Sometimes the kindness of a stranger can really turn someone’s day around. Small gestures like a hug in a moment of crisis, or life-saving acts of heroism can all make a huge impact. These peoples shared the random acts of kindness that inspired them to pay it forward.
1. Under The Bridge
I was in Barcelona with my dad for my tenth birthday. He had taken me there for a little vacation so we could relax, explore the city, and spend some quality time together. At one point, we decided to ride one of those red double-decker sightseeing buses where you can hop on and off wherever you want. Of course, as tourists from Norway, we wanted to sit on the top level.
My dad told me to go find us seats while he bought the tickets. The driver seemed pretty impatient and started moving the bus while people were still paying. My dad had just reached the top of the stairs and had barely been up there for a couple of seconds when a stranger—an Asian man in his forties—suddenly jumped up and shoved my dad backward, falling down with him onto the floor. I was horrified at first, and then I realized why he had done it.
The bus had just gone under a very low stone bridge, and my dad could have been seriously injured if that smiling man hadn’t reacted so quickly and pushed him down.
2. Out In The Cold
When I was younger, my parents were truly awful. One night, during a snowstorm, they forced me outside with no shoes or socks, just a T-shirt. It was bitterly cold. I wandered around behind the houses in the neighborhood because I was too embarrassed to be seen.
Then a neighbor of mine, about 17 years old, spotted me from his window while he was sitting there smoking and watching the snow. He asked what I was doing out there. I just looked at him, and without another word, he leaned out, grabbed me by the arms, and pulled me in through the window.
He wrapped me in blankets, let me warm up, and we sat there making small talk while he put on a movie. After a while, my mother came around and asked if he had seen me.
Without hesitating at all, he told her no. He waited until she was gone before helping me get back home. At the time, it was the kindest thing anyone had ever done for me. He was the first person who ever protected me from my parents. Ever since then, I’ve tried my best to support friends and acquaintances who are dealing with difficult families or unhealthy relationships.
3. When In New York
When I was 19, my best friend and I took a trip from Vancouver to New York. We were staying in Times Square, but one night we went out to a concert on Long Island and ended up taking a very late train back. That’s when things got uncomfortable. A man and a woman, both clearly under the influence of something, got on the train and sat across from my skinny, pale friend and me.
For no real reason, they started picking a fight with us, accusing us of laughing at them or something equally random. I’m not sure what their actual problem was, but it definitely felt like they were looking for trouble. The man started getting physically threatening, and then out of nowhere, a huge man with a thick New York accent stepped in.
He looked at me and said, “Move over, fatty needs a seat,” which immediately broke the tension—but he didn’t stop there.
He pulled a couple of jawbreakers out of his pocket and handed one to each of us, then started telling us stories about stealing jawbreakers from kids when he was in school. When the couple started acting up again, this guy smoothly shifted the conversation and began talking about his work as a bodyguard, telling intense stories about dealing with violent people and sending dangerous guys to the hospital.
That was enough. The man backed down, got his girlfriend off at the next stop, and left us alone. The rest of the ride back to the hotel, this great stranger talked with us about candy and the quickest way to reach the center of a jawbreaker. I’ll always be grateful to him for stepping in and getting us out of that situation. What a memorable first night in New York.
4. Bench Buddy
I didn’t have an easy childhood. My adoptive father had some very harsh ideas about parenting, and because of that, I cried a lot. One day, I was sitting on a park bench, quietly crying to myself. I was trying not to draw attention, but I couldn’t have been more than 11 or 12.
An elderly woman sat down at the other end of the bench, and we stayed there in near silence for a few minutes. I sniffled now and then, trying to stay quiet. She noticed me wiping my eyes and gently asked if I was okay. I told her I was, but she kindly insisted on taking me to a nearby coffee cart and buying me a hot chocolate—it was winter, after all.
It was exactly what I needed. It was such a simple gesture, but it meant so much to me. It was comforting just to know that someone noticed and cared. I’ve never forgotten that woman.
5. Under My Umbrella
I was in another country without a car, and it happened to be a holiday weekend, so public transportation was very limited. A friend and I had gone out to explore the city and ended up walking pretty far from our hotel. While we were out—more than an hour away—things suddenly took a turn for the worse. It started raining harder than I had ever seen before.
The weather had been beautiful when we left, but on the way back it turned freezing cold and incredibly wet. My friend had brought a coat, but I was stuck in just a T-shirt. A woman walking toward us under an umbrella stopped and insisted that I take it. I tried to refuse, but she wouldn’t hear it. She said she lived just around the corner.
