Paying It Forward

[Zammy]

Someone paid it forward for me....When I was in high school many years ago I used to take the bus. One morning the lad infront of me (who was from the school next door but well known by both schools as being a bit of thug) turned round to me and said I have paid you on the bus too, no reason why or anything. As this lad had a bit of rep I didn't know if he was being serious so I asked the bus driver and he just nodded me on to the bus.

When we got off the bus I crossed over to go to my school and I could see the lad and his mates looking over at me laughing and telling his mates what he had done. He handed over change to the driver too so not as if he didn't have the exact fare and if he didn't have the exact fare why didn't he just pay for one of his mates too.

No idea what that was about.

[WestyCarl]

austinsmirk said:

Purity14 said:

chili1 said:

At the beginning of winter, while dropping my son off at school, I noticed that one of the children in my son's class was wearing a very thin summer type jacket (she looked absolutely freezing). The mother looked as if she didn't have two pennies to rub together. On the way to pick him up at kicking out time, I bought a winter coat from the local supermarket. In the school yard I asked the mother if she would like the coat for her daughter, as I had bought it for my daughter but the coat was too small and I couldn't take it back as I'd lost the receipt. Her daughter is now suitably dressed for winter.

I like this one, this is okay in my book.

wins the thread- I have a lump in my throat now. well done sir.

+1 I'm humbled by this simple yet kind act. My (late) new years resolution is to keep more aware to see if I can help others in a similar way.

[zedstar]

Years and years ago my Dad had gone to try and get a loan to buy half of the business that he was working for. They wouldn't give him a loan but the manager recognised his address and asked to ask his neighbour if he would guarantee it. As it happened my Dad was reasonable friends with him so he asked and his mate said yes no problem. 10 years later the loan was paid and my Dad was chatting to the manager who told him that when the guarantor had come down to sign he had crossed out the guarantee amount, quadrupled the amount of proposed guarantee and told the manager to give my Dad whatever he needed to buy the business and get it going.

That was one of the nicest things I think anyone has ever done for my Dad and also for our family too. I only ever found out cos I asked my Dad once why he was always helping people with their stuff and I got the lecture about where he'd be without others...

Seeing as i'm sat in said business right now i'd best get back to work!

[Ubar]

I once saw a bloke wearing brand new French Connection trainers posing as a tramp and asking for help, the absolute bluffer

[so called]

Absolute true story.
I was on a business trip to Florida and headed for Key West at the weekend.
Came out of Sloppy Joes some time in the early hours Sunday, very much worse for wear.
Street guy asked me for some money but I was spent up.
Noticed the state of his footwear and so I insisted in giving him my shoes.
He resisted quite a bit but I insisted.
Anyway, off I wobbled towards my hotel.
After a couple more blocks, realised I couldn't find my hotel and it has started raining
Then a police car pulled up, not impressed with my shoe story and directed me to my hotel with a warning about not supplying the bums with any more new shoes.
Took me a while the next morning to remember where my shoes were.
Does that count?

[Sheepshanks]

so called said:

Does that count?

Maybe. Did you check them for correct fit?

[daddy cool]

so called said:

... with a warning about not supplying the bums with any more new shoes.

Next time they'll shoot you for that.

[anonymous-user]

Ubar said:

I once saw a bloke wearing brand new French Connection trainers posing as a tramp and asking for help, the absolute bluffer

Was he sporting a nice tan and an 'I've Been To Florida' t-shirt?

[55palfers]

chili1 said:

At the beginning of winter, while dropping my son off at school, I noticed that one of the children in my son's class was wearing a very thin summer type jacket (she looked absolutely freezing). The mother looked as if she didn't have two pennies to rub together. On the way to pick him up at kicking out time, I bought a winter coat from the local supermarket. In the school yard I asked the mother if she would like the coat for her daughter, as I had bought it for my daughter but the coat was too small and I couldn't take it back as I'd lost the receipt. Her daughter is now suitably dressed for winter.

