[Master thread] What's the best "act of kindness" you've experienced while traveling
Dec 21, 2016, 3:16 pm
#121
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Cape Cod
Programs: AMEX DL
Posts: 78
Eleanor 7 lb. 4 oz. 20" long and BEAUTIFUL! ❤❤
Thanks for asking.
Thanks for asking.
Have a wonderful holiday with that fresh new grand daugher
Dec 28, 2016, 6:17 am
#122
Join Date: Jun 2008
Programs: Various memberships
Posts: 532
Some years ago now.
Had rented a car to drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco on the Pacific Coast Highway. Had 4 overnight stops planned on the way. Arrived at the second stop (San Luis Obispo) quite late and went to fill the car up. In the UK I drive a diesel car and managed, somehow, to put diesel in the car. Thankfully I realised before I drove off.
I had paid for "everything" on the car so thought I would call the company and they could arrange to sort something locally (it was one of the large companies). After being on the phone for an hour I was told the only option was for them to tow a replacement to me and I would have to pay $1,500 and for the cost of fixing the car I had
This was a trip we had been saving hard for and did not have a "spare" $1500 lying around. The hotel was opposite a Sears Auto Center so the next morning, after arranging a local tow truck to take the car to them I went to speak to them . They were brilliant. They drained the tank, took me to get more fuel and made sure the car was fine before we drove off. I asked the manager how much I owed them and he said nothing! After all the panic from the night before I was almost in tears. I gave him the $50 cash I had on me and asked him to buy the staff a beer or two after work.
This thread brought it back to me so thanks for starting it.
When I got home I made a point of contact customer services for Sears to say how great the staff at the center had been (didn't mention they didn't charge me - just in case they would get into trouble). Never did hear back from customer services though!
Had rented a car to drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco on the Pacific Coast Highway. Had 4 overnight stops planned on the way. Arrived at the second stop (San Luis Obispo) quite late and went to fill the car up. In the UK I drive a diesel car and managed, somehow, to put diesel in the car. Thankfully I realised before I drove off.
I had paid for "everything" on the car so thought I would call the company and they could arrange to sort something locally (it was one of the large companies). After being on the phone for an hour I was told the only option was for them to tow a replacement to me and I would have to pay $1,500 and for the cost of fixing the car I had
This was a trip we had been saving hard for and did not have a "spare" $1500 lying around. The hotel was opposite a Sears Auto Center so the next morning, after arranging a local tow truck to take the car to them I went to speak to them . They were brilliant. They drained the tank, took me to get more fuel and made sure the car was fine before we drove off. I asked the manager how much I owed them and he said nothing! After all the panic from the night before I was almost in tears. I gave him the $50 cash I had on me and asked him to buy the staff a beer or two after work.
This thread brought it back to me so thanks for starting it.
When I got home I made a point of contact customer services for Sears to say how great the staff at the center had been (didn't mention they didn't charge me - just in case they would get into trouble). Never did hear back from customer services though!
Dec 28, 2016, 6:35 am
#123
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 219
When I was in Beijing (2008), I decided to take the bus to the Summer Palace. The Beijing Olympics was about to start and a university student who was volunteering gave me directions on which bus to take. I found out later that it was the wrong bus and I now had no idea where I was going. I speak no Chinese and I wanted to bang my head on the bus. I showed a couple of girls on the bus the map that I was holding (they spoke no English). Through some sign language, I eventually understood that I was on the right street but the bus was going the other direction. What I should have done was cross the street where I boarded the bus and boarded a bus from there. They stayed with me until the bus eventually turned going the right direction and when the right stop came motioned for me to get off.
Dec 28, 2016, 10:32 am
#124
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 42
In 1972 my co-worker and I were sent on our first "business" trip to a seminar in Boston. Since we had scheduled a couple of days to sightsee, we walked the Freedom Trail and ended up near the river. We wanted to ride the subway back to our hotel but were unsure just how to do that. An elderly gentleman took pity on us (middle-aged ladies) and actually rode with us to our stop.