I was already soaked, but having that umbrella for the long walk back made a huge difference. Ever since then, I’ve tried to pay that kindness forward by being generous whenever I can. It’s not just about repaying that one moment—I want to be the kind of person she was, and pass that kindness along.
6. Language Barrier
I was an exchange student in Japan, and one weekend my friends and I went to Kobe. Out of the three of us, I spoke the most Japanese, but even that was only intermediate at best. Unsurprisingly, we got lost. It was late, it was cold, and we had nowhere to stay because we hadn’t booked anything. As we were walking around, we passed a karaoke place.
It’s pretty normal for someone to be outside those places calling out deals and handing people flyers. By that point we were desperate, so I asked the guy if he knew where we could find somewhere to stay. He tried to explain a place nearby, but even though I understood most of what he was saying, it didn’t really help. We didn’t have a map, smartphones, or any idea what the street names were, so the directions meant nothing to us.
The guy stopped for a second, looked around, and then suddenly started running, motioning for us to follow him. He personally guided three foreigners, who clearly weren’t going to spend money at his karaoke bar, through the streets at night. He also seemed really anxious to get back to work quickly, but he still took us right to the door of a place where we could stay. We gathered up every yen we had and tried to give it to him, but he threw his hands up, looked shocked, and refused to take any money.
7. Close Call
When I was getting off the bus in high school, some guy decided he didn’t want to wait behind it, so he tried to pass on the left. I should have been hit, but right before it happened, a man who was getting into his car whistled at me. I stopped and turned around to see who it was. That small action probably saved my life.
8. Pay Day
One week in college, I was grocery shopping and my card got declined. That was a serious problem, because we were completely out of food at home and I wasn’t getting paid for another week. It was incredibly awkward standing at the front of the line with $100 worth of groceries, trying to quickly figure out with my girlfriend what we were going to do. Then I heard a voice behind me.
Another guy in line offered to pay for our groceries. I tried to tell him it was too much, but he insisted, and I already felt bad enough for holding up the line. I thanked him over and over, and he told me, word for word, “Just pay it forward if you ever get the chance.” Ever since then, I’ve been dropping a dollar or two into donation boxes, tipping an extra 5%, giving my spare change to homeless people, and looking for other ways to pay that kindness forward.
9. The Crash
I was 15 and had a moped. It was late, it was raining, and a car didn’t see me when it turned left across my lane. I got hit broadside going about 30 mph (48 km/h). The car struck me right in the left thigh, and my upper body slammed into the hood and bounced off. I flew about 20 feet (six meters) before hitting the pavement. My left thigh broke in two when the car hit me.
I was lying on the ground screaming for help when a man came over and knelt down with one knee on each side of my head so I wouldn’t move it around. He did everything he could to keep me calm and shield me from the rain until the paramedics arrived, put me in traction, and took me to the hospital. While we waited, he kept asking my name and address to make sure I was still coherent.
After I was taken away, he drove to my parents’ house and told them I’d been in an accident, but that I was mostly okay and they should head to the hospital. He wanted to make sure they got there as quickly as possible and thought it would be less upsetting than having the authorities show up at their door. I never got the chance to thank him, but I still think about him and his kindness sometimes. I hope one day I can do something like that for someone else in need.
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10. The Perks Of Being A Wallflower
In middle school, I went to my first dance. I was so nervous about asking a girl to dance that I just stood there feeling awkward. Then one of my classmates, a girl named Mary, came over and asked me to dance. It was a small thing, but it changed everything. She said she could tell I wasn’t having fun and wanted to help me enjoy myself. It completely turned the night around, and I felt so much better afterward.
Since then, I’ve always tried to make dances, parties, and get-togethers more fun for anyone who looks uncomfortable. It doesn’t have to be a girl; I’ll try to start a conversation with anyone. Once people start to relax, they usually loosen up and begin enjoying themselves. It doesn’t always work, but I always try.
11. A Shoulder To Cry On
When I lost my mother, I was falling apart. I remember standing at the funeral as people came by to offer their condolences. I can’t even recall their faces as they passed. Right before the service began, I was just sobbing. I was the only child of a single mom, so my whole world felt shattered.
After the service, one of my mom’s coworkers pulled me aside. She told me my mom had asked her to give me something she knew I would need around that time. It was the biggest hug I had ever received, and I cried on her shoulder for what felt like forever. Diane, if you’re out there, thank you. That simple act meant so much.
12. Drink Up
During my first weekend of college, my friends and I ended up at a party in an apartment. I made a bad decision and accepted a drink from a guy I had just met. A few minutes later, I was sitting on the stairs, starting to nod off. A guy I didn’t know noticed that something was wrong, gave his number to my roommate, and walked me home.
