Great stories thanks for posting guys. Love to see compassion at work in people. My wife does that all the time. God must make sure people who can't afford their groceries always end up in front of her at the supermarket. Mikey
Hey Ryan I will be at Morton's Steakhouse on Thursday at about 7PM. I will be glad to sit in front of you and allow you to pay.....:laugh: Scott
It' possible I told it before. It doesn't "bother" me per se, but it sure was a life lesson that I won't forget.
The story I mentioned previously where I went to the house to the jumper cables and came back, what I neglected to mention about that story was I initially was one of the people that shrugged him off. I grew up and lived in a pretty rough neighborhood. I had seen the guy talking to people and didn't intially know what he needed. He approached me while I was fueling up the truck and asked if I could help him cause his car wouldn't start. He thought it needed to be jumped but wasn't sure. I told him I didn't have any cables and couldn't help him. I really didn't have the cables with me, but I was also very skeptical at the same time. I watched him walk slowly head kind of downed back to his car asking one or two people on the way back over with no luck. After seeing that it appeared his problem was legitimate, I drove over to him once I finished fueling the truck. I got out and helped him diagnose the problem and then told him I would be back with some jumper cables. As far as giving people on the side of the road money or giving beggars money, I just don't do it. Not that I don't want to, but took many fakers and crooks have ruined it for the people who are really hurting for money. It's really bad in Houston. People on what seems like every busy intersection asking for money doing rush hour. I personally know people who have tried to help some of these people and basically get it thrown back in their face. Had an old boss who's little child wanted to buy the person on the corner something to eat. So he stopped at McDonalds, bought a meal and they went back to give it to the person. That person looked up at them and said "What the hell is that? I don't want that crap." Another bad experience. Friend of mine headed into a Subway to get lunch. There was a guy asking for money outside the store. While my friend was standing inside in line the begger came in and started asking the people in line for spare change. One gentleman told the man, "I'll tell you what. I'll buy your lunch if you'll come to my house and mow my grass. And then I'll pay you for mowing my yard." The begger told him, "No thanks, I don't work and don't need a job". Last one I will mention. Years ago my dad would see this same guy standing on the same corner every evening on his way home from work. Always saw people giving him money and such. Well one evening he was coming from the opposite direction, so was on the opposite side of the overpass at that corner. That "begger" walked underneath the freeway from where he usually did his begging. He walked into the parking lot of the corner store and got in the driver seat of a brand new Chevrolet pickup. This is why I can't bring myself to give beggers money.
There was a story in FLYING magazine about 35 years ago about the old Reading (PA) airshow. It was slow, and a seedy-looking young guy walked in to the Piper tent. He started asking questions about the Navajo - at the time the top of the line at Piper. The salesman had nothing better to do, so he started talking to the kid. Bottom line: The kid had gone to the airshow to represent his father, none of the other manufacturers reps. would talk to him. He turned out to be the son of the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. The discussion resulted in the sale of two Navajos. True story.
The big 500M ticket in Fla a couple of months ago was won by a lady who was let ahead in the line out of courtesy.
Keith, I have done that quite a few times in many different states since 2003. It is especially fulfilling when you see a military person on leave with their family. Times are tight for them money wise and more so with the stress of deployment.
That's funny, ALDI's is the only place I've seen this done. Albrecht's Discount! Wish I were related!:laugh:
I am an original Bostonian and usually figure that 9 out of 10 people asking for money are full of it and walk by without much notice. 7 or 8 years ago I was on a long term job in Elizabeth NJ where just about every corner has someone with a sign, sqeegee, bottled water etc looking for $ which I ignored. On the way to the office I went to the same Dunkin Donut's every morning for a coffee and there were two people, male and female, appeared a bit mentally challenged sitting outside on a milk crate with a cup looking for money. I probably walked by them 25 times as my medium dark 2 sugars was my priority. One day I roll in in a new Ford 500 rental car with few hundred miles on it, as I am pulling in I did not notice that the plastic bumper went over the reebar sticking up out of the the cement stop. I get my java, start backing out of the spot (queue horrific sound) and I rip the entire plastic facia off the front of the car. As I get out the entire bumper assembly is hanging on the ground and everybody walking out of dunks kind of covers thier mouths and chuckles but keeps on walking. Who do you think is over to me in two seconds to help reattach the bumper? Yep the two I passed every day without notice. They went out of thier way to crawl under the car and rig it up so I could drive it as I was in a suit and they insisted I not get dirty. I got it reattched and had my shop fix it later, but I learned a real lesson in humility that day. Every day after that they had a $5 in thier hand when I walked in and I try to not be so skeptical, (but it is hard).
TTT Haven't had ( or made) the opportunity yet to go above and beyond with some good, but still looking for that time. Must be more good stories out there...Anyone?