Dec 28, 2016, 11:53 am
#125
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: MSP
Programs: Delta Platinum, Hyatt Gold,
Posts: 40
kindness of firefighters
I have been traveling alone for 40 years and am grateful for all of the help I have received from strangers. The most amazing occurred in October 2015. I was doing a rim to rim hike of the Grand Canyon with some other 60-somethings and two younger people. About two hours after our departure from the north rim one of my fellow trekkers slipped on some loose gravel and dislocated and broke her ankle. I had a first aid kit and was able to splint it but there was no way she could walk back up and we were a long way from the bottom. A group of active and retired firefighters came hiking along. One of them had a satellite phone and was able to call the Rangers and arrange for a helicopter to land about 1/4 mile down the trail on a ledge. But how could she get down that far? The firefighters took turns carrying her in a chair carry down a steep and narrow slope to get her to the helicopter.
Having received so much kind assistance I am ever vigilant for those who need help. Let's all pay it forward.
Having received so much kind assistance I am ever vigilant for those who need help. Let's all pay it forward.
Dec 28, 2016, 12:56 pm
#126
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2010
Programs: AA
Posts: 14,741
Shortly after I was born, my mother had to travel with just me (17 days old) and my 3 year old brother to a funeral. While she was trying to install my brother's car seat, a nice businessman across the aisle offered to hold me. When she was finished, he said he was fine to keep holding me for a little while. Well, my mom fell asleep and woke up 3 hours later to me still asleep across the aisle on that businessman's chest. It was the longest stretch of sleep she'd gotten in weeks. As we were getting off the plane, he told my mom thank you because he had been missing his grandkids.
So kind businessman, your gesture is still remembered almost 40 years later. And yes, I've passed on the kind gesture of helping look after a harried parent's kids.
So kind businessman, your gesture is still remembered almost 40 years later. And yes, I've passed on the kind gesture of helping look after a harried parent's kids.
Dec 28, 2016, 3:10 pm
#127
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Udon Thani, Thailand
Programs: TK E,*G, A-Club G
Posts: 869
hitch hiking
Age 15 to 17 did a few hitch hikes through France with a friend.
Being dropped off down town Strassbourg we walked all the way outside town to find some grass to put up our tent. We must have looked tired when a young couple pushing a buggy with a baby spoke to us offering some help. They offered a few square meters of grass down to their apartment building. Once we put up our small tent we were invited for supper, the mother cooked some spaghetti and offered a bowl of salad. Obviously they were not rich.
We slept very well that night...
One year later we hitch hiked to Bretagne.
On our way back at some cross roads a Simca 1000 break loaded with some heavy metal stove in the back stopped, the driver asked us to be seated, cut the engine and asked "where are you heading?" We named the next town, he asked "and then?" until we answered Paris.
"I am not going that far" he replied.
On our way he stopped at a resto-route and offered a full course lunch meal. Late afternoon we arrived in his home town. Once he got at his property he found out his young maid did a runner and he had to find/ talk to the parents. He offered us to walk around his domain and handed over a business card in case we would get stopped by his land supervisor. It appeared ha had huge hunting grounds and was a noble (baron).
We ended up spending the night at his domain? to be dropped off on the main road in the morning.
There really are some nice people out there.
Being dropped off down town Strassbourg we walked all the way outside town to find some grass to put up our tent. We must have looked tired when a young couple pushing a buggy with a baby spoke to us offering some help. They offered a few square meters of grass down to their apartment building. Once we put up our small tent we were invited for supper, the mother cooked some spaghetti and offered a bowl of salad. Obviously they were not rich.
We slept very well that night...
One year later we hitch hiked to Bretagne.
On our way back at some cross roads a Simca 1000 break loaded with some heavy metal stove in the back stopped, the driver asked us to be seated, cut the engine and asked "where are you heading?" We named the next town, he asked "and then?" until we answered Paris.