PH Mode on {I'll bet they had Sky and a massive TV } PH Mode off

[so called]

Sheepshanks said:

so called said:

Does that count?

Maybe. Did you check them for correct fit?

It took me 4 hours the next day to remember the basics.
Shame really, I liked those shoes.

[FunkyNige]

BigBen said:

Purity14 said:

BigBen said:

How does paying it forward work in Starbucks. The person in the queue ahead of you has already paid and the person behind may be buying a round of coffees for 20 of his colleagues. It can't work as a random act in the way say leaving a parking ticket or tube travel pass can.

Its like when they say "I could care less" instead of "I couldn't care less"
We would pay for the person behind us because it makes most sense, but they would pay it forward to the person behind them, because they like to say things that dont make sense.

But that was part of my problem, paying for the person behind is not possible as you don't know what they are going to order. I suppose you could say "and whatever he / she is having" but that would be weird.

That's exactly what sometimes happens in America
http://www.itv.com/news/2015-12-16/250-mcdonalds-c...
Not sure of the exact mechanics of paying for the person behind you's meal at a drive through, but in the link above that's what happened for 6 hours straight.

[BigBen]

FunkyNige said:

BigBen said:

Purity14 said:

BigBen said:

How does paying it forward work in Starbucks. The person in the queue ahead of you has already paid and the person behind may be buying a round of coffees for 20 of his colleagues. It can't work as a random act in the way say leaving a parking ticket or tube travel pass can.

Its like when they say "I could care less" instead of "I couldn't care less"
We would pay for the person behind us because it makes most sense, but they would pay it forward to the person behind them, because they like to say things that dont make sense.

But that was part of my problem, paying for the person behind is not possible as you don't know what they are going to order. I suppose you could say "and whatever he / she is having" but that would be weird.

That's exactly what sometimes happens in America
http://www.itv.com/news/2015-12-16/250-mcdonalds-c...
Not sure of the exact mechanics of paying for the person behind you's meal at a drive through, but in the link above that's what happened for 6 hours straight.

Actually at a drive through don't you have three stops, the first where you order, the second where you pay and third where you collect your food, so as long as the car behind is at the order microphone / menu then it is possible to know how much it will be and do the deed.

[CaptainSlow]

I do the opposite. I send my daughter to school without her jacket. I've been given loads of new coats over the winter, usually George form Asda rubbish though.

[chili1]

CaptainSlow said:

I do the opposite. I send my daughter to school without her jacket. I've been given loads of new coats over the winter, usually George form Asda rubbish though.

How dare you, it was from Sainsbury's!!

[soad]

Watched this film, OP?

[northwest monkey]

soad said:

Watched this film, OP?

If that's genuine, it sounds st.

[J4CKO]

Always seems to be Coffee, in Starbucks or similar, I dont generally buy those for myself if I can avoid it, never mind anyone else, they are part of the reason there is so much social deprivation anyway with their "tax efficiency"

A Starbucks seems to have gone from being a treat, a poncy overpriced mug of hot water with some roasted beans in it, to some basic human right.

A guy I know is massively in debt and totally buys into the marketing, he genuinely gets excited when they have some new flavour of Pumpkin, Eggnog or some such ste for £4, then gets a cake r two and then wonders why he is skint a week into the month.

Perhaps do it in Greggs or somewhere else a little more cost effective ?

[Fas1975]

If you do it properly, it works. In Italy, they have the concept of "caffe sospeso" or "suspended coffee". You buy your own cup of coffee but then pay for 2, 3 or more and the service staff take a note of how many cups have been paid for.

During the day, homeless / needy / poor come in and ask specifically for a caffe sospeso and they're given one free of charge and a free coffee is docked off the available list. I don't know if the big chains there do it, but certainly when I travel to rome or milan for work, my colleagues when they buy coffee do this.

[daddy cool]

soad said:

Watched this film, OP?

"I see poor people"

[Hoofy]

I don't "pay it forward" because that implies I expect or want something in return later. I just do stuff to help others.

Foliage said:

I don't discuss my charity work or donations, because its crass to do so and also because I don't do any.