He said he recognized what was happening as a sign that someone might have put something in my drink, and he didn’t want me to become a victim because the same thing had happened to his sister.
13. On Three Wheels
This man honestly saved my life. I was very young, probably four or five, and my parents were about to take me out on my first tricycle. I was sitting just outside the gate to my house waiting for them when I had a terrible idea: “Hey Rael,” my brain said, “you should lift up your feet. Just lift them up.” So I did.
I should mention that my house was on a very steep hill leading straight down to a busy road. It also matters that the little tricycle had no brakes at all. So before long, I was flying down the hill at full speed, straight toward the road. I was too scared to think clearly. My parents were running after me, yelling, “Put your feet down!” but I was already going too fast.
I couldn’t hear them, and they couldn’t catch up. Just a few meters from the road, a man who was loading up his van looked up and saw me. Without saying a word, he stepped onto the pavement and, as I passed, calmly reached out, grabbed me, and lifted me off the tricycle, which rolled over. He set me down safely, shut his van, got in, and drove away. Neither my parents nor I ever got the chance to thank him.
14. Frohe Weihnachten!
I met a guy on the train to East Germany. We ended up staying out all night, became good friends, and I spent Christmas with him, his family, and his girlfriend. That was the last really good meal I had before we deployed to the Gulf. I still remember how warm and generous his parents were to me. He also bought me a New Kids on the Block Christmas album.
It was an impressively terrible gift, but the thought behind it meant a lot. Ever since then, I’ve made a point of inviting friends over for holidays and going a little overboard with gifts. Thanks, Thorsten.
15. The Mechanic
When I was about 18, my brother and some friends got a flat tire in the middle of a heavy rainstorm. None of us had ever changed a tire, so we just stood there staring at it and awkwardly messing with the tire tools while standing in water nearly up to our knees.
Out of nowhere, a businessman in a suit pulled over, got out of his SUV, and changed the tire in what felt like 30 seconds. We thanked him, and he hurried back through the rain, completely soaked, to his vehicle.
16. Gas Station Goodies
I’m in the service, so I spend a lot of time driving a boat around San Diego Bay. One day, I was docked and buying a pack of cigarettes at a gas station on the water when a retired man came up to me and offered to pay for them. Then he said, “You look a little hungry. Go pick out a snack.” So I did. After that he asked, “Don’t you need something sweet with that?” I said, “No sir, I’m fine.” But he insisted and bought me a large iced tea too, then thanked me for my service. It meant a lot to me, and I’ll never forget it.
Flickr, New York National Guard
17. Paper Or Plastic
Back when Ireland had just introduced the plastic bag tax, I went into Dublin to do some Christmas shopping. I brought along one of those thin plastic bags I still had at home. I ended up buying a little too much, and while I was waiting for the bus, the bag ripped and spilled everything everywhere. A middle-aged woman helped me pick up my things, reached into her purse, and gave me one of those sturdy reusable bags. It was a small act of kindness, but it really made my Christmas.
18. Stay Hydrated
I was at an amusement park, standing in line with my friends and my friend’s grandmother for a water ride. It was extremely hot that day, and we had mostly been going on water rides to stay cool. As soon as we got in line, I got a headache. That wasn’t unusual for me, since I got headaches all the time. My friend’s parents were near the entrance, not too far away.
We were about halfway through the line when my headache turned intense and I started to feel like I might throw up. I told my friends I was going back. One of them asked why, and I said I wasn’t feeling well. Later I found out she didn’t hear me. That’s when things got scary. As I walked back, dark spots started filling my vision. I had to hold onto the rail to keep my balance and find my way to the front.
As soon as I reached the entrance, I couldn’t stay on my feet anymore and collapsed. My vision went completely black for a few seconds. About ten people walked past before one man finally came over and helped me up. I don’t remember getting to my feet. I just remember him putting my arm over his shoulder and guiding me back to my family.
A lot of thoughts were running through my head: “Can I trust this guy? Is he taking me somewhere? I can barely stand, I can’t protect myself.” But he was genuinely kind. He brought me back to my friend’s mom and stayed with me until the medical staff arrived. I never got to thank him because I could barely manage the simple yes-or-no questions the doctors were asking. I was apparently really dehydrated, but the whole experience made me realize how few people stop to help someone who clearly needs it.
19. Hitting The Slopes
When I was about 10 years old, I used to go skiing on weekends with the Mobil ski club. It was a group of kids, anywhere from around eight to sixteen, who would pile onto a bus early on Saturday, ski all day, and come back that night. They also organized overnight trips. I still remember the first, and only, one of those trips I ever went on. I was completely terrified.