"I am not going that far" he replied.
On our way he stopped at a resto-route and offered a full course lunch meal. Late afternoon we arrived in his home town. Once he got at his property he found out his young maid did a runner and he had to find/ talk to the parents. He offered us to walk around his domain and handed over a business card in case we would get stopped by his land supervisor. It appeared ha had huge hunting grounds and was a noble (baron).
We ended up spending the night at his domain? to be dropped off on the main road in the morning.
There really are some nice people out there.
Dec 28, 2016, 9:11 pm
#128
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 283
Not to toot my own horn, but this summer, I helped a non-English speaking older couple to get to their sister who was flying into Pearson. They didn't have a contact number, were Albanian and couldn't speak English and were wearing old fashioned clothing, so I knew they couldn't afford a translator or somebody to meet her. I tried some French, they only knew her name and that she was flying through Italy. I think she was arriving at 0015.
I posted a while back about meeting my friend there. We had figured things out by then and by the time my friend arrived, this couple was with their sister. I offered to let them use my cell phone, tried to get assistance at the assistance desk (which didn't work, they only spoke their native language) and I tried to buy them food. They wouldn't let me buy food, and we basically just hung out in the arrivals area until a security guard came with the sister.
As for something kind that happened to me, I was in Montreal with a guy I'd known on the internet. We ended up hanging out for 4 subsequent trips to Montreal. We got in his car and drove to Ottawa where he, his gilfriend and I had a terrific day. We drank beer and ate at fancy restaurants. What I'll remember the most was when he offered to pick me up at my hostel and drove through a heavy rainstorm. He also took me to Marche Jean Talon and I shopped for an hour. All he wanted in return was a fudge brownie. He has a standing invitation to come visit me.
Chuck
I posted a while back about meeting my friend there. We had figured things out by then and by the time my friend arrived, this couple was with their sister. I offered to let them use my cell phone, tried to get assistance at the assistance desk (which didn't work, they only spoke their native language) and I tried to buy them food. They wouldn't let me buy food, and we basically just hung out in the arrivals area until a security guard came with the sister.
As for something kind that happened to me, I was in Montreal with a guy I'd known on the internet. We ended up hanging out for 4 subsequent trips to Montreal. We got in his car and drove to Ottawa where he, his gilfriend and I had a terrific day. We drank beer and ate at fancy restaurants. What I'll remember the most was when he offered to pick me up at my hostel and drove through a heavy rainstorm. He also took me to Marche Jean Talon and I shopped for an hour. All he wanted in return was a fudge brownie. He has a standing invitation to come visit me.
Chuck
Last edited by CKA1; Dec 28, 2016 at 9:23 pm
Dec 29, 2016, 11:21 pm
#130
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: RDU
Posts: 19
Business trip to DC a few years ago. Blew out my knee the first night rushing down an escalator to catch the last metro into town. Went to a walk-in the next morning, got a brace and some anti-inflammatories. Even with that, I could barely walk. The two blocks from my hotel to the metro station would take 15 minutes and required a couple stops.
I hadn't rented a car since both my hotel and the client were within easy walking distance of the metro. Was resigned to taking a cab everywhere, something I hate. Ended up chatting with the hotel's shuttle driver that evening as I hobbled in. Turns out the client's office was a couple blocks off his usual route to the airport. The rest of the week he detoured one of his morning runs to drop me off in front of their office and picked me up in the afternoon.
He got a massive tip at the end of the week. Sent a letter to corporate praising him (though I left out the specifics in case it was something that might get him in trouble).
I hadn't rented a car since both my hotel and the client were within easy walking distance of the metro. Was resigned to taking a cab everywhere, something I hate. Ended up chatting with the hotel's shuttle driver that evening as I hobbled in. Turns out the client's office was a couple blocks off his usual route to the airport. The rest of the week he detoured one of his morning runs to drop me off in front of their office and picked me up in the afternoon.
