The kindness of strangers
#1
The kindness of strangers
Report in today's paper of a fella driving who sees a wallet in the road. The red $50 bill floating about alerts him.
He stops his car and gets out. He sees $20s blowing about too and walks around gathering them up - including one in a ditch.
He hands in wallet and cash to RCMP who then contact the wallet's owner who doesn't even know his wallet's missing. Apparently he drove off with his wallet on top his car after getting gas.
But we're not finished.
RCMP must have given contact details of the finder as the wallet owner, noting that everything is there, calls to thank him and then emails a money transfer of $100.
Still not finished.
The finder doesn't accept the transfer but doesn't want to upset the other guy by rejecting it so wonders what to do. He hears an appeal on the radio for the charity Coats for kids and decides to buy two coats - boy and girl - which he then donates.
Total including tax actually cost more than $100 so it cost him, the honest finder, to do it.
I don't know if this is a Canadian thing or a New Brunswick thing. While I've heard similar tales of generosity, kindness, honesty etc in the UK, I do get the impression I hear it far more in Canada.
Of course it might just be that Canada likes good news stories far more than the UK. But from my own personal experience I'd say Canada (or NB) was way ahead in these attitudes.
I never came across the expression "Paying it forward" in the UK.
He stops his car and gets out. He sees $20s blowing about too and walks around gathering them up - including one in a ditch.
He hands in wallet and cash to RCMP who then contact the wallet's owner who doesn't even know his wallet's missing. Apparently he drove off with his wallet on top his car after getting gas.
But we're not finished.
RCMP must have given contact details of the finder as the wallet owner, noting that everything is there, calls to thank him and then emails a money transfer of $100.
Still not finished.
The finder doesn't accept the transfer but doesn't want to upset the other guy by rejecting it so wonders what to do. He hears an appeal on the radio for the charity Coats for kids and decides to buy two coats - boy and girl - which he then donates.
Total including tax actually cost more than $100 so it cost him, the honest finder, to do it.
I don't know if this is a Canadian thing or a New Brunswick thing. While I've heard similar tales of generosity, kindness, honesty etc in the UK, I do get the impression I hear it far more in Canada.
Of course it might just be that Canada likes good news stories far more than the UK. But from my own personal experience I'd say Canada (or NB) was way ahead in these attitudes.
I never came across the expression "Paying it forward" in the UK.
#2
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2011
Location: Somewhere between Vancouver & St Johns
Posts: 19,840
Re: The kindness of strangers
This has been going on for years in Canada under various guises.
The beloved Tim Hortons run one as evidenced by numerous articles on the web
Tim Hortons customers pay it forward 228 times in Winnipeg
For three full hours and 228 orders, a generous chain of Tim Hortons customers in Winnipeg picked up the tab for the people behind them.
Tim Hortons customers pay it forward 228 times in Winnipeg | Toronto Star
There must be something in the coffee in Manitoba as another article states this
Among the provinces, Manitoba remains the most generous.
Despite the overall decline in charitable giving, for 15 consecutive years Manitoba has led the provinces in the Fraser Institutes analysis of private charitable giving, Lammam said.
https://www.fraserinstitute.org/arti...rous-canadians
Some like to remain anonymous others not as much. Some media outlets report these actions as a warm cuddly generous story others don't.
The beloved Tim Hortons run one as evidenced by numerous articles on the web
Tim Hortons customers pay it forward 228 times in Winnipeg
For three full hours and 228 orders, a generous chain of Tim Hortons customers in Winnipeg picked up the tab for the people behind them.
Tim Hortons customers pay it forward 228 times in Winnipeg | Toronto Star
There must be something in the coffee in Manitoba as another article states this
Among the provinces, Manitoba remains the most generous.
Despite the overall decline in charitable giving, for 15 consecutive years Manitoba has led the provinces in the Fraser Institutes analysis of private charitable giving, Lammam said.
https://www.fraserinstitute.org/arti...rous-canadians
Some like to remain anonymous others not as much. Some media outlets report these actions as a warm cuddly generous story others don't.
#3
Re: The kindness of strangers
Report in today's paper of a fella driving who sees a wallet in the road. The red $50 bill floating about alerts him.
He stops his car and gets out. He sees $20s blowing about too and walks around gathering them up - including one in a ditch.
He hands in wallet and cash to RCMP who then contact the wallet's owner who doesn't even know his wallet's missing. Apparently he drove off with his wallet on top his car after getting gas.
But we're not finished.
RCMP must have given contact details of the finder as the wallet owner, noting that everything is there, calls to thank him and then emails a money transfer of $100.
Still not finished.
The finder doesn't accept the transfer but doesn't want to upset the other guy by rejecting it so wonders what to do. He hears an appeal on the radio for the charity Coats for kids and decides to buy two coats - boy and girl - which he then donates.
Total including tax actually cost more than $100 so it cost him, the honest finder, to do it.
I don't know if this is a Canadian thing or a New Brunswick thing. While I've heard similar tales of generosity, kindness, honesty etc in the UK, I do get the impression I hear it far more in Canada.
Of course it might just be that Canada likes good news stories far more than the UK. But from my own personal experience I'd say Canada (or NB) was way ahead in these attitudes.
I never came across the expression "Paying it forward" in the UK.
http://vladsokolovsky.com/forums/pub...rks-smiley.gif
He stops his car and gets out. He sees $20s blowing about too and walks around gathering them up - including one in a ditch.
