Kindness Counts

[Anonymous]

Yesterday, while at work, I actually saw one of the kindest acts ever from a DMV resident.

I work in a mall, at a well known store. A lady had checked out at the counter, went to pay for her item, but payment was declined. She fumbled a bit and shared that her credit had been locked up due to credit thieves and being hacked. She didn’t have any cash.

The woman next to her, who was also making a big purchase, said to me and her,
“I’ll pay for her item.” Then she turned to the lady and said “Don’t worry about paying me back or anything. Just pay it forward one day.”

The customer who was gifted the item broke down in tears. She clearly wasn’t poor, but was embarrassed that she didn’t have her finances figured out. Then she hugged the lady that was a stranger, but was so kind to her, and offered to buy her dinner.

As the customer left the area, I walked with her and said to her that sometimes God works in mysterious ways, and to just thank him for her kindness in offering up the gift. She continued to cry as she left the store.
***

I’ve been in the dmv for almost two decades and have never witnessed kindness from a stranger like this. It wasn’t a small item purchase. The lady who purchased the item spent in the hundreds for the other lady. But I’m glad that I saw this act of kindness. It makes me believe that there are still good people here in the dmv.

Two different races involved. Nothing but kindness and sincerity on display.

It was the sweetest moment to witness here in MoCo.

[Anonymous]

What was the item?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What was the item?

I ask because I routinely pay of people are short on groceries, but not for lingerie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What was the item?

I ask because I routinely pay of people are short on groceries, but not for lingerie.

Me again. I decided I would pay it forward whenever I could when I used my last five dollars to get a all day pass to get to dc from Virginia for my pmf interviews in 2001, not realizing you couldn't use them until 9:30. Someone just put a token (remember those) on the turnstile so I could go in. I'm now a member of the SES and I have never forgotten that kindness.

[Anonymous]

Love this, thank you for sharing OP! As a Christian this is the whole entire point of existence, to treat each other with love, and yet we so seldom see genuinely selfless acts. Beautiful.

[Anonymous]

Here’s the thing. Kindness counts, but the lady who paid got scammed. I’m super glad if you and she feel super swell about it all. Maybe these people will meet cute later on, and become BFFs as the reminisce about the time when….

Her money would have been better placed helping people that she wouldn’t share space with. But because this was a well dressed woman who felt like an equal, she feels super great about being kind! Nothing that she would feel about getting scammed by one of those unwashed, soup begging poors in the other thread.

I suspect many are going to come to this thread and pat the payer on the back in this thread, while putting the OP in the other thread down for helping the crazy and soupless. The fact is, the other OP also abused a privileged position without realizing how much damage and exploitation of a vulnerable person her donation may have let to.

And come on, you talk about God and the like… is the Message really to help the rich at the mall, or the truly downtrodden?

[Anonymous]

This doesn't seem like a believable story. Like the woman hung back crying so you could ring up the person behind her and then you just left the register to walk with the crying lady and tell her about God's blessings?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here’s the thing. Kindness counts, but the lady who paid got scammed. I’m super glad if you and she feel super swell about it all. Maybe these people will meet cute later on, and become BFFs as the reminisce about the time when….

Her money would have been better placed helping people that she wouldn’t share space with. But because this was a well dressed woman who felt like an equal, she feels super great about being kind! Nothing that she would feel about getting scammed by one of those unwashed, soup begging poors in the other thread.

I suspect many are going to come to this thread and pat the payer on the back in this thread, while putting the OP in the other thread down for helping the crazy and soupless. The fact is, the other OP also abused a privileged position without realizing how much damage and exploitation of a vulnerable person her donation may have let to.

And come on, you talk about God and the like… is the Message really to help the rich at the mall, or the truly downtrodden?

Oh good grief. How do you know the lady who paid doesn't also help people who are hungry or homeless? You seem miserable and just want to get on a soap box.

[Anonymous]

I did this once at the grocery store. The woman in front of me only had her checkbook and there was a sign at the register dated the day before that said they no longer accepted checks. She was so upset about it and so I paid for her $200 worth of groceries. She said she'd write the check out to me but I said she could donate the money or look for an opportunity to help someone else out in the future. I've actually never told anyone that story before but I would do it again in a heartbeat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here’s the thing. Kindness counts, but the lady who paid got scammed. I’m super glad if you and she feel super swell about it all. Maybe these people will meet cute later on, and become BFFs as the reminisce about the time when….

