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People Describe The Nicest Interaction They've Ever Had With A Stranger

Strangers can be kinder than family.

People Describe The Nicest Interaction They've Ever Had With A Stranger
Brigitte is always pleased to get a coffee from Pixabay

Sometimes you can only open yourself up completely with a person you've never met and may never meet again.

That is probably because you owe that person nothing.

For a brief time you'll share an intimacy without judgement because there is no baggage.

And these moments can be life changing and affirming.

You never know how a quick smile or hello will change the course of a person's day.

Redditor v_rose23 wanted know about the people they've encountered that left a lasting impression though by asking:

"What's the nicest interaction you've ever had with a stranger?

Many years ago, a significant break up left me devastated.

After my ex and I shared our last goodbye on a balmy evening in the West Village, I had to make my train pilgrimage home alone.

The trek was about forty-five minutes from where I was, it felt like forty-five years.

I tried my best to keep a stiff upper lip.

But five minutes into the trip, nestled in between two girthy men on a crowded train, while listening to Adele the waterworks became unstoppable.

I diligently tried to hide my shame.

But between the snot, the tears and the drunken sing along to "Hello", there was no hiding it.

At my lowest moment, I felt a hand.

I looked up as a delicate young woman handed me a packet of tissues.

She just smiled and winked.

And then she exited.

I never saw her again.

But she reminded me, with no words, that one day it was all going to be ok again.

That there as still goodness in the world.

I needed that.

I wish I had told her.

I bet these next people can relate.

A Grand Family

When I was a kid me and my family travelled around Ireland for a bit. When it came time to get the ferry back to England, our van broke down and we missed it. There wouldn't be another ferry for two weeks.

The Irish family whose house we broke down outside of took all six of us in for two weeks and never asked for anything in return.

Douglasqqq

Giphy

"I've had a rough few days" 

i was staying in a homeless shelter and i'd just cut my abusive mother out my life. i felt like absolute crap and decided to sit in Mcdonald's for a few hours just to kill time. i'm sitting there and this wee girl (maybe about 5) comes up to me and asks me why i look so sad.

i don't want to bum this kid out so i just say "i've had a rough few days" she says to me "wait there, i wanna ask my mum something" so she runs back up to me a moment later and hands me a balloon. i'm a bit confused and try to say "thanks but it's your balloon, I don't wanna take that away from you" but she's absolutely certain this balloon will make me happy.

So i'm sitting there with this balloon she tied around my bag and invites her mum and sister over to talk to me because she thinks i need company and cheering up. it was actually really sweet. kinda reminded me no matter how sh!t my parents were, there's still good parents out there. I gave them my happy meal toy and £1 each. the mum was also super nice. we sat there chatting for a bit.

it doesn't sound like much but I'll always remember that because it was something I needed and just cheered me up. I think i might still have the balloon in a box somewhere.

smcsleazy

Hours in the Rain...

I spent 10 hours total in Ireland once and in that time I got rained on for three hours and wind destroyed my umbrella, had a splitting headache and nearly pissed my pants, saved an old guy's seat in the top tower of the St. James' Gate Brewery and he ended up giving my wife and I free tickets for a bus tour, came with us and became our tour guide for the day. Brian, you were awesome.

Ireland seems great for these moments but I hear stories like this from all over the world and it makes me feel so much better about things.

mechapoitier

Rock, paper, Scissor

I was searching for a parking space in the city where parking spaces are rare.

Just as I found one and set my blinker another guy coming from the other direction set his too.

We looked at each other undecided for a moment, then I signaled a rock paper scissor game through my front window. He immediately understood and we played one round. He won the game so I still had no parking space, but the interaction made my day!

JACKTheHECK

When in Walmart...

I walked down the toaster aisle at Wal Mart a couple of summers ago and an elderly woman was trying to make a selection. She stopped me and asked me my opinion. Until then, I hadn't noticed that there were so many choices in toasters available nowadays.

