One Good Turn Deserves Another.

Sanjuro · 28-08-2010 12:55PM

All the while I was reading that, I was expecting a) for it to go horribly wrong or b) some sort of twisted joke. Shame that society has driven my brain to think this way. That's right- society. Bastards.

Jaxxy · 28-08-2010 02:07PM

Just before Christmas last year I found a bulging purse in a shopping center car park. Inside was over €2,000 in cash as well as the usual cards, receipts etc. Whipped out the phone, rang the bank that had issued the laser card and asked them to get in touch with the customer in question on my behalf.

Got a phone call the next day from a very teary, almost hysterical lady telling me the money in the purse had been a credit union loan for her kids' Santy presents and she'd thought it had been stolen and Christmas had been ruined. She arrived up with her husband to my house armed with wine, flowers and a gift voucher for the shopping center. Wasn't expecting that but was delighted all the same, and we had a great chat over a few festive drinkies. Lovely couple and I'm happy to say we've had many more chats over many drinks since.

Good turns don't always work out, you don't always get anything in return and I wouldn't expect anyone else to return that kind of money to me necessarily, but knowing I did the right thing and Santy came to that house that year would have been more than enough for me.

Great thread!

MarkGrisham · 28-08-2010 02:11PM

starbelgrade wrote: »

I was driving home today & passed a man thumbing a lift, so I pulled over & asked him where he was off to. "Just up the road" was the reply, followed by a load of questions like "where do ya live?", "are you married?" and "do you like spuds?"

He also spotted a bucket that I'd just bought, sitting on the back seat & said, "you'll be needing that". (?!?!)

The man - in his late 50's, was a few sheets to the wind, but was a nice old chap. When I drove up to his house, he insisted that I take some potatoes from his garden & proceeded to dig them up - telling me all the while, stories of how his grandad taught him how to grow them, how he made his own compost from nettles, how best to store & cook the spuds and also insisted that I took a few of his duck's eggs home with me too.

So, around half an hour later, I left his house, with a bucket full of spuds, a dozen duck eggs & sorted for the dinner. And I tell ya - the spuds made the nicest chips I've ever had. Absolutely stand-out.

And all that for dropping someone up the road. Not every time you do something nice, you get something in return, but today it happened to me & it gave the evening a nice diversion, a lovely dinner & a nice feeling to be reminded that there are some decent people around every corner of life. Sometimes you just gotta stop to see them.

Good man. Glad to hear there's some decent people around.

longshanks · 28-08-2010 02:22PM

JaxxYChicK wrote: »

Just before Christmas last year I found a bulging purse in a shopping center car park. Inside was over €2,000 in cash as well as the usual cards, receipts etc. Whipped out the phone, rang the bank that had issued the laser card and asked them to get in touch with the customer in question on my behalf.

Got a phone call the next day from a very teary, almost hysterical lady telling me the money in the purse had been a credit union loan for her kids' Santy presents and she'd thought it had been stolen and Christmas had been ruined. She arrived up with her husband to my house armed with wine, flowers and a gift voucher for the shopping center. Wasn't expecting that but was delighted all the same, and we had a great chat over a few festive drinkies. Lovely couple and I'm happy to say we've had many more chats over many drinks since.

Good turns don't always work out, you don't always get anything in return and I wouldn't expect anyone else to return that kind of money to me necessarily, but knowing I did the right thing and Santy came to that house that year would have been more than enough for me.

Great thread!

the world needs more people like you

mickydoomsux · 28-08-2010 02:23PM

I'm waiting for some young one to post a thread later on today titled:-

"OMG! Was just horrifically raped by an auld lad who smelled of spuds and duck ****e!'"

Jaxxy · 28-08-2010 02:35PM

longshanks wrote: »

the world needs more people like you

Honestly doing the opposite did cross my mind for a split second, can't lie, but I know it would have come between me and my sleep had I kept it. Just couldn't do it! Besides, giving it back and hearing what it had been meant for gave me the Christmas warm and fuzzies so maybe it wasn't as selfless an act as it appears to be.

starbelgrade · 28-08-2010 03:29PM

JaxxYChicK wrote: »

Honestly doing the opposite did cross my mind for a split second, can't lie, but I know it would have come between me and my sleep had I kept it. Just couldn't do it! Besides, giving it back and hearing what it had been meant for gave me the Christmas warm and fuzzies so maybe it wasn't as selfless an act as it appears to be.

It was totally normal for the thought to cross your mind, but your actions show more about your character than your thoughts!

Biggins · 28-08-2010 03:34PM

starbelgrade wrote: »

It was totally normal for the thought to cross your mind, but your actions show more about your character than your thoughts!

Well put and I agree.

Zombienosh · 28-08-2010 03:35PM

JaxxYChicK wrote: »

Just before Christmas last year I found a bulging purse in a shopping center car park. Inside was over €2,000 in cash as well as the usual cards, receipts etc. Whipped out the phone, rang the bank that had issued the laser card and asked them to get in touch with the customer in question on my behalf.

