When we were younger, we were told not to talk to random strangers, not open the house door to them or accept any gifts from them. Now that we’re older though, we realize things are not so black and white. While it is still essential to be cautious of strangers and keep up our guard around them, there are many instances where people we don’t even know have come to our aid.
A Twitter user shared how strangers helped him when he needed it the most and soon it turned into a thread of hope with many others recalling more such unforgettable and wholesome moments of their lives.
What's the nicest thing an absolute stranger has done for or to you?
— Peter Griffin (@zigzackly) September 16, 2020
From kind autorickshaw drivers to unknown passengers on a train, here are 12 stories of strangers who restore our faith in humanity.
#1.
Jaipur. Came back to hotel with bag full of books I'd bought. Expensive. Some were signed by authors. Left the bag in the rick. Didn't realise until half an hour later, when the desk called to tell me the driver was at the reception with the bag of books. He refused a tip.
— Peter Griffin (@zigzackly) September 16, 2020
#2.
One lady paid my medicine bill because the pharmacy didn't have change. It was 930pm.
A guy on a 2-wheeler transferred petrol from his bike to mine seeing me stranded by a road. Refused to take money saying it's 'help'. Frayed collar. Not rich.
OMG. I can go on and on.
— Ramnath (@rmnth) September 17, 2020
#3.
When I was out of this country… After landing, my phone switched off & I was not able to contact the driver nor my friend, then a stranger helped me find the driver by talking to all the other drivers around cuz I didn't remember the number & I didn't even know the language🥺♥️
— Politickle 🤦 (@Overactinggggg) September 17, 2020
#4.
Driving home close to midnight in my old Maruti 800 for the thrill of it. Got freaked out by a stranger closely following me on a motorbike. He raced as I did. Finally waved off reassuringly as I turned off the main road into my residential lane. He was just escorting me home!
— Priyanka (@priyankacmsk) September 16, 2020
#5.
Someone I barely knew, albeit have been connected to on FB, has been unobtrusively and quietly checking in on me pretty much every fortnight/every few weeks since my Dad passed in Feb. It’s more than what a some friends have done. And it has really touched me.
— Shilpa Bhatnagar (@flaneurbanite) September 17, 2020
#6.
Bombay: it had just poured. I had an interview, so was dressed in white. There was a puddle as wide as the road.. couldn’t have jumped over it or walked around it. I stood staring at the puddle. An auto pulled over and he drove me across the puddle.
— Arundhati Ramanathan (@tam_arund) September 17, 2020
#7.
Some 10-12 years back, I was very ill with a super low platelet count. Dengue. Hospital wanted blood donors. Someone I knew vaguely called his college going brother. The brother, who didn’t know me at all, turned up at Lilavati with 30 of his batch mates to donate blood!
— Shantanu (@shantanub) September 17, 2020
#8.
I was pregnant then, was carrying 2 slightly big bags. A young boy helped me carried it from third floor to drop it off at rickshaw only to run back to catch a movie for which he was already late.
— Shilpashree Jagannathan (@shilpajn) September 17, 2020
#9.
Got really sick while travelling in a local train. Was standing near the door almost on the verge of fainting. One older lady held me till the train reached my station constantly assuring me that its just 5-10 mins more and I will feel better once I alight.
— Anniya (@anushree_das) September 17, 2020
#10.
Last year my husband's LV wallet fell from his pocket which had 20k cash next morning stranger called him and asked did he sleep peacefully at night without his wallet . That gentleman found my husband's visiting card in the wallet ..we tried to give him gifts but he denied
— Kr@ti (@Krti31385083) September 17, 2020
#11.
Heavy monsoon rains, very low visibility, am travelling by a kali peeli from lalbagh to vashi and tire runs flat just before mankhurd flyover. It's 130 in the night, taxi driver(from borivali)insists that I sit inside, changes the tyre, fully drenched but drops me home safely.
— Nikita Kale (@nikitakale) September 17, 2020
#12.
I was traveling from Surat to Ahmedabad & it was a breath taking run, as I had to catch the moving train. The moment I got in, people were checking up on me; there were this uncle & granny, they gave me groundnuts to munch & water, with conversations to remember! A TRIP, truly!
— Govardhan Sai Pinni (@govipinni) September 17, 2020
What’s the nicest thing a stranger has done for you? Or better yet, what’s the nicest thing you’ve done to help out someone you didn’t know?