years ago,had a lady at the drive thru buy me a coffee at starbuck's,and had the lady at the window give me her business card she worked at a church.i called her, and she said she wanted me to come join her church i had other ideas for her,but she didnt care for that language:Brow:
I usually don't share the ways I help others in need - for me it seems to take something away from the gesture, but, in the context of this thread and perhaps help others to have a broader look towards their fellow man, I'll share the two most recent. one now, another later when I have the time ... I have a very expensive bicycle in my office as I type this that isn't mine and I don't know who's it is. Two weeks ago I'm walking to work (I work in Manhatten) and right in front of me a cabby cuts around a bicycle rider and hangs a right - the bike rider hits the brakes hard but still slams into the side of the cab and he falls - HARD. I watched as his head hit the pavement and bounced due to the hemet he was wearing. The kid gets up dazed and confused and in pain .. I sit him on the front bumper of the cab that struck him and tell him to sit still and not move. For those that know the city, we're now blocking 44th street off of 3rd avenue during morning rush hour. I tell someone to call 911 and the cabby says "No ! .. I will call 911 only if he wants me to" and walks toward the kid and goes to put his hand on him ... I smack it away, tell the other guy to call 911/ get an ambulence, tell someone else to pick up his bike and put it against the cab, and tell the cabby to go sit in his car. He says "Who are you to tell me what to do ?" and I say "Im the guy whose going to stand in court and testify what you just did to this poor kid .. get away from him and me NOW!!" To make a long story short, I stayed with him (assuring him everything would be alright and I'd look after his bike) until they loaded him in the ambulence, getting his valuables from his bike pack as he asked and put my business card in his wallet and another in his back pocket - and made sure the responding officer had written my contact info on the report also giving him my card as well. Yesterday he called - He's got a fractured vertibrae in his neck, broken rib, bruised pelvis and a bunch of other stuff. He didn't remember anything and asked if I knew what happened .. all he remembered was someone nice teilling him he'll be alright and not to worry, which he wasn't sure was real or if he was imagining it. I told him what happened, and that he should definately get a lawyer .. a good lawyer. He asked if I had his bike, which he saved up for and bought to ride 60 blocks uptown to get to work... to help with his asthma. I told him the bike is fine - not twisted up at all, it is safe, and it can stay with me until he is able to get it .. a week, a month, doesn't matter. We were both silent for a few seconds, and then he asked why ? why did you stop and help me when hundreds probably looked and walked away. I told him he looked like he needed a new friend right about then :beer
At a restaurant, I saw a US Marine eating with his wife and young daughter. I told my waitress , I want to pay for that Marine's bill. Soon, the manager came by and told me; "you are the third person that has offered to pay the Marine's bill."
I'm no saint, but I try to do things once in a while. I had a really interesting experience last fall. My wife and I were headed out of town to go to my parents the night before Thanksgiving. We stopped by Burger King to grab a meal for the road. I don't like drive throughs so we parked an went inside. I was approached by a homeless kid. He said, "I really hate to bother you, but I'm hungry, if you would get me anything, I would really appreciate it." I normally do not respond much to beggars but it was Thanksgiving eve so maybe I was a little more sympathetic than normal. I said, "sure" and had him join us inside the lobby. I asked him what he wanted and he just said, "Anything". I said, "You can order anything you want." He just said anything again, so I ordered him a meal. The guy continued to apologize for asking for help. Here was a homeless guy that would have been happy with two french fries and he was apologizing to me as we were headed to have the biggest feast of the year the next afternoon. I still don't hand money out to beggars, but I find myself more willing to buy a happy meal or whatever when I see people in need. Fortunately I've never been in situations that dire, but I certainly have been the beneficiary of many many acts of kindness throughout my life. Despite the shootings and stuff that is plastered all over the TV and internet, I still believe most people are good and care about their neighbors. Maybe that's an old fashioned sentiment.
It's rare to find a homeless guy who would buy food with the money you give him, but you can't go wrong feeding someone homeless. You help him feeding him but not usually if you give him money. Feeding an addiction isn't helping him.
Sometimes you see people near the exit ramp of the highway with a sign begging or looking for a hand out. I'll wave and drive on. There's been several times in the recent past when I came across a person away from the highway a short distance with a sign that said something like " Family traveling, ran out of gas" In 2 of those situations this year after seeing the kids in a old car loaded to the roof with all of their belongings asked them to pull up to the pumps and filled the tank. They were expecting only a few gallons. One young couple said they've never ever had the funds to completely fill the tank. I dont look at it as a hand out but more like part of the tithe I would normally put in the offering at my church. I wont do it every time .Only when I feel led to.
Well this reminds me of a story that I have to share. I once worked with a doctor at a local hospital who was above all a true gentleman. We had lunch one day and he smiled as he told this story. This doctor was a Radiologist and an elderly couple had come into his office for an x-ray examination. When the couple checked in at the reception desk they were asked if they had health insurance and they sadly replied they did not. Based on their age and the old worn out clothes they were wearing, the receptionist notified the Radiologist that she had patients needing some expensive tests who she felt sorry for because they were so very old and appeared to not have the means to meet the expense. The radiologist then did a wonderful thing and performed all of the procedures without charge. The x-rays revealed some problem so knowing the couple needed follow up with someone specialized in another field of medicine he called another physician in the building to ask him if he would see the couple and explained they had no money. The second physician also did the right thing and examined the couple free of charge. It was now time for lunch and the radiologist left the building to grab something to eat and was walking to his car when a limo waiting off in the distance pulled forward to the entrance just as the little old couple exited the building. The couple got in the limo and the radiologist's jaw dropped as he realized that although the couple were old, did not dress well and did not have insurance they were in no stretch of the imagination poor. The radiologist was not mad and he did not feel anger towards old couple but instead laughed at himself for feeling that he had done a great thing when infact he had just given free services to a couple that were probably very well off. He was not sure if the couple dressed poorly to gather sympathy or if they just didn't spend money on clothes. Either way it was good for a laugh.
One time while waiting in line at a Dunkin Donuts drive thru, I noticed the lady in front of me looking at her rear view mirror several times. When i got up to the window, the employee said , the lady in front of you paid for your coffee and sandwich. A very nice gesture. I must have been having a good hair day !
Ok, here's my story. I got a day of overtime which is pretty sweet for me 24 hours = 36 hours pay. I always buy dinner for the entire crew working that day. One of the Firefighters without asking invited his brother to dinner. Kind of puts you on the spot when you try to do something nice for the crew. I paid for his meal too. When this guy got an overtime day he never even hinted he might pay for dinner. Some people are just users people and some people have giving hearts.
