The Good Deed Thread. Let's make the world a better place.

[Basil]

And, in the end, the love you take
Is equal to the love you make.

Done a good deed today?  Shone a little unexpected sunshine into someone's life?
Tell us about it here.

[Basil]

Last night on the way home, I called into a petrol station to pick up a packet of rizla.  There was a woman and a young man before me at the counter searching all their pockets and counting up all their loose change. 
They had run out of petrol up the road and having paid for a jerry can, now found that they didn’t have enough money to cover the minimum delivery from the pump.  The guy behind the counter was displaying a classic “Not my problem” Thousand Yard Stare.
It was dark and raining and I felt really sorry for the woman, whose demeanour suggested that this was the culmination of a crap day, so I asked her if she would be passing this way tomorrow and gave her a fiver.
I really hope that it will be waiting for me tonight (the fiver).  Not so much for the money, more because I want to prove that most people are good and honest.

[toekneep]

I'll bet you a fiver it is. 

[clarion]

That sounds good.

I've been called a Good Samaritan several times recently, when I've just been doing what I thought anyone would do.  I've not gone as far as lending money like that, but I hope I wold.

This morning, I stopped at Mitcham Junction to check that a chap whose bike was upside down was OK, and that he had all the tools he needed.  He'd suffered from a split tyre, but was about to get on his way again.  As I set off, he said something I didn't understand.  I said 'Wuh?', and he repeated his thanks for stopping.  I blushed.  I hadn't done anything to help.  What a world where just asking someone if they need help is regarded as something out of the ordinary.

We need more Basils.

[hulver]

I was doing a bit of shopping on the way home last night, and the bloke at the front of the queue was paying for his shopping with a £5 voucher.

The check out lady wouldn't let him pay for it with the voucher, as it was only £4.50 worth of shopping. He didn't want any change, but they've just had new tills fitted and "computer says no". She couldn't work around it at all. He couldn't find anything worth exactly 50p to add to his shopping.

I offered him some change so that he could get a bar of chocolate (for 51p), but he discovered a 5 pence piece in his pocket, so he was OK.

[Quisling]

I bought a Big Issue, and took the time to ask the vendor how he was and how sales were going. He was really pleased that someone took a genuine interest in his situation on a wet, dark evening. In the grand scheme of good samaritanness it was a very small gesture so I followed it up by walking down the street with my new Big Issue ostentatiously displayed, with a cocky air which dared the other pedestrians not to own a copy themselves.

The rewards are there for making worthy efforts. Our local Oxfam shop operates their tag-a-bag scheme. They've just emailed me to let me know how much they've raised from my donations. Brilliant traceability and communication. That's twice I've been really impressed with Oxfam recently: great information and support with no pushiness. Most unlike NSPCC to whom I made a donation (as a wedding gift for a friend) and almost immediately received a really hard sell phone call trying to give me a big guilt trip because I wouldn't sign up to regular monthly giving.

[Basil]

I'll bet you a fiver it is. 

I've only just worked out how that cleverly reverses the outcome for me.

If the lady is honest, I loose my fiver.
If she's not, I get my fiver back from you.

That's a bit weird. 

I'll not take the bet, thanks Tony.
 

[essexian]

Not sure I have got the idea of this thread right but I plan later to share the cold I have with my wife.

[mattc]

Remember:
 if you lend a friend a fiver and then never see them again - it was probably a fiver well spent         

[Mr Larrington]

I let a BMW driver out of a junction yesterday

[Seineseeker]

I went to the supermarket and bought a load of food to give to needy families for Thanksgiving. It's hard to come to terms with the fact that in the US, there really are so many families for which buying some food will make a difference. 

The UK welfare state and living off benefits with Sky TV it is not.

[Wobbly John]

I just went to get some money from the cash machine, and ended up running down the road to give a cash-card back to the lady who was in front of me in the queue - she had even left it with her PIN registered - I could have taken money out, changed her PIN number or anything. 

I would hope everbody would have been as honest. 

[clarion]

So how much did you withdraw from her account, and can I tap you for a few notes?

[Ham]

and can I tap you for a few notes?

You make him sound like a xylophone. Hang on, I should have listened more carefully to the tone. Glockenspiel.

[bikepacker]

Today I herded two sheep back into their field (or I hope it was their field) and pumped up a tyre for a guy who had a flat and no pump. Do these count as good deeds?

[CAMRAMan]

Ages ago I found £100 sitting in the slot of a cash machine. I was sorely tempted, but did the right thing & took it to the nick - the bank was shut at the time.

[Basil]

Do these count as good deeds?

Of course they do.  All deeds that are good are good deeds.

[Kim]

I've stayed at home and not spread this lurgy to anyone.  Does that count?

[Basil]

Very much so, Kim.  Very much.   

[Arch]

Yesterday I was parking my bike in town when I spotted a couple looking at a map and a set of signposts and looking confused, so I asked them what they were looking for, and then directed them to the Shambles.

And yes, it was the Shambles they were looking for....

[Basil]

 

Bum and poo.

I feel sad now.
 
I'm obviously very naive.

I may remove this post later so as not to bring down the general lovelyness of this thread

[CAMRAMan]

Basil, don't remove the thead. I suspect it was something to do with my post, so I've changed it to be just the good bit. I'm proud of what I did, despite my mates urging me to do the opposite, and I'd do the same again.

[Basil]

I wasn't going to remove the thread, and it was nothing to do with your post.
I simply meant that I may remove my post (the one 2 above) which reflects on how my good deed has not turned out the way I hoped it would.

[CAMRAMan]

Well, sorry to hear that and there may still be a chance to have your faith restored, but I'm still glad I edited the negativity out of my bit. And thank you to the good samaritan at my kids' school who loaned me a quid to get some cakes for them at the Children in Need sale.

[Marco Stefano]

Bum and poo.

I feel sad now.
 

Basil, she might not have made it there for myriad reasons - don't give up on that fiver yet, and try to keep that warm feeling from the other day.

Went shopping for my elderly Mum the other day when she didn't feel well enough to getting out and about. It makes her so frustrated. So easy for me to do, and she was so grateful; as if she had never done anything for me...