It always seemed like everyone else already knew each other. On the day trips, that didn’t bother me too much, but for a whole weekend, the idea of being lonely felt so much bigger. I got on the bus and sat there trying as hard as I could not to start crying from fear and anxiety. Then an older kid, a snowboarder, which was still less common than skiing back then, sat down next to me, which didn’t exactly help with my feelings of insecurity.
But he looked at me, clearly noticing how I felt, and simply said, “You nervous? Don’t worry, man. It’ll be okay.” I can’t explain how comforting those words were. In a way, he represented exactly what I was afraid of: older kids, cooler kids, probably mean kids. Of course, I still panicked that night and called my parents.
They ended up putting together a last-minute family ski trip, came up for the weekend, and rescued me from... well, nothing really. I never got to thank that guy, and I’m sure he had no idea how much his words meant, but 23 years later I still remember how grateful I felt. Honestly, I’d still love to give that guy a hug.
20. Biking In Japan
I was visiting my sister in Japan, and one day while she was at work, I decided to take her bike and explore the small city where she lived. I was riding along when suddenly the back tire blew out. By then I was pretty far from her house, and I had no idea how to get back. So I started walking the bike when, out of nowhere, a Japanese man pulled up in a pickup truck.
He got out, loaded the bike into the back of the truck, and told me to get in the passenger seat. In broken English, he explained that he was going to help me. He drove me to a bike shop, took the bike out of the truck, and brought it inside. Then he fixed the tire himself. It turned out he was the owner of the bike shop. I paid for the repair, looked around, and realized the shop was only a block away from my sister’s apartment.
21. Striking A Chord
Six years ago, I joined a music appreciation group—basically a bunch of amateurs playing piano for each other. At one point, they hosted an event and invited a very talented professional musician to perform. During that event, he heard me play. After I finished, he came over and invited me to a festival where he was performing the next month, and asked me to share a set with him. It was incredibly kind, but I had no idea how much it would change my life.
At the festival, he gave me a wonderful introduction, played a duet with me, and let me perform a couple of songs during one of his sets. That was the beginning of my performing career. After that festival, I started getting invited to play at other festivals. Eventually, I began booking solo concerts. Now I have a pretty full performance schedule—all because of one act of kindness.
I try to pay that kindness forward by treating other musicians well and encouraging beginners. And since I’m also an attorney, I’ve occasionally helped some musicians by doing pro bono legal work for them.
22. Car Troubles
I was 17 years old and alone in downtown Atlanta at night when I ran out of gas. My fuel pump sensor was broken, so the low-fuel light on my dashboard never came on. I pulled into a rough-looking gas station—the kind where the attendant is behind thick plexiglass and there are security cameras everywhere—and tried to open my gas tank using the lever on the floor of my car.
It turned out the cable connecting the lever to the gas door had come loose, so I couldn’t open it. And my cellphone was dead. It clearly wasn’t my day—and things were about to get even worse. I went inside the station and asked the attendant if I could borrow a phone. He said no; for safety reasons, I couldn’t come behind the counter. I understood, since it was a dangerous part of town.
I had been pleading with him to let me use a phone when a group of intimidating-looking men walked in, and he turned his attention to them. I quickly went back outside. Thankfully, I keep a small roadside emergency kit and tool set in my car for situations like this (thanks, Dad), so I grabbed a flathead screwdriver and tried to pry the gas door open. By then, I was visibly shaken.
Then I heard the gas station door open and turned to see one of the large, intimidating men walking toward me. I froze. He took off his hat and said, “Ma’am, are you having car trouble? Do you need to call someone?” Then he pulled a phone from his pocket and handed it to me. He gently took the tool from my hand and asked if I wanted him to try opening it.
I was so stunned I just nodded. While I was dialing, he asked, “What’s a girl like you doing out here by yourself? This is a bad area—you need to be more careful.” I explained that I had been at work and was taking this route to get to the interstate. My dad answered, and I told him what had happened, but when he started asking where I was, I realized I wasn’t completely sure.
The man asked if he could speak to my dad, so I handed him the phone. He said, “Sir, I’ve got your daughter here at (gas station name) on (road name) off exit ___. She’s fine, but I wanted to check whether you’re okay with me removing the gas door so she can fill up the tank. Alright then, I’ll stay here with her until you arrive.” Home was about 45 minutes away, but he stayed with me the entire time. When my dad got there and thanked him, the man just raised his hands and said, “It was no trouble. I’d just hope that if my daughter were ever in a situation like this, someone would be kind enough to look out for her.” Then he left.