Got a phone call the next day from a very teary, almost hysterical lady telling me the money in the purse had been a credit union loan for her kids' Santy presents and she'd thought it had been stolen and Christmas had been ruined. She arrived up with her husband to my house armed with wine, flowers and a gift voucher for the shopping center. Wasn't expecting that but was delighted all the same, and we had a great chat over a few festive drinkies. Lovely couple and I'm happy to say we've had many more chats over many drinks since.

Good turns don't always work out, you don't always get anything in return and I wouldn't expect anyone else to return that kind of money to me necessarily, but knowing I did the right thing and Santy came to that house that year would have been more than enough for me.

Great thread!

Beautiful stuff, this thread is great, i need these kinds of posts to restore faith in humanity.

I'd do the same myself and of course you'd have a split second of thought where u imagine what u could do with the money, only to realise the best thing you could do with the money is the right thing.

starbelgrade · 28-08-2010 03:43PM

I lost a wallet many years ago in Dublin city centre - there was about £600 in it along with my bank card. I presumed that I'd never see it again and put it down to bad luck, but around 6 months later, I got a call from my bank to say that someone had dropped the wallet into the branch & they had it there for me to collect.

I couldn't believe that the money was still in it! The person who left it in had not left any contact details, so I never found out who it was.

So, if you're reading this now, thanks - I spent the money wisely on booze & fags.

Jaxxy · 28-08-2010 04:15PM

Zombienosh wrote: »

I'd do the same myself and of course you'd have a split second of thought where u imagine what u could do with the money, only to realise the best thing you could do with the money is the right thing.

starbelgrade wrote: »

I couldn't believe that the money was still in it! The person who left it in had not left any contact details, so I never found out who it was.

This is great stuff. And chances are if you've been on the receiving end of a returned wallet/purse you'd do the same and try to get it back to the person it belongs to, because you'd know exactly how it would feel to be in that situation. Sort of like you're paying it forward. It's a nice thought have to say.

Dudess · 28-08-2010 04:28PM

Ooh this thread is making me feel all happy - wonderful stuff JaxxYChick!

John_Rambo · 28-08-2010 05:03PM

Pique wrote: »

Only in the sticks....gotta love it !!!

Not really. Saw a dude desperately trying to flag a taxi in Fairview (Dublin) told him to hop in, turns out he was a French chef in a restaurant on the coast, free dinner for me!! I and others have given numerous backpackers lifts.

starbelgrade · 28-08-2010 05:07PM

John_Rambo wrote: »

Not really. Saw a dude desperately trying to flag a taxi in Fairview (Dublin) told him to hop in, turns out he was a French chef in a restaurant on the coast, free dinner for me!! I and others have given numerous backpackers lifts.

Whenever I can, I give people thumbing it a lift. Got picked up a few times when I was stuck - once after a tyre blow-out on the car, quite a few times when I was younger & travelling around the country & another time when I got stuck out in Wicklow and there was no buses.

The guy who gave me a lift that time told me his name was David Bailey. Hadn't a clue who he was at the time!

So I like to return the favour when I can.

bonerjams03 · 28-08-2010 05:12PM

Found a brand new phone once, just rang the Dad contact and it was collected the next day.

Got a tenner for my troubles, but knowing I did what I would want another to do for me was enough.*

(Had I not got the tenner, maybe I would not have been so philosophical:pac:)

John_Rambo · 28-08-2010 05:14PM

starbelgrade wrote: »

The guy who gave me a lift that time told me his name was David Bailey.

The photographer?

starbelgrade · 28-08-2010 05:54PM

John_Rambo wrote: »

The photographer?

Yep - the very one. He said he was a photographer, but I'd never heard of him. I told my brother - who was studying film at the time - when I got home & he went mental!

Donkey Oaty · 28-08-2010 05:57PM

starbelgrade wrote: »

Yep - the very one. He said he was a photographer, but I'd never heard of him. I told my brother - who was studying film at the time - when I got home & he went mental!

I know how your brother feels. I don't like David Bailey's stuff much either.

Stockings · 28-08-2010 08:21PM

It works with small stuff too. I've been known to barge through crowds in town in a bad mood and fed up with all the smelly ugly idiots annoying me and getting in my way. Then, I move out of the way of a girl with a buggy or an older person and they give me a big smile to say thanks and all of a sudden the world is much happier!

Dempsey · 28-08-2010 10:01PM

starbelgrade wrote: »

I was driving home today & passed a man thumbing a lift, so I pulled over & asked him where he was off to. "Just up the road" was the reply, followed by a load of questions like "where do ya live?", "are you married?" and "do you like spuds?"

He also spotted a bucket that I'd just bought, sitting on the back seat & said, "you'll be needing that". (?!?!)

The man - in his late 50's, was a few sheets to the wind, but was a nice old chap. When I drove up to his house, he insisted that I take some potatoes from his garden & proceeded to dig them up - telling me all the while, stories of how his grandad taught him how to grow them, how he made his own compost from nettles, how best to store & cook the spuds and also insisted that I took a few of his duck's eggs home with me too.

So, around half an hour later, I left his house, with a bucket full of spuds, a dozen duck eggs & sorted for the dinner. And I tell ya - the spuds made the nicest chips I've ever had. Absolutely stand-out.