He hands in wallet and cash to RCMP who then contact the wallet's owner who doesn't even know his wallet's missing. Apparently he drove off with his wallet on top his car after getting gas.
But we're not finished.
RCMP must have given contact details of the finder as the wallet owner, noting that everything is there, calls to thank him and then emails a money transfer of $100.
Still not finished.
The finder doesn't accept the transfer but doesn't want to upset the other guy by rejecting it so wonders what to do. He hears an appeal on the radio for the charity Coats for kids and decides to buy two coats - boy and girl - which he then donates.
Total including tax actually cost more than $100 so it cost him, the honest finder, to do it.
I don't know if this is a Canadian thing or a New Brunswick thing. While I've heard similar tales of generosity, kindness, honesty etc in the UK, I do get the impression I hear it far more in Canada.
Of course it might just be that Canada likes good news stories far more than the UK. But from my own personal experience I'd say Canada (or NB) was way ahead in these attitudes.
I never came across the expression "Paying it forward" in the UK.
http://vladsokolovsky.com/forums/pub...rks-smiley.gif
#4
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: Orton, Ontario
Posts: 2,028
Re: The kindness of strangers
I have a friend that runs a children's clothes shop in Waterdown, ON. She buys good quality used clothes from people and then re-sells them. About a year ago the store went through a really rough patch and she had to seriously consider closing down. She posted her predicament on Facebook, explaining the situation as honestly as she could. The next day she was swamped as the word flew around the village, even the local news came to interview her.
She was already feeling overwhelmed when a gentleman she had never seen before came in, he said he had seen the Facebook post and he purchased four $20 gift cards, bearing in mind that most items in her store are under $15 this was quite a take for her. Once the transaction was complete, he handed the gift cards back to her and told her to give them to her customers that needed a little extra help buying clothes and toys for their children and then he left.
She was already feeling overwhelmed when a gentleman she had never seen before came in, he said he had seen the Facebook post and he purchased four $20 gift cards, bearing in mind that most items in her store are under $15 this was quite a take for her. Once the transaction was complete, he handed the gift cards back to her and told her to give them to her customers that needed a little extra help buying clothes and toys for their children and then he left.
#5
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2011
Location: Somewhere between Vancouver & St Johns
Posts: 19,840
Re: The kindness of strangers
I have a friend that runs a children's clothes shop in Waterdown, ON. She buys good quality used clothes from people and then re-sells them. About a year ago the store went through a really rough patch and she had to seriously consider closing down. She posted her predicament on Facebook, explaining the situation as honestly as she could. The next day she was swamped as the word flew around the village, even the local news came to interview her.
She was already feeling overwhelmed when a gentleman she had never seen before came in, he said he had seen the Facebook post and he purchased four $20 gift cards, bearing in mind that most items in her store are under $15 this was quite a take for her. Once the transaction was complete, he handed the gift cards back to her and told her to give them to her customers that needed a little extra help buying clothes and toys for their children and then he left.
She was already feeling overwhelmed when a gentleman she had never seen before came in, he said he had seen the Facebook post and he purchased four $20 gift cards, bearing in mind that most items in her store are under $15 this was quite a take for her. Once the transaction was complete, he handed the gift cards back to her and told her to give them to her customers that needed a little extra help buying clothes and toys for their children and then he left.
Value Village prices way too high, Winnipeg vintage retailer says - Manitoba - CBC News
#6
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Dec 2008
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 1,497
Re: The kindness of strangers
But the phrase came about a long time before that - it was used in a book called 'In the garden of delight' in 1916.
I remember Oprah Winfrey using the phrase a lot - can't remember if that was before the film or not though.
#7
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: Orton, Ontario
Posts: 2,028
Re: The kindness of strangers
Her shop isn't a Value Village by any chance is it?
Value Village prices way too high, Winnipeg vintage retailer says - Manitoba - CBC News
Value Village prices way too high, Winnipeg vintage retailer says - Manitoba - CBC News
#8
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2011
Location: Somewhere between Vancouver & St Johns
Posts: 19,840
Re: The kindness of strangers
No, its an independent, and the reason why she struggles is because she gives people too much money for the items she buys and doesn't charge enough for them when she sells them on. All of her friends (and a number of customers) have pointed this out on many occasions, but she insists that this is the way she wants to go.
So when is her next Facebook plea going to occur?
I wonder if the strangers who helped her out would have done if they knew the true reasons for her predicament.
#10
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2011
Location: Somewhere between Vancouver & St Johns
Posts: 19,840
#11
Re: The kindness of strangers
It was really just about people doing good deeds or the right thing. The concept of paying forward was only a brief mention in the report.
#13
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2011
Location: Somewhere between Vancouver & St Johns
Posts: 19,840
Re: The kindness of strangers
OMG the kindness of strangers. Someone decided to donate as what is described as an 8 inch military shell to the CBC forcing an evacuation of the CBC building in downtown Toronto
#14
limey party pooper
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 9,979
Re: The kindness of strangers
I don think Canadians are any better at helping others. From reading their Facebook pages they are just better at telling everyone what they have done
#15
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2011
Location: Somewhere between Vancouver & St Johns
Posts: 19,840
Re: The kindness of strangers
Errr what do you think Facebook was invented for next you will be saying people on Linkedin don't embellish their profiles either.