We discussed the various merits of each toaster and hit upon the type that also toasted bagels as her son's family visited throughout the year and they enjoyed bagels for breakfast and she would love to provide that for them.

She thanked me for assisting her and wished that we could be neighbors. She said that she had lovely neighbors now but that I was so kind and would be a wonderful addition to the neighborhood. That made me feel pretty good. I walked away beaming.

NebraskaSkid

At certain moments in life all you need is a thank you or a good job by someone. And when that someone is a complete stranger it can mean more. They're not family, they don't have to say anything. They aren't a loved one, so there is no hidden agenda behind the sentiment.

You don't have to measure up or prove anything to a stranger, and Lord is that ever a freeing feeling. I have to admit, when it comes to my talents, I always soak in the compliments of strangers deeper. They're going out of their way for no reason except to be kind. This whole thread just proves the point on how connection matters. Even in unknown eyes.

Going Home

I was in Denver's International Airport and me and my dad were on standby the entire day.

First flight home we tried was early 4am. Then we tried four more throughout the day. As an 7 year old little boy, i remember feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and just exhausted because i wanted to go home so badly.

My dad bought food at one of the restaurants in the airport to cheer me up but i remember crying and bawling to my dad saying "i just want to go home."

Giphy

Little did I know i would meet one of the nicest strangers that day. On the last flight to Phoenix, Arizona at around 12 am, a man who was also on standby today gets called to board but he took the last 1/2 seats meaning me and my dad would have to stay overnight at the airport.

But this kind generous man decided to give up his spot so that me and my dad could get on the flight. I cried again and hug him with all my heart and said "thank you." He said that he also saw us the whole day on stand by and noticed that we were feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. His selfless act and generosity truly shaped the way I see humans and helped me be the person I am today.

wasabi3122

Take my Handiwork...

On weekdays when I did my daily practice, a lady I didn't know would sit in a pew knitting afghans.

She'd listen to the organ music and knit, sometimes for 2-3 hours at a time.

One day, she came up to the organ console in the church's choir loft and introduced herself, showing me her finished afghan - a truly beautiful piece of handiwork.

She said, "I knit this for you as a gift in appreciation for your music. I look forward to hearing you practice each day."

When I look at that afghan now, I still see her sweet face, smile, and genuine kindness.

Back2Bach

the lovely soul

15 years ago, I was on my first solo travel trip and I was walking along the pavement of this quiet residential area in Bangkok and it started raining heavily and this man with an umbrella who must have been walking behind me was suddenly at my side and we shared his umbrella for a few blocks and neither of us said anything because we didn't speak each other's languages and then when we parted ways we both smiled at each other and I remember thinking that this man's lovely, kind soul was visible both in his actions and his smile.

kartoffelly

The Rear End

I rear-ended a woman on my way home from work once. I was in the middle of a heated conversation with my passenger, came upon a line of cars at a red light, slammed on my brakes but just couldn't stop in time. The whole thing was my fault, nothing but stupidity and negligence. No serious damage but I hit her hard enough to make her car rock forward.

She got out, asked if I was okay, and gave me a hug before getting back in her car and going on her way.

Made me rethink how I interact with strangers and changed my perspective of people forever.

Still think of her often.

saptap_casually

Good Luck Friend

I took a motorcycle taxi in Bali. Haggled with the guy who wanted a bit more money than I thought the trip was worth. Jumped on the back of the bike and chatted as we rode along.

Giphy

He said he'd moved from another part of the country to Bali after his divorce, looking for a new life. I said I really understood what that was like and wished him all the best. When we got to my destination I only had the exact amount he had asked for, so I gave it to him and we both walked away feeling happy and understood. People are the same wherever they are from.

ThatsMcGuffin2U

Be kind, to everybody, especially now.

Things are so fragile and everyone is on edge.

So let's do our best to spread some decency, even when surrounded by strangers.

Flash those pearly whites.

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strangers

The All-Time Scariest True Stories People Have Ever Heard

Reddit user Ok-Bid-1179 asked: 'What’s the scariest 100% true story you’ve heard of?'