And all that for dropping someone up the road. Not every time you do something nice, you get something in return, but today it happened to me & it gave the evening a nice diversion, a lovely dinner & a nice feeling to be reminded that there are some decent people around every corner of life. Sometimes you just gotta stop to see them.

Biggins wrote: »

Nice one.

We have become so isolated as a generation out of fear, rumours about one another and/or stories over blown by media that just sometimes we would be better taking a step back and re-appraising what was good about the past communities yet again.
For we are clearly losing out in some ways and we are passing that growing losing tradition down to our kids.
...And that would be a shame.

True but hearing all those questions would make me suspicious and reluctant.

I've thumbed lifts (fairly long distance) on several occasions but for some reason now, I'd be reluctant to give one despite being extremely grateful to those who picked me up. I was a student at the time so I suppose I seemed normal to a degree but a quirky 50 year old? hmmm

Cant beat a good spud! :pac:

violetanderson · 28-08-2010 10:18PM

Love these stories

The way he said "you'll be needing that" about the bucket. I'd be losing my mind at that stage thinking FOR WHAT!? MY HEAD?

CrazyRabbit · 28-08-2010 10:48PM

If anyone can give me a lift to Swords tomorrow from Blanchardstown (Dublin), I give give them 2 and a half potatoes, and a carrot.

jibblybitsy · 28-08-2010 11:33PM

stick up for people

peanuthead · 29-08-2010 12:11AM

violetanderson wrote: »

Love these stories

The way he said "you'll be needing that" about the bucket. I'd be losing my mind at that stage thinking FOR WHAT!? MY HEAD?

LOL, sooo funny!!!

I always stop around to help people and most of the times you at least get back a thanks.

But I remember once leaving a pay and display carpark space and I approached this guy and his gf to give them my ticket which had 40 mins on it.

As I approached him, friendly smile on the face, ticket in the hand, I stretched out my arm to gesture to him that he could have my ticket when he covered the phone and said something to me in my language which I'm guessing frim the look on his face was something like 'fcuk off' in his language.

Some people don't deserve the help and its because of those that genuine cases like the OP's little friend are left on the side of the road for so long.

Novella · 29-08-2010 12:27AM

That's so lovely.

Then you started this thread and reading it made me pretty happy, so woo for spreading the niceness!

Horse_box · 29-08-2010 10:58AM

A few years ago I found a wallet with 300 quid in it in Dublin city centre. As someone else in the thread said, I had second thoughts about ringing the contact details that were actually in the wallet, but I thought better of it and gave the person a shout

Anway a man arrived to collect it and as I handed it back, he opened up a little hidden compartment in the wallet which had some hand written page in it, smiled, and handed me the 300 quid. I've never seen a man so thankful for getting a wallet back! He thanked me and went on his way

The next day when I got back from school, my dad told me someone had left in a gift and to my astonishment he had dropped in a huge hamper with a little note on it saying 'You don't know how much grief you've saved me'

Sometimes it's nice to be nice!

padma · 29-08-2010 11:13AM

What's the saying "it's nice to be important, but more important to be nice"

WindSock · 29-08-2010 11:25AM

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

If anyone can give me a lift to Swords tomorrow from Blanchardstown (Dublin), I give give them 2 and a half potatoes, and a carrot.

Deal. That's this winters' snowman sorted, with a bit left over for the tae.

MitchKoobski · 29-08-2010 11:51AM

For a minute there I thought the thread was gonna turn into a conversation about how to make the best chips. :pac:

Poor Uncle Tom · 29-08-2010 02:38PM

starbelgrade wrote: »

I was driving home today & passed a man thumbing a lift, so I pulled over & asked him where he was off to. "Just up the road" was the reply, followed by a load of questions like "where do ya live?", "are you married?" and "do you like spuds?"

He also spotted a bucket that I'd just bought, sitting on the back seat & said, "you'll be needing that". (?!?!)

The man - in his late 50's, was a few sheets to the wind, but was a nice old chap. When I drove up to his house, he insisted that I take some potatoes from his garden & proceeded to dig them up - telling me all the while, stories of how his grandad taught him how to grow them, how he made his own compost from nettles, how best to store & cook the spuds and also insisted that I took a few of his duck's eggs home with me too.

So, around half an hour later, I left his house, with a bucket full of spuds, a dozen duck eggs & sorted for the dinner. And I tell ya - the spuds made the nicest chips I've ever had. Absolutely stand-out.

And all that for dropping someone up the road. Not every time you do something nice, you get something in return, but today it happened to me & it gave the evening a nice diversion, a lovely dinner & a nice feeling to be reminded that there are some decent people around every corner of life. Sometimes you just gotta stop to see them.

Biggins wrote: »

Nice one.

We have become so isolated as a generation out of fear, rumours about one another and/or stories over blown by media that just sometimes we would be better taking a step back and re-appraising what was good about the past communities yet again.
For we are clearly losing out in some ways and we are passing that growing losing tradition down to our kids.
...And that would be a shame.

I could do with that bucket just about now.....

One Good Turn Deserves Another.

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