He got a massive tip at the end of the week. Sent a letter to corporate praising him (though I left out the specifics in case it was something that might get him in trouble).
Dec 30, 2016, 12:33 pm
#131
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: san francisco
Programs: No airline status whatsoever, Chase URs, HHonors Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 567
In September I was waiting for my connection to LaGuardia at the Houston airport, over on the side reading a book. I was concerned about getting a cab to my airport hotel because major construction had started and word was that the airport was just a huge mess. I could imagine standing in an endless line waiting for a cab. Reports stated that a cab could take an hour just to get into the passenger pickup area.
A woman several seats away said something very harsh, and I thought "wow, is talking to her kid like that?". I hear another comment, so I look over and see the face of a Yorkie gazing at me out of the basket in her lap. She had told it to 'sit'. She catches my eye, we laugh and start to chat. Her husband is picking her up at LGA and they knew nothing about the traffic mess. She calls him with the alert, turns to me to ask which hotel I've booked and tells her husband that they'll give me a ride over there. I'm stunned and figure that she will just forget about it. But later in the flight on I walk back to her seat where everyone is cooing over the Yorkie. She tells me where we will meet after I pick up my bag, as the Yorkie has to be walked. It's a Sunday, and there are no traffic issues at all. We had a ball finding the hotel with her GPS; it was very close but Queens is not your average American suburb. After they drove away, I was so upset that I hadn't invited them for dinner. I'll never forget her generosity and will continue to do my best to pay it forward. If Megan, Mike or Lovey from Yonkers are reading this, THANK YOU AGAIN!
A woman several seats away said something very harsh, and I thought "wow, is talking to her kid like that?". I hear another comment, so I look over and see the face of a Yorkie gazing at me out of the basket in her lap. She had told it to 'sit'. She catches my eye, we laugh and start to chat. Her husband is picking her up at LGA and they knew nothing about the traffic mess. She calls him with the alert, turns to me to ask which hotel I've booked and tells her husband that they'll give me a ride over there. I'm stunned and figure that she will just forget about it. But later in the flight on I walk back to her seat where everyone is cooing over the Yorkie. She tells me where we will meet after I pick up my bag, as the Yorkie has to be walked. It's a Sunday, and there are no traffic issues at all. We had a ball finding the hotel with her GPS; it was very close but Queens is not your average American suburb. After they drove away, I was so upset that I hadn't invited them for dinner. I'll never forget her generosity and will continue to do my best to pay it forward. If Megan, Mike or Lovey from Yonkers are reading this, THANK YOU AGAIN!
Last edited by jsn55; Dec 30, 2016 at 1:50 pm
Dec 30, 2016, 1:13 pm
#132
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
I was in Lyon yesterday and I was coming down the stairs at the Lyon Rhone Express Airport station and while still a full flight of steps from the platform, I saw there was a train at the platform and I watched the doors close. Just then the motorwoman looked up and saw me and I made a sad face and she opened the set of doors nearest to me! I rushed down and got on board, the doors shut, and off we left.
In years of taking subways, buses, trains, monorails etc. I've come very close and just missed probably close to a thousand. This is the first time a train employee ever opened the doors back up for me.
In years of taking subways, buses, trains, monorails etc. I've come very close and just missed probably close to a thousand. This is the first time a train employee ever opened the doors back up for me.
Dec 30, 2016, 1:21 pm
#133
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: DAY/CMH
Programs: UA MileagePlus
Posts: 2,474
I was eleven years old when my family arrived in Prague, Czechoslovakia (as it was then), en route to Moscow where my father was giving a paper at the International Congress of Psychology. My mother had translated a couple of papers for a Czech professor (named Kafka, as it happens, which proved sadly appropriate as events unfolded).
We installed ourselves in the campground and headed for the Polish consulate, where my mother had been advised she should go to get the visas we needed for the drive across Poland. My mother was Polish, so she could communicate with the officer as he asked for our passports. He looked at my mother's, noted her birthplace, and asked "when did you leave Poland?" She replied "In 1946." He said "You can't enter Poland. You're a defector."