Her money would have been better placed helping people that she wouldn’t share space with. But because this was a well dressed woman who felt like an equal, she feels super great about being kind! Nothing that she would feel about getting scammed by one of those unwashed, soup begging poors in the other thread.

I suspect many are going to come to this thread and pat the payer on the back in this thread, while putting the OP in the other thread down for helping the crazy and soupless. The fact is, the other OP also abused a privileged position without realizing how much damage and exploitation of a vulnerable person her donation may have let to.

And come on, you talk about God and the like… is the Message really to help the rich at the mall, or the truly downtrodden?

Op here. I disagree with you on this. I witnessed the whole transaction and it was genuine.

The lady who could not pay was attempting to pay thru other means. At the end of the day, it would have been an item that she could not afford, no sale, and she would have left empty handed.

The women who was gifted did make efforts to repay her gifter, and the gifter really did not want to accept repayment.

It was sincere. I have names.

I’m sorry that you feel so jaded in life that every transaction appears to be stoked in greed or misgiving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This doesn't seem like a believable story. Like the woman hung back crying so you could ring up the person behind her and then you just left the register to walk with the crying lady and tell her about God's blessings?

Op. It happened. I was there witnessing the transaction.

I’m amazed at how jaded some of you are. Maybe that’s why I shared that I rarely see acts of true kindness like this in the dmv.

It wasn’t as sensational as you are trying to carve it out as. Two customers making purchases, one chips in to pay for the other, no strings attached other than “pay it forward.”

I help customers daily with purchases that mean a lot to them. Many share confidences. Some are there with significant others and are arguing or ask me for advice.

What I witnessed was a random act of kindness from one stranger to another.

But it’s just like the dmv to want to tarnish that sincerity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What was the item?

I ask because I routinely pay of people are short on groceries, but not for lingerie.

Me again. I decided I would pay it forward whenever I could when I used my last five dollars to get a all day pass to get to dc from Virginia for my pmf interviews in 2001, not realizing you couldn't use them until 9:30. Someone just put a token (remember those) on the turnstile so I could go in. I'm now a member of the SES and I have never forgotten that kindness.

Uhhh metrorail has never used tokens. The bus did but there is no turnstile for buses?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This doesn't seem like a believable story. Like the woman hung back crying so you could ring up the person behind her and then you just left the register to walk with the crying lady and tell her about God's blessings?

Op. It happened. I was there witnessing the transaction.

I’m amazed at how jaded some of you are. Maybe that’s why I shared that I rarely see acts of true kindness like this in the dmv.

It wasn’t as sensational as you are trying to carve it out as. Two customers making purchases, one chips in to pay for the other, no strings attached other than “pay it forward.”

I help customers daily with purchases that mean a lot to them. Many share confidences. Some are there with significant others and are arguing or ask me for advice.

What I witnessed was a random act of kindness from one stranger to another.

But it’s just like the dmv to want to tarnish that sincerity.

Oh I mostly believe in the act of kindness.

I also don’t think payer lady would have paid for sone who wasn’t nicely dressed and had a good story.

I don’t believe nicely dressed lady was really in the midst of the drama as she protested.

You apparently having Names and stuff is kind of ironing/strange/funny, considering distraught lady was claiming financial hacking/ fraud.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here’s the thing. Kindness counts, but the lady who paid got scammed. I’m super glad if you and she feel super swell about it all. Maybe these people will meet cute later on, and become BFFs as the reminisce about the time when….

Her money would have been better placed helping people that she wouldn’t share space with. But because this was a well dressed woman who felt like an equal, she feels super great about being kind! Nothing that she would feel about getting scammed by one of those unwashed, soup begging poors in the other thread.

I suspect many are going to come to this thread and pat the payer on the back in this thread, while putting the OP in the other thread down for helping the crazy and soupless. The fact is, the other OP also abused a privileged position without realizing how much damage and exploitation of a vulnerable person her donation may have let to.

And come on, you talk about God and the like… is the Message really to help the rich at the mall, or the truly downtrodden?

Meet cute? What does that mean?

[Anonymous]

One rich person pays for another rich person. Now that’s true charity!