storehouse. A very kind lady observed our confusion and asked if she could assist us. She then gave us directions and walked along part of the way. When she left us, she said, "Now be sure to keep your wits about you until you arrive." This encounter still brings a smile to our faces.

An example of "kindness of stranger" to me are those on this forum who have taken time over the years to help me learn about travel, about destinations, and taken an interest in the plans of a stranger to try to make things better. Many of you no longer feel like "strangers" although we have never met. Thank you all for your kindness and time in helping my trips be such positive experiences.

mikliz97, I’m so sorry for your loss. Your post was very touching.

mikliz97, Very touching story. I too am very sorry for your loss.

A very nice gentleman waiting to cross the street in the opposite direction from me saw I was looking for an entrance to a metro station in Vienna when I was there in the first part of November. He came up to me to tell me it was closed for maintenance that would no doubt last for longer than was expected and directed me to the next open station. He said I should come back in a year or so, it will be great when it’s finished! Very friendly and went out of his way to help me out.

I’m in Paris and have had many, but i’ll relate one… i flew from SF to Dublin and had to wait 2 hrs for another plane to Paris. They bussed us to an outlying, inhospitable, bare bones gate to wait. There was only a small coffee kiosk there with one barista. My stomach was upset, i couldn’t drink coffee, but i did want hot milk as it was 27* and very cold. I asked the barista for a cup of hot milk, he looked really surprised and said Milk??
I said yes please. He made it and when i tried to pay he said no, it was on him.
It was an Act of Kindness that meant a lot to me.

Andrea and Susan--Thank you so much. I hesitated to post as I didn't want to be a downer on a happy thread, but both times strangers made really bad days as good as they could be. I think people often forget that even the smallest gestures can mean the world to someone as we never know what others are struggling with. We fly again on Friday for the services and I am already so anxious about it all. I am not sure which flight I will be more of a mess on, going down there or returning home knowing that it is all so final.

I will never forget the kindness of a stranger at midnight in a tiny Norwegian town in 1977. I was backpacking for months with Eurailpass and youth hostel cards in hand. That night, I had made my way to Oslo, only to find out, at the TA in the train station, that there were no more youth hostel beds in the city. They called a youth hostel south of Oslo and told me its name, so I took the last train back south. When I disembarked at the station in the late night dark, the few other people getting off all scattered into the darkness toward their known destinations. I studied the "map board" near the station and began walking down a dark road presumably toward the hostel. And walked. And walked. Out of town. Up and down hills. Past fields. Occasionally a car passed me, whizzing through the night. I realized that I was completely lost and had no way of knowing where I might sleep. I passed a cemetery, and realized that I just might have to encamp behind a tombstone until dawn. At that moment, a motorcyclist came over the hill. Impulsively, I stuck out my thumb and he came to a stop. I spoke no Norwegian. He spoke no English. I pulled out the slip of paper on which the TA lady had written the name of the youth hostel and the man motioned for me to get onto the back of the motorcycle. I was wearing my fully loaded backpack and had never ridden on a motorcycle before, but what the heck? It was him or the cemetery! He zoomed off into the darkness and I held on for dear life, hoping and praying that he had good intentions. We passed the train station and headed out of town the other direction! Several kilometers later, he screeched into a long driveway and pulled up at a large building alone in a field. He motioned: There! I dismounted, nodded my gratitude, and staggered up to the door of the youth hostel, waking a rather irritated staff person who showed me to a bed in a dark room where other young people were already sleeping. I will be forever grateful to that Norwegian dude who saw a stupid backpacker and got her to safety. And I never told my mother, because the one promise that she extracted from me as I headed out on my 6-month-long Europe and Israel adventure was: I will never hitchhike!

mikliz97, I appreciate you posting your story, it was not a downer, it was very touching. I have been through what you’re going through (twice) and my heart goes out to you. I think it’s harder to be on a plane, surrounded by strangers, when you’re grieving… much easier if you’re in a car where you have privacy and can let out all your emotions. I think you’re very courageous. Your story highlighted the Acts of Kindness you experienced, so, very appropriate for this thread.

This is the thread I needed today, thanks SJ.

My favorite act of kindness is also Italian. I was lost in Venice trying to find a particular restaurant with some RS tourmates. An elderly gentleman carrying his little cloth bag of groceries saw us struggling with our map (it was map days!) and he asked where we were going. We pointed at the name of the restaurant in the guidebook and he waved us to follow him. He proceeded to lead us up and over several bridges and down some pretty narrow alleys, all the while chatting in Italian and waving his hands (and bag of groceries). I could barely follow with my limited vocabulary but did catch the question where are you from. When I replied stati Uniti he threw his hands in the air and said "Aye, Bush!" (it was the era of a few middle east conflicts). Anyway, he deposited us at the door of the restaurant, smiled, and went on his way. Possibly one of the things he said while we were walking was "oh hey, that place is closed today" but we discovered that after he left us. It was one of my first overseas trips and his kindness really made that trip memorable.