Creey forest at night
Adrian Infernus/Unsplash

People love horror films because they know the terror depicted on the big screen is pure Hollywood magic and completely fake.

But when it comes to true-life terrors, even the most dedicated horror film aficionados can be left trembling in their boots.

Curious to hear some of the most absolutely hair-raising events from strangers online, Redditor Ok-Bid-1179 asked:

"What’s the scariest 100% true story you’ve heard of?"

These real-life stories may keep you up at night.

Befriending A Murderer

"My uncle was in a bar one night and started talking to this random guy. He described him as 'a really nice guy.'"

"He met him a few other times in the same bar. They drank and talked about random stuff. Soon after, my uncle stopped seeing the guy at the bar."

"Idk how long after, but my uncle got notified that he had jury duty. He showed up and found out what it was for. A serial killer and the killer was his friend from the bar. Derrick Todd Lee."

"My uncle was promptly dismissed from jury duty for obvious reasons."

– I_am_dean

People had sinister stories related to jobs.

Late Night Shift Employee

"I work midnight shift at a gas station and I have for quite awhile at various stations in different areas with varying levels of criminal activity."

"I have regulars, of course. I’m a small-statured woman (as is my partner the other half of the week, and we’ve always been partners) so these regulars often worry about us and keep watch on creepy occurrences when they can."

"I had one man who worked in the metro an hour away who would stop in every morning for his cigarettes. He never smiled or seemed friendly, and as I often do, I tried to think of what I could do that might make him smile one day."

"It took many months but I finally pulled it off by having his cigarettes ready on the counter and already scanned for him to pay for as he walked in. He smiled, and then asked me"

“Do you ever get scared on the night shift? You small girl, is not safe.”

"I said I sometimes did but we could lock the doors and hide if we had to, and that the provincial police (think state troopers, if you’re American) had a station close by and came in often to get their highway vehicles washed. I had a good rapport with those police. He nodded and then told me a story about when he first moved to our country from Eastern Europe with his wife and child back in the late 80’s, early 90’s."

"He fell asleep at work one night at the gas station he worked midnights at. When he woke up, the phone had been ringing for hours and his manager was shaking him violently asking if he was alright. He was fine, he said, what was the problem? He was sorry he fell asleep."

"His manager screamed that it was fine he fell asleep, to look outside. All of their motor oil was missing and the outside of the place was a mess."

"The thieves had come and swiped all the oil and left him be because he slept through the entire thing, and then moved down the road to the next station for an encore. At that station, the clerk was awake and fought back, so the thieves stabbed him to death and left him to bleed out."

"When he finished telling me this, he concluded with."

“If you ever feel sleepy just lock the door and do it, it might save your life”

"I don’t work at that station anymore but I think about that guy all the time and wonder how his grandkids are."

"Here is a link to an article talking about how that poor other clerk’s killers were finally found 25 years later:"

https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/mobile/arrest-made-in-1990-murder-of-gas-station-attendant-1.2650933

– IgnorethisIamstupid

Trapped

"There was an incident in Trinidad where some maintenance divers were removing a plug from an oil pipeline and were instantly sucked into it. One was able to escape but the other 4 were trapped for days in a small, oil coated pipe for days with only a small air pocket to breathe in before they died. Thinking about it in detail and imagining what it must have been like for them makes me extremely uncomfortable."

– superficial_user

There's no creepier place than being in the woods. Especially when these sorts of encounters happen.

The Wrong Friends

"When I was 17 I was hanging out with 2 friends and they wanted to go smoke in the woods. I didn't feel like it so I drove them and waited in the car."

"After a while I was getting bored and decided to go meet them but there were 4 paths going off in different directions so I just took the biggest one. After walking for a few minutes in the pitch black forest (before flashlights on phones), I come across this dip in the trail and on the other side is a bench lightly visible due to the moonlight."