No amount of pleading would move him, so we headed for Professor Kafka's apartment. I remember standing outside the ornate door, repeatedly pushing the doorbell button. He had warned my mother that he was deaf and would only answer the door if he happened to notice the light he'd rigged up on the doorbell circuit. My mother was ready to give up, but I said "let's try one more time," pushed the button, and was rewarded almost immediately by a warm welcome from the professor who had just walked into the hall where he could see the doorbell light.
Professor Kafka was heading out of town on vacation that very evening. We had no idea how long it might take to shake a visa out of the Polish government, but he said "Just take my apartment while I'm gone. Stay as long as you need to."
We stayed there for ten days. The consul went on vacation, and my father finally confronted the vice-consul, explaining forcefully in Yiddish with the Hebrew words subtracted that if he prevented my father, a distinguished American scientist, from delivering his important paper, he would create an international incident. The vice-consul saw the wisdom in avoiding such an outcome, the visas materialized, and we headed east.
We installed ourselves in the campground and headed for the Polish consulate, where my mother had been advised she should go to get the visas we needed for the drive across Poland. My mother was Polish, so she could communicate with the officer as he asked for our passports. He looked at my mother's, noted her birthplace, and asked "when did you leave Poland?" She replied "In 1946." He said "You can't enter Poland. You're a defector."
No amount of pleading would move him, so we headed for Professor Kafka's apartment. I remember standing outside the ornate door, repeatedly pushing the doorbell button. He had warned my mother that he was deaf and would only answer the door if he happened to notice the light he'd rigged up on the doorbell circuit. My mother was ready to give up, but I said "let's try one more time," pushed the button, and was rewarded almost immediately by a warm welcome from the professor who had just walked into the hall where he could see the doorbell light.
Professor Kafka was heading out of town on vacation that very evening. We had no idea how long it might take to shake a visa out of the Polish government, but he said "Just take my apartment while I'm gone. Stay as long as you need to."
We stayed there for ten days. The consul went on vacation, and my father finally confronted the vice-consul, explaining forcefully in Yiddish with the Hebrew words subtracted that if he prevented my father, a distinguished American scientist, from delivering his important paper, he would create an international incident. The vice-consul saw the wisdom in avoiding such an outcome, the visas materialized, and we headed east.
Dec 30, 2016, 1:54 pm
#134
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: san francisco
Programs: No airline status whatsoever, Chase URs, HHonors Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 567
After reading so many threads discussing the darker side of traveling (scams, pickpockets, bribery, disgusting passengers, etc) I thought we should lighten things up a bit and hear the GOOD things that come out of traveling.
What is an act of kindness you've experienced while traveling? Could be anything - a passenger giving you their higher-class seat, a taxi driver returning your dropped valuables, a hotel that provided above-expected service. The world is full of great people; let's hear about them!