23. Ticket Please
I was going to see Avengers with some friends, but I couldn’t get there early enough to buy a ticket. It turned out my friends hadn’t bought one for me and hadn’t even saved me a seat. So there I was, on the phone with them, completely stressed because I had just driven 30 minutes to the theater and thought I might have to watch the movie alone later.
While I was talking on the phone, a man I had never met walked up and offered me an extra ticket. I kept trying to pay him for it, but he refused. It completely changed my night, and it was such a generous thing for him to do.
24. Thank You For Your Service
During my second combat tour, I was able to take mid-tour leave. We landed at the Dallas airport, and after dealing with all the customs procedures, we walked out to a huge crowd of people clapping and cheering for us. One little girl, probably seven or eight years old, handed me a box of Girl Scout cookies, so I said, “Sure, how much?” She replied, “Nothing, sir. Thank you for your service.” Even now, writing this brings tears to my eyes. I’ll never forget that little girl.
25. Cash Strapped
I was returning from a year of volunteering in India and had a long layover in Zurich. I wanted to see a little of the city, but I had very little cash and my bank account was nearly empty. On the flight, I started talking with two young women from the area.
They were both getting a ride into town from one of their dads, who insisted on buying me breakfast, showing me where I could rent a bike for free, and pressing 20 Swiss francs into my hand for the deposit and lunch. He told me that he had been in a very similar situation in his early twenties, and someone had done the same for him. Since then, I’ve tried to keep an eye out for travelers who might need a little help.
26. Quite The Performance
I was at Disney World on the BoardWalk with my parents when I wandered off to watch a street performer. Things went wrong the moment a little girl got picked to throw a bowling pin. Her throw was way off, and suddenly it was flying straight at my 13-year-old face. I turned away and braced for the hit, but it never came.
I heard the crowd gasp and then cheer, and it turned out the kid standing next to me, who had seemed totally uninterested while texting, had caught the pin just inches from my face. I was too stunned to thank him, my parents quickly pulled me away, and I never saw him again that night. I really wish I knew who he was so I could thank him.
27. Cash In Hand
Once, a German girl gave me $50 after my bag was stolen in Athens, Greece. I was so broke I couldn’t even get to my embassy to replace my papers or access any emergency cash. She had just come back from Nepal, where someone had once helped her the same way.
Without my cards or passport, I had no way to get money from my own bank account, so her help made a huge difference and let me start sorting everything out. I’ll always be grateful to that traveler, and I’m always ready to pass on the kindness to the next person who needs it.
28. Soup And Sandwich
When I was 22, I was struggling with substance misuse. My neighbor was an elderly Polish woman who used to bang on the wall when I played my music too loudly. But when things got really bad, she must have realized I was in pain and not eating, because she started ringing my bell with sandwiches she’d made, or bags of bagels and containers of soup.
She would sit with me while we ate together. I never understood much of what she said because her English was very limited. But she gave me hope in humanity at a time when I desperately needed it. I’ll always remember her. I also just celebrated seven years clean and sober, and I still think about her often.
29. Rolling Hills
When I was very young, around six, I was roughhousing with my little brother in the front seat of my dad’s truck while he was inside a store returning a movie. The truck had a manual transmission and was parked at the top of a very steep hill. One of us must have kicked the emergency brake, because it released and the truck started rolling forward.
I could see we were heading down the hill and about to crash, but I was too scared and too young to know what to do. Then, out of nowhere, a man ran up to the truck, opened the door, and pulled the emergency brake, stopping it before it rolled any farther. He didn’t say a word. I can’t even remember whether I thanked him.
30. The Karma Loop
A few friends and I were taking a cab all the way across London. The driver heard our conversation and correctly guessed that we had all served in the military (US/UK/Aus). I had no idea what he did next.
When we got to our destination, he waved off the fare, which was a pretty large amount, and refused to take any money even though we insisted. I know that kind of thing happens fairly often in the US, but I hadn’t really seen it anywhere else. To return the kindness in some small way, I wrote down his cab number and sent a thank-you letter to the cab company.
31. Caught In The Rain
My friends and I got up early one day and hiked all the way to the top of this “mountain,” where we had a great lunch and took in the view. Then, just like it often does in Austria, the rain started suddenly with no warning. We decided to head back down by walking along the road instead of taking the trail we’d used on the way up.
After about ten minutes on the slick downhill road, with cars constantly passing and all of us watching our footing so no one slipped, an older man pulled over beside us. At first, we weren’t sure about getting into a stranger’s car, but since there were four of us and one of us had military experience, we figured we’d probably be okay.