"On the the bench is sitting a man and another one in standing in front of him but I can only make out silhouettes. Being sure these are my friends I yell out to them before walking over. If you ever walked the woods at night it's just an uneasy feeling all around so I was cautious to begin with."

"Well it turns out, juste after yelling out to my 'friends,' both silouhettes turn around towards me. Not a word, not a sound, the guy sitting down starts sprinting FULL F'KING SPEED towards me in complete silence. I got the absolute f'k out of there sprinting also the other way and tripping over sh*t because I couldn't see anything."

"I finally get out and lock myself in my car, but I was really worried for my friends. Maybe a minute later I see them both coming out of a completely different path, they also confirmed they never saw me or anyone else. My heart still sinks just thinking about that dude sprinting in silence wtf was that sh*t."

– NoFutureGuy

The Homeless Camp

"Weird....I have a similar story!"

"Years ago I remember sneaking out of my friends house at night to really do nothing but walk around the neighborhood and hide from car headlights. We were young and bored. There was a 'homeless' camp that was down in some woods off the railroad tracks not too far from his house. We had seen the trail and knew what was back there."

"One of the homeless guys that lived there was actually an old friend of my buddies Dad, and he had stopped over a few times and my friends Dad let him shower there and everything. He could have worked if he wanted, but legit told us he just liked living 'off the grid'. Just wanted to give you some backstory on the reason why we thought it would be cool and 'safe' to go check it out at night."

"We were a bit nervous at first thinking what if we get there and his Dads friend isn't there...so we were sneaking up on it. It was a longer walk than we thought. We got kind of close and saw there was a fire going lighting up the woods a bit."

"We start sneaking closer but the trail seemed to continue straight, while the camp set off the trail to the left. We got idk maybe 100 feet from the camp (about 30 meters) and we looked down the trail and saw a faint silhouette of what we thought was a person. The silhouette looked like it was coming from deeper in the woods towards the camp. We froze and ducked slightly to the side of the trail."

"I told my friend that I didn't like it, and we should just sneak the hell out. He said he had the same feeling. As I said, the fire at the camp was just enough to light the area well enough to see. We end up slowly creeping slightly off the trail back to the railroad tracks. We get probably 30-40 or so feet (9-12 meters) and I told him I would rather just hit the trail and just slowly walk back because the bushes and trees and everything were hard to navigate and I would rather be able to see something coming so we could book it out. We played football and were both pretty fast."

"We slide out of the brush and see the silhouette has gotten closer, however moving further from the fire, the light was dimmer, but we could still make out someone or something was standing there moving closer. My first thought was that maybe they saw us duck into the bushes and were coming to check, but it just felt off. My friend and I looked at each other and both mutually and silently decided to pick up the pace. Almost on que, we both looked back and the silhouette was now BOOKING IT TOWARDS US ABSOULTELY SILENT. No noise, just fast movement. We high tail it as fast as we can."

Thankfully, the trail was wide so we weren't bumping into each other or anything. Neither of us looked back until we hit the railroad tracks, then hit the railroad track bridge and were on the other side. I looked back as I was slowing down, past the bridge and didn't see anyone. We got back to his house pretty fast and luckily that was the end of it."

– ZekeMoss18

Life is full of many creepy mysteries.

It's no wonder many films are based on actual events.

The ones that terrify me the most are the home invasion movies like The Strangers.

It may have been Hollywood that dramatized events depicted in the film, but there's no doubt such horrific events that have happened in real life are enough to keep us up at night and on high alert.

scary

Notorious Frauds Who Somehow Still Have A Following Despite Being Exposed

fraud themed artwork
@bastardbot/Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Cognitive dissonance is when one learns new information that challenges a deeply held belief that seems to undercut a favorable self-image, that person may feel motivated to somehow resolve the negative feeling that results—to restore cognitive consonance—by ignoring the challenging source.

This isn't the only response to cognitive dissonance, but it's the one most people are familiar with.

This behavior explains people believing something—or following a leader—despite all the contradictory facts. Outsiders look at the situation and are amazed that their adherents can't see the absurdity of the fraud.