My niece was getting married in Vancouver BC in a few days. Meanwhile, back in Texas, my father was hospitalized with a non-life threatening condition that nonetheless required a stay in rehab. We needed the insurance company to approve the rehab stay before he could leave the hospital - not sure of the details, but you get the drift.. I couldn't leave the country when my dad was still hospitalized. I called Humana, and told them that I would really like for them to approve the rehab stay ipso fasto, so I could go to my niece's wedding. The woman said that she would do her best to expedite this request.

They expedited, and we made it to the wedding.

Insurance companies don't get a lot of love, on this forum or anywhere else. But a couple of Humana employees did everything they could to help me get to my niece's wedding.

This was just a little thing, but it was repeated several times. I almost didn't notice the first time. My husband and I were in Venice, Bologna, and Rome with our son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren (ages 6 and 9) in December and early January. We were on crowded public transportation quite a bit (vaporetti in Venice, trains, and buses) and usually not able to all sit together. None of us were distressed about this and we were not having loud conversations over people's heads or anything like that. We grandparents always had a seat. Then, one or more people sitting next to one of us would just quietly get up from their seat and either ride standing up or move to another seat so that someone in our family could sit with someone else in our family. Sometimes we were able to say thank you or at least catch their eye and smile, but these kind and thoughtful people seemed to feel it was just a natural thing to do. Two teenagers even did it once.

While visiting Siena, we had parked in a lot outside the city walls, taking a ticket and noting that people were feeding cards (payment?) into a machine when exiting the lot. Hours later, we were trying to leave the lot…the machine didn’t want our ticket…we had no clue and the cars were backing up. A construction van was behind us, and I ran back to try to explain (not much Italian…lots of arm waving). The driver was obviously going home after a long, hot day at work, and he backed up enough for us to move out of the way. We parked, regrouping, and I looked up to see the driver coming toward our car. He had parked far down the very busy street. Only missing a white horse, he walked me back down the street to a validation machine, refusing our offer of a cold beer (he was commuting each day to Florence). We’d probably still be in that lot if he hadn’t rescued us!

mikliz, I am very sorry for your loss. Mom’s are special. I lost mine over 20 years ago after a short illness. I commuted back and forth between LA and Seattle during that time and it was the little things that made it bearable. Like the flight attendant who said “you go girl” when I asked for a bourbon and water to have with my bag of M&Ms.

Great Post!! When staying in Lake Bled I asked the lady who owned one of the apartments I was staying where could I find a laundry, She said, no I will do your laundry for you. Go see our beautiful village and lake. She did and would not take any money for doing so. Needless to say, I left a generous amount when I left with a note in her language saying how much I appreciated her generosity.

Lovely thread, so nice to read stories of kind strangers.

Mikliz, I am sorry for the loss of your Mum, and happy to hear that strangers helped you to feel a little less sad.

Trotter and SJ--Thank you. The bourbon and M&M's is the best story! I will be thinking of this thread and the nice thoughts on our flight in two days.

Mikliz97, your post is such a good reminder that we never know what other people are going through and we should treat everyone with kindness. My parents are both long gone and I know how difficult this time must be for you. I hope you can think of happy times with your beloved mother to help you get through the difficult days ahead.

In Naples several years ago, in the pouring rain, we lost our way to the train station. We popped into a cafe and had coffee, looking at our map. When paying for our coffees, I asked the gentleman behind the counter if he could tell us the way to the station. Well, he did more than tell us. He had us follow him half a block from the cafe and pointed us in the right direction. It was so nice of him to leave the cafe, in the rain, and make sure we headed toward the station. So, anytime I see posts about whether or not Naples is safe or comfortable to visit, I think of the kindness shown to us by this gentleman.

Yet another story about the friendliness of the Irish (someone else had a very similar post here).

We were walking along a street on the day we first arrived in Dublin, jetlagged, hungry and a bit lost (with young kids in tow), just looking for a pub that was supposed to be around the corner for lunch. A gentleman stopped us on the busy street as my wife and I "debated" which direction we should be headed. I wish I could recall exactly what he said, but he politely asked us where we were headed and pointed us to our lunch spot just down the street.

I smiled, relaxed, finally remembered I was on vacation, and thanked him for his help. A simple act and just a few seconds, but I can remember it now almost 10 years later.

