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-   -   The kindness of strangers (https://britishexpats.com/forum/maple-leaf-98/kindness-strangers-867615/)

BristolUK Nov 6th 2015 3:54 pm

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

Former Lancastrian Nov 6th 2015 4:06 pm

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 Institute’s 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.

Tirytory Nov 6th 2015 4:08 pm

Re: The kindness of strangers
 

Originally Posted by BristolUK (Post 11787872)
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

It's a lovely story but not really limited to Canada. I was aware of the phrase Pay It Forward in the UK - I think it comes from a film (?) - but I see things like this pop up on Internet quite a bit from everywhere..

HGerchikov Nov 6th 2015 5:13 pm

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.

Former Lancastrian Nov 6th 2015 5:18 pm

Re: The kindness of strangers
 

Originally Posted by HGerchikov (Post 11787950)
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.

Her shop isn't a Value Village by any chance is it? :lol:
Value Village prices way too high, Winnipeg vintage retailer says - Manitoba - CBC News

AlliF Nov 6th 2015 5:26 pm

Re: The kindness of strangers
 

Originally Posted by Tirytory (Post 11787885)
It's a lovely story but not really limited to Canada. I was aware of the phrase Pay It Forward in the UK - I think it comes from a film (?) - but I see things like this pop up on Internet quite a bit from everywhere..

There was a film called Pay it Forward adapted from a book by the same name, released in 2000.
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.

HGerchikov Nov 6th 2015 5:35 pm

Re: The kindness of strangers
 

Originally Posted by Former Lancastrian (Post 11787957)
Her shop isn't a Value Village by any chance is it? :lol:
Value Village prices way too high, Winnipeg vintage retailer says - Manitoba - CBC News

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.

Former Lancastrian Nov 6th 2015 5:59 pm

Re: The kindness of strangers
 

Originally Posted by HGerchikov (Post 11787975)
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.

Wow so she ignores some good business suggestions and ignores them and when in trouble does the Facebook Oh Woe Is Me. She then gets assistance from strangers to help her out.
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.

BristolUK Nov 6th 2015 6:28 pm

Re: The kindness of strangers
 

Originally Posted by Former Lancastrian (Post 11788010)
Wow....

Someone's getting upset at their telling off earlier. :rofl:

Former Lancastrian Nov 6th 2015 6:30 pm

Re: The kindness of strangers
 

Originally Posted by BristolUK (Post 11788042)
Someone's getting upset at their telling off earlier. :rofl:

Very thick skinned my friend this site is kindergarten stuff compared to work :lol:

BristolUK Nov 6th 2015 6:35 pm

Re: The kindness of strangers
 

Originally Posted by Former Lancastrian (Post 11787883)
Tim Hortons customers pay it forward 228 times...


Originally Posted by Tirytory (Post 11787885)
I was aware of the phrase Pay It Forward in the UK...


Originally Posted by scotdownunder (Post 11787963)
There was a film called Pay it Forward adapted from a book by the same name...

I wish I hadn't included that bit now. :unsure:

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.

BristolUK Nov 6th 2015 6:55 pm

Re: The kindness of strangers
 

Originally Posted by Former Lancastrian (Post 11788046)
Very thick skinned my friend this site is kindergarten stuff compared to work :lol:

I can imagine. Well, I don't really need to imagine as we'll have experienced much the same 'attitudes' daily. :nod:

Former Lancastrian Nov 6th 2015 7:05 pm

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 :rofl:

bats Nov 6th 2015 7:20 pm

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

Former Lancastrian Nov 6th 2015 7:23 pm

Re: The kindness of strangers
 

Originally Posted by bats (Post 11788101)
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

Errr what do you think Facebook was invented for :lol: next you will be saying people on Linkedin don't embellish their profiles either.


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