But it's a common occurrence.

Just spend some time watching documentaries about cults and you'll see all the proof you need.

Keep reading...Show less
life

Insider Secrets Casinos Don't Want Us To Know

a casino table with a lot of chips on it
Kaysha on Unsplash

According to the American Gaming Association, there were 1005 casinos in the United States as of December 2022. They accounted for $328.6 billion in economic impact with $101.4 billion gross casino revenue.

With all that activity and cash, casinos have to be carefully crafted, well-oiled machines.

For an industry based on luck, they leave almost nothing to chance.

Keep reading...Show less
work

The All-Time Biggest First Date Red Flags

couple dining out
Photo by Wiktor Karkocha on Unsplash

When you're on a first date, one of three things will happen. Either you'll like the person and want to go out again, you like the person fine, but not romantically, and won't want to go out again, or the person will display a behavior that is so off-putting (or make you genuinely fearful), that you won't even want to see the person ever again.

My best friend and I are basically the same person, so when she met a guy who he had a lot in common with, she figured I'd like him too and set us up (I had previously told her I was okay with being set up).

Well, it turns out the guy actually hadn't read any of the books, watched any of the shows, or heard of any of the bands he talked about with my friend. I didn't understand why he would lie about all these things until I left the table.

When I came back, he was on the phone with someone and he was telling them he only told her he liked all those things because he liked my friend. When he found out she was in a relationship, he decided he'd let her set us up in the hopes that he could date me until my friend and her boyfriend broke up, and then he could swoop in.

I just walked out and when he finally texted me asking what was up, I told him I overheard him, then proceeded to block him. My friend was mortified to hear about the date, and I decided never to be set up again.

I'm not the only one who has gone on a date and discovered a huge red flag. Redditors have experienced this too, and are eager to share their stories.

It all started when Redditor APT3993 asked:

"What’s the biggest red flag you have seen on a first date?"

Dates Of Relationships Past

"They won't shut up about their ex."

– SiriusGD

"Had this happen to me on a 2nd date."

"Asked if she could use my computer, I said OK. Then she pulls up her ex's FB profile to browse through it, and she spent the next 10 minutes comparing me to him, saying he she thinks that I will turn out to be controlling and manipulative like him because we both grew up on a farm and we both like cars."

"Ummm, wut?"

– alwaysmyfault

"He angrily told me I would “love” his ex wife. Proceeded to cry while talking about her. They’d been divorced for 5 years. I genuinely hope he is doing better."

– TX_Mothman

"She constantly compared me to her ex, and sat on her phone for most of the night, then expected me to pay for her two bottles of wine, plus really expensive meal and desert."

"She asked me out btw, not the other way around."

– Stuspawton

I Know What I Want

"The guy who tried to change my order with the waitress because he didn’t think the drink I’d asked for was sufficiently feminine."

"I ordered beer. I don’t remember exactly what he thought I should have, maybe white wine? It was a long time ago."

"The waitress was looking at me like ‘You heard that sh*t too right?’ and I told her actually I wouldn’t have anything, thanks, and I left."

– MaggieLuisa

"He changed it FROM A BEER TO SOMETHING ELSE!!?! That’s amazing to me. Like it’s bad enough if you ordered an IPA and he said, “I dunno, sweetie, your delicate female taste buds probably can’t handle the hoppiness. Hey, honey, why don’t we get the lady a Coors.”"

– AdaptiveVariance

The Position Of Boyfriend

"We met for drinks after work (since we both work in the same industry) and she showed up with a list of interview questions. She literally had a checklist on her phone for me to fill out. I thought she was joking at first, but the questions were extremely personal, like how many sexual partners you've had, the oldest, the youngest; How much money you made the previous year; If you owned a house, a car, a boat, a plane; Did you have a criminal history; Where do you parents live; Are they alive; Who did you vote for in the last election; All kinds of stuff like that."