Two from our most recent trip.
In Amsterdam, we asked our waitress how to get to the tram station. It was clear that we didn't get it. She took her break and walked us the 5 minutes to the tram station.
In Naples, arrived at train station and found there was a taxi strike. We had no clue how to get to the hotel and dad cant walk long distances. Two young women helped us cross the street to an area where taxis would pick us up, called a cab for us and then put us in it and directed the cab driver to our hotel. Gave us their phone number in case we needed it. Really saved the day and made the trip.

In 2018 I traveled to Paris during the train strike (and cooperating unions). I stayed at the same place I stayed at a few years prior. I knew the route from the Metro station, but not from the train station. The train alternate was a bus to the Montparnasse train station. I expected to use Google maps. I started to, but it began to rain. My phone screen finger swipe wouldn't work with the moisture. I was wandering around trying to find the front BnB entrance, but failed. All the while toting my luggage. Then a lady noticed my plight and cautioned me about the risk of being a lost tourist in the dark streets of Paris. She then helped me find my BnB. I offered to buy her a coffee for her help, but she had to decline because of her religious restrictions (Muslim). I was grateful and thanked her immensely for the assistance.

I can think of two…

1) My parents were visiting Naples in the early-1990's, walking through town early one morning. A man approached and asked if they needed help. “No, just taking an early-morning walk to _____!” (can’t recall where they were headed). He had a concerned expression on his face and warned them to be careful before continuing on his way. Several minutes later he approached them again -- this time in his car. He had been so concerned about their welfare that he went and got his car, and offered to drive them to their destination. They accepted, thanking him profusely! They never forgot his kindness.

2) One time (2005?) we ended up in San Daniele del Friuli, Italy, where my husband’s father was born. We were visiting his cousin on what happened to be the weekend of the San Daniele Prosciutto Festival (Aria di Festa). After a long evening of prosciutto- and wine-tasting, we somehow misplaced our camera. This was pre-smartphones when cameras used a memory card -- in this case more than 300 photos were in our precious camera. Off we went through the crowds, uphill and downhill, searching through all the various booths we had visited, to no avail. Our camera was gone. We consoled ourselves with the thought that for hundreds of years people traveled and had wonderful times without a camera, and we should just mourn our loss and put it behind us. We flew home the following day. Two months later, my husband’s cousin contacted us. The camera had been found! There was apparently enough battery life left in it for the Good Samaritan to view our photos. Most helpful to him were the ones taken from the cousin’s rooftop terrace of the views of the town. He was able to determine that her building was the only spot from which they could have been taken! Apparently, the night we lost the camera -- in one of the booths we had visited -- he waited and waited for us, but we never returned. So he held onto it and when he was back in town he knocked on the door of our cousin’s house and returned it! A true miracle!

I arrived in Malaga on Saturday and was collected by my pre-booked taxi. I haven't taken cash with me for a few years now due to the prevalence of contactless payment however on arrival at the hotel the driver's payment machine couldn't make a connection so I went into the lobby to see if there was an ATM. I asked the concierge and she said there was one on the resort but it was a short drive away. She asked if it was for the taxi and how much (€49) before reaching into her purse and handing me a €50 note telling me I could pay her back later. As it was the ATM on site was broken so I had a very hilly 30 minute hike to the nearest one to get some cash out.

Great topic S J!

Mikliz97 I am so sorry for your loss. Thanks for sharing your touching story.

This may appear to be a small kindness but I've never forgotten it. I had just arrived in Paris several years ago and was on the metro. I was jet lagged, overwhelmed and emotional. I couldn't stop the tears. A very kind woman offered me a tissue without saying a word. Her simple gesture really touched me and cheered me up. I always try to keep a pack of tissues in my purse now so I can offer the same.

Michelle—thank you😊 I now keep a handkerchief in my purse as well.

Just last night we were in Delft and trying to decide where to go for dinner. One place looked great and they had just opened, but for small bites in the bar. The owner insisted we stay and he took us to the dining room and had the kitchen staff open 90 minutes early just for us! We kept saying the small bites were ok, but he was so kind. It was an excellent meal all around!

We had missed our Flex Bus from Nimes back to Aix. Every one in the train station tried to help us. There was a language barrier. We figured out that there was an issue with the track, so we had to take a train first, then it was going to be a bus. The tickets were not clear on this. An Ex-pat British woman said "Just follow me." She pointed out the right train, and in Marseilles, she said, just follow everyone else to the bus, when you get out at the END OF LINE, there will be signs ... that will take you to the bus to Aix. It was odd cause it was like 3 blocks of walking. Which a bus was waiting, with a few others, with one that said Aix, and it did get there near midnight. We were both so happy and grateful for the assistance.