My best experience was in 2011 when I was traveling from Moscow to Kiev. My boyfriend (now husband) and I accidentally headed the wrong direction on the metro line and arrived late to DME. We had not missed our flight but were within the time where they would not let us check our bags, so we had to be booked to a later flight. 8 hours later. So now instead of arriving in KBP in the early afternoon, we would arrive close to midnight. Our hostel is located right outside of Independence Square so we had mapped out how to get there by bus. We finally land in Kiev, exhausted and starving, and exit the terminal. We do not see any signs for the bus station and none of the police speak English. There are "taxis" outside offering a ride for UAH1000 - an OBSCENE amount of money
We are hopelessly trying to figure out what to do. We start approaching other exiting passengers to ask about the bus station. We finally find a girl sitting outside the terminal reading a book, waiting for her ride. I saw her in the cafe at DME so she was on our flight. She is Russian and speaks English and offers to help us. She starts walking with us to other terminals, asking in Russian where the bus station is. She learns it is at the exit of the airport complex, and walks with us over there. She reads the schedule and sees that the buses stopped running a few hours before, so we're stuck. She asks us where we are going, so I show her on the map, and she offers to share her cab with us. Her friend in Kiev called it so the price is only UAH100 - we offer to pay for the whole thing in gratitude but she waves us off. When her cab arrives, she talks to the cab driver and he agrees to take on additional passengers so we climb in. The price is raised to UAH200 because of the second stop and she agrees for us to pay half. We had an enjoyable ride into Kiev with her and we can't believe how lucky we were. She totally saved us - I have no idea what would have happened if we hadn't met her. We both returned to Moscow a few days later and we met up with her again and saw some museums (which she got us the Russian price for, since she bought the tickets they assumed we were all local because we kept quiet). We've kept in touch online and saw her in both Israel and Austria this past year. It's awesome how one person's willingness to help another became a pretty great friendship
What is an act of kindness you've experienced while traveling? Could be anything - a passenger giving you their higher-class seat, a taxi driver returning your dropped valuables, a hotel that provided above-expected service. The world is full of great people; let's hear about them!
My best experience was in 2011 when I was traveling from Moscow to Kiev. My boyfriend (now husband) and I accidentally headed the wrong direction on the metro line and arrived late to DME. We had not missed our flight but were within the time where they would not let us check our bags, so we had to be booked to a later flight. 8 hours later. So now instead of arriving in KBP in the early afternoon, we would arrive close to midnight. Our hostel is located right outside of Independence Square so we had mapped out how to get there by bus. We finally land in Kiev, exhausted and starving, and exit the terminal. We do not see any signs for the bus station and none of the police speak English. There are "taxis" outside offering a ride for UAH1000 - an OBSCENE amount of money
We are hopelessly trying to figure out what to do. We start approaching other exiting passengers to ask about the bus station. We finally find a girl sitting outside the terminal reading a book, waiting for her ride. I saw her in the cafe at DME so she was on our flight. She is Russian and speaks English and offers to help us. She starts walking with us to other terminals, asking in Russian where the bus station is. She learns it is at the exit of the airport complex, and walks with us over there. She reads the schedule and sees that the buses stopped running a few hours before, so we're stuck. She asks us where we are going, so I show her on the map, and she offers to share her cab with us. Her friend in Kiev called it so the price is only UAH100 - we offer to pay for the whole thing in gratitude but she waves us off. When her cab arrives, she talks to the cab driver and he agrees to take on additional passengers so we climb in. The price is raised to UAH200 because of the second stop and she agrees for us to pay half. We had an enjoyable ride into Kiev with her and we can't believe how lucky we were. She totally saved us - I have no idea what would have happened if we hadn't met her. We both returned to Moscow a few days later and we met up with her again and saw some museums (which she got us the Russian price for, since she bought the tickets they assumed we were all local because we kept quiet). We've kept in touch online and saw her in both Israel and Austria this past year. It's awesome how one person's willingness to help another became a pretty great friendship I'd like to start a campaign to urge all companies to furnish their customers a means via the internet to recognize and thank employees who are helpful. So often you "mean" to write a letter, but it doesn't get done, or you do write it and never know if the person who helped you got the kudos. Sometimes it's hard to remember that hospitality/airline people got their jobs because they like working with people. This world is so harsh and manners have taken a back seat ... I think that could be offset by going out of our way to say thanks to people directly.
Last edited by jsn55; Dec 30, 2016 at 3:18 pm
Dec 30, 2016, 11:26 pm
#135
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: RDU
Posts: 19
I'd like to start a campaign to urge all companies to furnish their customers a means via the internet to recognize and thank employees who are helpful. So often you "mean" to write a letter, but it doesn't get done, or you do write it and never know if the person who helped you got the kudos.
Being able to tweet a company's CS department about good/bad service is useful, but nothing gets a company's attention like a written letter sent through the mail. Especially if it is a positive one when all they normally get is complaints.