"I even proposed that we could just use that as a conversation starter and we could work through them like that as a fun way to get to know each other. I was really trying. She tells me that she's not answering any of them because I'm trying to date her, not the other way around!"

"I laughed out loud thinking she was kidding, then realized she was absolutely serious. I wished her all the best in the dating world, chugged my beer, overtipped the waitress, and left."

– OkFrostina

"Yeah, I would really push that to the limit without getting law enforcement involved. Start with all the times I have ended up in rehabilitation, my abductions by UFO, the wild, kinky sex partners I have had, the millions I have lost before living under a bridge, etc."

– passporttohell

Scary As Hell

"Had a guy who insisted on buying the most expensive pizza at the restaurant despite my protests then kissed my head when he walked past me to use the restroom. After dinner we walked along the waterfront, he kissed me and then immediately tried to choke me "to be sexy". First date, last date."

– Twours1944

"What the sh*t?? Who taught this idiot that choking in public on the first date all without consent is a great get-to-know-you move??"

– villainsimper

Stranger Danger

"This was literally the day of a first date. But I had matched with an older man when I was still on dating apps. We planned to go on a hike on a very beautiful day by the water. On the day of the date, he wanted me to leave my car at his place, while he drove us through the backwoods so we can beat traffic. I said I’ll be happy to drive myself, and he laughed and canceled. His reasoning was he’s been stood up so many times and he didn’t want to waste his time and me not show up. I said “okay!I apologize for the inconvenience. I hope you find what you are looking for. “and blocked him."

"The red flag was when he genuinely got upset that I didn’t want to ride in a car with a stranger through the backwoods for our first date."

– Jesusdoescrack

"You should have said “you fear being stood up, I fear being murdered.”"

– The_She_Ghost

Truly Gross

"He pointed to another woman at the bar and said she was his ex. But she happened to be my lesbian roommate."

"Yes, I told him I knew he was full of it cuz she was my roommate, and I pointed out her girlfriend who was there with her. I don’t remember what he said exactly but he had no choice but to admit he was lying. I wish I had asked why he said it. I assume to make me jealous? Like that’s a good way to start a relationship? Obviously, that was the only date."

– Grapegoop

​Those Who Came Before

"He told me he had been divorced 5 times. I'm taking the advice of 5 women I don't know."

– 13liz

"The way you phrased this killed me 😂"

– CumulativeHazard

Got Her Feeling Emotions

"Does bursting into tears after I told them I didn't like a TV show count?"

– JumboDakotaSmoke

"I'm curious as to what TV show it was?"

– ladydamnation

"Grey's Anatomy."

– JumboDakotaSmoke

"bursts into tears"

– akennelley

Um...What?!

"He took me to his house (he lived with his mom) just so HE could eat dinner with his mom while I sat in the living room. I listened to them eat and talk about my looks like I couldn't hear them. Apparently, I was pretty but "needed to be taken down a peg or two." I said my period had started so I had to go home. A future abuser and his enabler mommy."

– BigMcLargeHuge77

Ew...Just Ew

"We went to a movie. He spent the first half with his hand inside one of his socks, then pulling it out and smelling it, putting it back in, repeat, repeat."

"Then he spent the second half trying to hold my hand. With his sock hand."

– Deleted User

Bad From The Start

"She asked if I could order for her because she was uncomfortable talking to the brown waitress.

"Added: Same girl would not stop talking about Kardashian gossip even though I told her I know nothing about them and didn’t care to know."

– CanaDoug420

Stop, Theif!

"He showed up drunk with a bouquet of flowers he admitted he stole from his mother's flower shop."

– LookAcrossTheWater

​Cringe-Worthy

"Went to a charity coffee shop for a date. It was “free” coffee where they just ask for donations which went toward their org’s efforts to feed and house people. They explained this to him and asked if he wanted to make a donation for our drinks."

"He said no."

– Shredded_Wheaties

Oh, yikes! I would be so embarrassed!

In fact, I'm kind of losing faith in dating as a concept.

bad first dates