The man offered us a ride back to the city, all the way to our favorite pub. We talked the whole way, and he told us about his life as an immigrant and refugee, and about how much he appreciated the kindness of Austrians, even though none of us were Austrian. He was just a genuinely kind person, and the whole experience left us feeling better about people.
32. Movie Theater Mayhem
I was 14, and two friends and I had gone to the movie theater in my neighborhood to see Ghost Rider (not my best choice, I know). We went to the 10:00 p.m. showing, so the movie ended around midnight. After it was over, my friends went to the bathroom, as often happens at the end of a movie, and I decided to wait in the side lobby.
That was probably my second mistake. I was the only person in the hallway, which made me an easy target for a very large man in his 40s who looked homeless or unwell. He was built like a truck.
Normally, I’m very outgoing and have no trouble talking to strangers. But the moment I saw him coming toward me, I felt a wave of fear. Everything in my head was telling me to leave immediately.
Instead, my naive 14-year-old self stayed put, thinking, “Nothing bad is going to happen to me. That kind of thing only happens on the news. Don’t judge someone by how they look. He’s probably harmless.” He came up and asked whether I had any cigarettes. I said no and told him I didn’t smoke. Then, without warning, he reached out and grabbed my hand.
He kept shaking my hand and saying how badly he wanted a cigarette, tightening his grip every time I tried to pull away. He kept moving closer until he had me backed into a corner, all while fiddling with something in his pocket. I never found out what it was because he never took that hand out.
He kept saying he wasn’t even there to see a movie and just wanted cigarettes. He kept insisting that we should go get some and tried to guide me toward the side exit.
I was so scared I thought I might completely panic. I looked around for help and saw my two friends standing outside the bathroom, not doing anything while this man pressed himself against me in a public place.
They were the only other people there, and they just stood there. Later they said they were confused and didn’t understand what was happening. Then a movie let out right near where I was trapped. I thought I was saved, but I was wrong. Every single person walked by without even really looking. At that point I thought, I’m going to be taken.
The man never took his eyes off me, and every time I looked around for help, he pressed closer. I was too frightened to yell. Then a group of three boys, probably around 15 or 16, came out of the theater. At first they didn’t notice me, but as they were leaving the lobby, one of them turned back and looked at me strangely.
He silently asked, “Do you need help?” and I nodded as subtly as I could. He immediately ran over, put his arm around my shoulders, and said something like, “Thanks for waiting, babe. Ready to go? That was a great movie. I’m glad we came. Who’s this guy?” The man instantly let go of my hand, kept his other hand in his pocket, backed away, mumbled that he just wanted a cigarette, and then ran out through the emergency exit at the back of the lobby.
The boy walked me outside, and I was in such shock that I think I just hugged him and ran to my mom, who had been waiting in the parking lot. I had been so convinced no one was going to help me, not even my friends, and I was too panicked to do the things I should have done, like yell for help.
Since then, I’ve tried to stay aware of what’s going on around me in case someone else needs help but can’t ask for it. I haven’t had to rescue anyone in a big way yet, but maybe someday I will. So far, my version of paying it forward has mostly been helping girls out of uncomfortable situations at bars, nothing dramatic, but maybe one day I’ll be able to really help someone when it matters.
33. Need A Boost
When I lived in Miami, a friend and I were driving to a local goth and industrial club when her car broke down. This was back when not everyone had a phone, and neither of us had one. What we really needed was someone with jumper cables, but no one stopped. Car after car passed us by. A couple of guys slowed down only to shout comments at us.
Finally, a woman pulled over. She brought us water and helped us out. Out of everyone who passed by, this older woman was the only person who stopped. Ever since then, I’ve made a point of helping whenever I see someone who looks like they need it.
34. Departure
I was at the airport waiting for my flight after my boyfriend at the time had just dropped me off. We were in a long-distance relationship, so I was really upset about having to go home. I was sitting at my gate, trying not to cry too obviously, when I felt an arm around me.
A family had been walking past, and the father noticed how sad I looked, so he sat down beside me and gave me a hug. He asked what was wrong, and we ended up talking until it was time for me to board. His family came and sat with me too, and they were all so kind that I felt much better. Their little boy even gave me a candy bar.
35. Broken Bones
Earlier this year, I slipped on a patch of black ice while out for a run and broke my leg. I was lying on the sidewalk screaming when a young woman pulled up in her car and jumped out. She wanted to call emergency services, but I told her not to because it would cost too much. Instead, she insisted on driving me home. It turned out she was on her way to a nanny job, and on the drive she had to call and explain that she’d be late. So I made her late, and probably inconvenienced her employers too. I never got her name or license plate, so I have no way to thank her.