Thank you, mikliz97, for telling your story, so very sad and at the same time heartwarming, and I see you're still traveling!
A few years ago I got turned around in Kamakura biking to a shrine off the beaten track famous for it's bamboo, with a girlfriend. I stopped a housewife (based upon her outfit, cute little bike & basket filled with groceries) who gestured to us to follow her, she would show us. First she needed to drop off her groceries. Then she invited us to see her amazing garden in a ravine, into the kitchen to look at scrapbooks of when she ran a grocery store in Maryland (!), at which point she said she'd just TAKE us to the shrine. (Most of the conversation was in Japanese, as I lived in Tokyo 7 years, but we also gestured quite a bit.) We all rode our bikes about 2K up into the hills, where she insisted upon coming into the shrine with us, we parked around back in the 'employee' bike parking area, went inside & visited her family's grave plot, and she accompanied us for tea & a stroll through the garden! I kept saying to my friend quietly, 'This kind of thing never happens in Japan'. I did notice one of the gardeners start to tell us we weren't allowed in that area, but when he saw the woman guiding us, he bowed quite low, so clearly she was on the Who's Who list for that temple. When we returned to the US, we both sent her Christmas cards & got one in return!

I wasn't expecting to be posting here-

But today I was standing on Keswick Bus Station awaiting a bus (which had broken down, and eventually ran 83 minutes late). Two people were wandering round just wondering what bus to take for an afternoon out- anywhere at all from Keswick.

As you do, and is just normal around here (or has been since Stagecoach stopped employing the seasonal customer assistants from Ireland at Keswick and Windermere) I just offered them a few thoughts.

And thought nothing more of it. They went to Booths for a coffee while awaiting their bus, and I just sat there waiting for the relief bus to arrive. Half an hour later they came back for their bus with a huge box of shortbread to say thank you.

I was just stunned, for two minutes of basic human interaction. On a day when I was feeling emotionally fragile, and having more than my fair share of bus problems it just meant more than they could ever know.

I arrived at the Lisbon airport alone and took the bus to a bus stop per RS instructions to get to meeting hotel. I got off the bus too soon and started walking further with no clue where to go. I finally asked a man on the street for directions who happily pointed out a statue where I was to turn left a few blocks up. I walked up the street and turned where I thought I should go and couldn't find this Hotel Lisbon. After the long flight and all the walking I started withering. I saw a couple of gentleman going their separate ways from lunch and approached one of them asking if they knew where this hotel was. He said "Get in." Love the people of Portugal!

Just returned from Vietnam. While in Hoi An, my husband left his phone in the Grab car when we went to the town center to get fitted for new suits. There was a major crisis moment when we realized all the info that was on his phone, and that my phone is a rather old model I Phone that doesn't work that well. We wondered if we would be able to get it back or if it was gone for good. We tried to contact Grab, but couldn't get the site to pull up on my phone. The staff of the tailor shop tried valiantly to get into Grab, but they couldn't access it either. The manager did come up with the idea of using the security cameras at our resort, though, to identify the car we took. We paid for a taxi back to the resort, then commenced working with the front desk staff there. They were able to pull up the video of us getting into the car, and the plate number. They were able to connect with Grab, and Grab then contacted the driver, who by now was in Da Nang. He brought the phone to our hotel later that evening. He would not accept any payment for his trouble, but did want a photo of him returning the phone to my husband! So awesome! (The hotel staff did encourage him to take some compensation from us).

I've enjoyed reading every one of these stories, providing in part hope, comfort, and encouragement. Thanks to everyone for their time.

Several years ago on my first trip to New Zealand, I hiked the Routeburn Track, a 3 day walk. It was harder than I thought it would be. Towards the end of the second day as the sun was setting I found the lake had risen enough to cover the trail; a small "detour" sign pointed into the forest. I had already experienced a couple of these and knew it was probably going to be rough going, and I was really really tired at this point.

Well, a young man was standing there. He had passed me earlier, and after he had gotten to the lodge he was worried I would need help so he had walked back to intercept me. Normally I would have viewed this with suspicion, but instead I thanked him, he shouldered my pack, and I followed him thru a track less patch of woods til we got round the lake and to the lodge. I thanked him again, and he just smiled and wandered off to join his friends. Bless his heart :-) I try and help folks when they look lost or the like, but that was above and beyond!

Last week while visiting the Sanctuary of San Luca in Bologna, I wanted to feed my 2E coin into the machine of a side chapel to have the lights come on in the glorious side chapel. Alas, the machine didn't work. As I turned away, an American traveler came up to me offering me the 2E for the lights, thinking I had turned away because I didn't have the coins. A small gesture, but I was touched.

This past week in France so many----'the man who walked us 3 blocks from the Louvre to get a cab. The manager who called us a cab and then walked us to it in the rain. The nurse who found me a hotel near the hospital when dad got ill. All the people who helped us use uber.