36. Crushed
When I was about seven or so, I was being a typical careless kid and messing around in a collapsible stroller. I was rolling down the street in it when it suddenly folded up on me, and I ended up trapped under my own weight. I genuinely couldn’t breathe and thought I might not make it. Then, out of nowhere, some guy casually walked over, lifted me out, and left without saying a word.
37. Lost And Found
I was really drunk at a college football game, and when we left at halftime to head to a house party, I somehow dropped my phone in the street without realizing it. About an hour later, when I noticed it was gone, I called it from my friend’s phone. I still can’t believe how lucky I was. Not only did someone pick it up, but they actually came all the way to the football game, even though they weren’t going, met me at the gate, and gave it back.
38. Don’t Cross
One day I was waiting to cross the street on my way to class, headphones in and not paying attention. When the light changed, I started walking. What I didn’t realize was that an ambulance was racing down the hill toward the intersection. I probably should have noticed that no one else was crossing. A girl grabbed me and pulled me back onto the sidewalk. I think I just stood there staring at her while she crossed the street. For the rest of my time at school, every time I passed that spot I thought, “This is where the girl in the red sweatshirt saved my life.”
39. New Friends
When I was a young teenager, I went to a water park called Noah’s Ark with a bunch of friends and one of their dads. It was a very different time, so we were basically told to run around, have fun, and meet back here at a certain time. At some point I got separated from my friend while we were running around, so I started wandering and looking for everyone. A small group of college girls noticed I looked confused and came over to talk to me.
Long story short, they ended up taking me around with them for hours, having fun, buying me snacks, and just generally looking out for me. A few hours later, we ran into my friend’s dad. The look on his face made the whole thing worth it. I was standing there with a whole group of beautiful women, and he was completely stunned and didn’t know what to say. They all laughed, said they’d had fun, and left. I just wish I’d been clever enough to ask for their numbers.
40. Parched
I was out hiking with my dad on Mt. Hood during the summer, and we had chosen a pretty difficult trail. Even though we brought two large water bottles, we had finished them before reaching the end. I mentioned to my dad that I was really thirsty, and a woman nearby overheard me and offered me some of her water since she had about three bottles strapped to her belt. I drank it quickly and later realized I was probably headed toward heat exhaustion and dehydration. Thanks, random hiker lady, for the water. I hope I can pay it forward someday.
41. Way Down In Kokomo
One morning, I was behind a white car at Burger King and noticed the dealership sticker said Kokomo, Indiana. For whatever reason, I started singing the Kokomo song to myself while getting ready to order. This was in Florida, which made it even funnier. When I got to the window, I found out the person in that car had already paid for my meal. It was easily the best Burger King meal I’ve ever had.
42. First Aid
One time, I split my thumb open at a bar after falling on my own beer. At first, I didn’t think it was a big deal, but I was very wrong. Some random guy wrapped my hand in a towel and put a ton of pressure on it to help stop the bleeding, which was worse because of the alcohol in my system. The only thing I really remember about him is his thick, sandy mustache, but I still think about him sometimes.
43. Tube Man
When my mother and I moved to the UK in 1998, I was eight years old. I remember riding the Tube sometime around Christmas when a cheerful group of young guys sitting across from us started talking to us. I don’t remember what we talked about, but when it was time for them to get off, one of them took out his wallet, handed me a £10 note, and said, “Welcome to the country.”
I remember holding onto that £10 for quite a while, though I probably ended up spending it on something silly like ice cream. Wherever you are, cheerful Tube man, I’ve never forgotten you.
44. Tea Time
When I was in the military, we took part in an overseas exercise in Taiwan. There was a four-day field exercise, and by the third day we were physically worn out and mentally drained from lack of sleep. At one point, we passed a Chinese temple in the middle of the forest and decided to stop there for a break. An elderly man from the temple came out and made tea for us. No jasmine tea I’ve had since has ever tasted sweeter.
45. Locked Out
I think I was in seventh or eighth grade, and I was having a hard time getting my locker open. Somehow, the door had jammed shut. It was lunchtime, and no one else was in the locker area except this pretty, popular Asian girl who was a year ahead of me. She walked over, pulled the locker open for me without any trouble, and then gave me a friendly laugh after I thanked her.
46. Bardian Angel
When I was in college, I was out at a bar with some friends and having a little too much fun. I’d had a bit too much to drink when this creepy guy started buying drinks for the whole group. We were all too tipsy to think about saying no, and free alcohol goes a long way with broke college students. He squeezed into our booth and at some point put his arm around me.
Later, I got up to use the bathroom—but I didn’t realize he was following me. As I walked into the restroom, another woman was coming out and must have noticed him go in after me. About a minute later, she came back with the bouncer and caught him trying to force open the stall door. He got thrown out, and that random woman completely saved me.
Ever since then, I’ve made it a point to watch out for girls at bars who seem too out of it. I’ve pulled plenty of them aside to ask if they were okay, whether they were alone or with friends, and whether they actually knew the guys they were talking to. I’ve even put some in cabs if they felt sick or uncomfortable. It’s cost me money sometimes, but I’d never want someone to be stuck in that situation without help. My fiancé calls me the “bardian angel.”
47. Purse Snatcher
I’d finally gotten a date with a girl I’d been trying to take out for a while. I liked her, but I could already tell I was going to have to work hard to impress her. Then, out of nowhere, a man ran past us, grabbed her purse, and took off before I could react. But another guy spun around, knocked him down, and brought the purse right back to my date.
She couldn’t stop thanking him. He wasn’t bad-looking either, and in that moment I was sure it was over. Even if she didn’t ditch me for him on the spot, I figured she’d be thinking about him all night. Then things got weird. I must have looked crushed or something, because the guy suddenly started acting like a total jerk—telling her to back off, saying he only did it to prove he was a man, and going on with some other ridiculous comments.
I had no idea what was going on until my date came back and said we should leave. Later she told me she was really glad that guy wasn’t her date. But there was something she didn’t know. As we were walking away, I glanced back at him, and he gave me a look and a knowing smile. That’s when I realized the whole thing had been an act.
48. Ski Hill Save
When I was about four years old, my family went skiing. My oldest sister and I rode up together on a two-person lift. At some point I started slouching in the seat and sliding forward under the safety bar. It was a terrible mistake. Before I really understood what was happening, I was slipping out from under the bar. My sister grabbed my wrist just before I fell, and I ended up dangling from her hand.
By then, we were at the middle—and highest—part of the lift, about 15 meters (45 feet) above the ground. My sister wasn’t strong enough to pull me back up, so all we could do was wait while I slowly slipped closer to falling. By then the lift had been stopped. A man skied underneath me and told me to kick off my skis. I was confused and didn’t want to at first, but eventually I did.
Then he told me to let go. It was a huge drop for a four-year-old, but I let go and he caught me. Just like that—no fuss at all. I don’t really remember what happened after that. I assume someone in my family thanked him, but if he ever reads this: I was the little kid at Cascades Ski Hill in Ottawa, Canada, around 1996. Thanks for saving me from spending the holidays with broken bones.
49. In A Ditch
When I was about five, my mom drank heavily, and it all led up to one terrifying night. She had all three of her kids in the car, driving around in the pouring rain around midnight and swerving all over the road. Sure enough, she ended up driving into a ditch. We were all okay, but my mom was yelling and swearing, she had no idea where we were, the car was wrecked, and my brothers and I were crying.
We sat there while she tried to call someone, but no one answered. She was probably too shaken up—or too intoxicated—to work the phone properly. I’d already started to think we were going to have to walk somewhere, even though there were no houses in sight. We sat there scared and confused for about 20 minutes before we saw headlights way down the road. A small old red car pulled over when the driver saw the wreck, and she ended up taking us home.
It was a very old woman. I remember she had a ceiling fan in the back seat, so we were all squeezed in together, but I don’t think any of us cared. She was the kindest old woman I had ever met. She drove us 30 minutes back to our house, and I still don’t know how my mom managed to tell her where we lived. It was easily the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me. It was also the last time my mom ever drank, and that was 12 years ago. We never were able to figure out exactly where the car had ended up to go back for it later.
50. The Final Gift
When I was 19, I had a pretty bad motorcycle accident in India while I was there studying Tibetan. I messed up my leg badly, needed stitches, and had some bone bruising. After a few days, I decided to try walking to the dorm bathrooms. They were only about 40 feet from my room, but I could barely make it that far.
As I hobbled along, clearly in pain, the elderly Tibetan caretaker—probably around 85 years old—looked at me twice, stopped me, handed me his cane, and said in Tibetan, “You need it more than I do, young man.” I promised I’d return it when I no longer needed it.
Two weeks later, I had healed enough to walk without the cane and went looking for him—but what I found was heartbreaking. His daughter was at his home packing up his belongings because he had passed away. Just a few days after helping me.
