Have you ever done something that could be considered a good deed,

[mwmisses4289]

then afterward wondered what the hell was i thinking?
At Costco today, getting gas, when I noticed a young person at the pumps in front of me. Didn't pay them much attention at first, pumped my gas and waited for them to finish so I could pull out (it was really busy and every pump was in use, so had to wait for the vehicle ahead to pull out). That's when I realized they seemed to be having an issue with paying. They pulled out several cards, and none seemed to work. I asked them, Do you want me to pay for your gas? They turned a startled face to me and said would you? It's reading my costco card fine, but doesn't seem to like my cards. And I just used them somewhere else with no problem.
I said sure, got out of my car, let them put in their Costco card, then used my card to pay. They politely turned away as I put in my number, and I used my other hand to cover the numbers I was pressing. They thanked me, I told them not to worry about, they could pay it forward to someone else. I got in my car and drove off (other pumps had no one in front of them for the moment), then wondered what the hell was i thinking? All i know is in the moment, I could not bear to see someone maybe down to their last dregs of gas not be able to get home.
Hope they got home safely, and wish them well.

[MIButterfly]

1. You did a very kind thing today, mwmisses4289!

Good for you.



I had trouble using my debit card at Costco one time so I had to use a credit card. I stopped at my bank on the way home to find out why and it turned out they had arbitrarily shut down my card for "suspicious activity." Who knows why? Anyway, whatever the reason for that person's cards not working, I think you a good thing.

[mwmisses4289]

15. For whatever reason, it seems the Costco pumps won't read

debit or credit cards that worked just fine in the store a few minutes before! It's even more annoying when one goes to your bank and finds out there is absolutely nothing wrong with your card. So yeah, the pumps at Costco can be quirky as hell, which is majorly annoying when trying to get gas!

[FadedMullet]

2. Don't beat yourself up. You did a good deed, a kindness towards others. Plus ten points on the mensch scale.

[rampartd]

3. what the hell were you thinking?

the lady in front of me at the grocery did not have enough money and was going to leave a watermelon.

i asked if she wanted the melon and told the cashier to charge me.

i think you're ok, but credit card purchases are a bit more dangerous.

[Inkey]

4. I know that I have paid for other peoples fuel before

Willingly

Driving cross-country over the years have allowed me to see others in need before they talk with me or other
People at highway stations . Just being friendly I guess.

[William Gustafson]

5. all good deeds come back 10X fold....

I believe that.... you did a kind thing and that is rare these days...
I always try to do something kind for strangers each day... hold a door open, let someone with just a few items cut in front of me... or just saying hello... but paying for someone's else's gas, that's going beyond... so, it comes back to you when you least expect it... you did good today...

[Bayard]

6. I'm a big believer in Pay It Forward

One of the--Been there, done that crowd--and try to help someone else not experience the same. Only problem is sometimes people are suspicious and disillusioned, and don't trust another's good intentions.

[sheshe2]

7. You did good.

Thank you.

[buzzycrumbhunger]

8. Yup

… but the most recent has turned into a huge regret.

The Sarasota-Bradenton area has like 900,000 people (don’t think that counts snowbirds). Housing costs have skyrocketed, taking everything else with them. As a result (and factoring in that the climate is at least mild year round so no one’s going to freeze to death half the year), we have TONS of homeless.

I’ve interacted with many of them as I was riding the bus to/from work, and there was always someone panhandling if you made the mistake of making eye contact or returning a greeting. Sorry, I don’t carry cash. I’m just trying to get home in one piece after a shitty day, dude.

Last week, we were headed to an appointment and son had to screech to a stop mid intersection because a woman decided to ignore the red light and push her loaded bike right in front of our car as we were turning. She flashed a peace sign, son waved her on. Apparently, he/we are easily remembered because we keep seeing her around now, and she keeps approaching us for handouts. Mind you, son and I BOTH are currently unemployed and freaking out about not being homeless ourselves, but she cornered him at fkg Walmart the other day and she demanded he buy her a $5 rotisserie chicken. He was so dumbfounded that he did it just to be rid of her. I’m fairly confident this is going to get ugly very quickly… Makes me reluctant to even make eye contact with people, let alone helpful beyond getting things off high shelves and helping grannies navigate rough terrain. *sigh*

I really, REALLY hate this timeline…

[ColoringFool]

9. Be careful. She ain't right.

[ColoringFool]

10. Kind Of. Recently Sent A Young Relative Money For A Lawyer, And Now....

She might qualify for FREE legal aid, but I cannot ask for the money back because she could use it for other purposes, but HAD I KNOWN .....

[HeartsCanHope]

11. Thank you for your kindness!

When someone in front of me is having problems with their debit card, I do the same thing.

I can't bear to think that someone may go hungry, or not get home safely--it's a small thing to me to pay,

but may help someone who truly is in need.

[ShepKat]

12. your kindness is your karma-

If they were malicious, that's THEIR karma

[Emile]

13. I took the initiative to pick up trash along our two mile stretch of road.

I adopted that section of road for probably 20 years. Many trips to the recycling center.

[DFW]

14. Amazing. My wife had a similiar experience yesterday.

She was on her way home to our house near Düsseldorf, when she was forced to take a detour because part of the Autobahn was under construction. It was fairly late (10:30 PM or so), and she needed gas, so she stopped at a gas station which had closed, but was open to automated payments. There was a car with Dutch license plates stopped next to one of the pumps with a frustrated driver standing next to one of the pumps. He was out of gas, but only had €100 bills in cash, and the automated pump only took credit cards. The guy wasn't even Dutch (Moroccan immigrant), but spoke enough English to communicate. He couldn't get home, and was facing spending the night in his car until the gas station opened in the morning. My wife used a card (which she hates) to pay for his gas. He wanted to leave her a €100 bill, even though his gas was only half that. She wouldn't take it, told him she hated credit cards, too, but carried one nonetheless due to the fact that it is ever more frequent that some places do not take cash. She told him to get home safely, and off he went. My wife and I both hate credit cards, and use cash wherever and whenever possible. Unfortunately, it isn't always possible.

She also had a similar situation in reverse in Cape Cod. In one of the small grocery stores in Wellfleet, their electronics had a malfunction, and they couldn't process any credit cards. There was a young mother trying to buy some formula for her baby, all of $5, and she only had a credit card. The cashier told her they couldn't process any credit cards, and the woman began to cry because she had ONLY credit cards, and not a cent of cash. My wife paid for he baby formula, refused to give her an address where she could send the $5b to repay her, and said she could repay her by never again going out like that with no cash whatsoever on her. We all use technology, but some of us try our level best not to be its slave.

[TVguyCards]

16. BRAVO to you!

I dream of the day when this sort of thinking and behaviour are considered the norm in this country. We've become a nation of selfish toxicity that constantly punches down on others especially those who are poor. Of course this has been the standard since day 1 of the very founding of this country, we've never reached the levels where we are now.

This made my day. I really wish to thank you and I hope many more will do the same thing that you did in this situation. Random acts of kindness are rare these days. We should focus on changing that

[EdmondDantes_]

17. Honestly no

Even in the instances in which I did a good deed and suffered for it, I still did a good deed and it says more negative about the people who took advantage than it says negative about me.

Even in the instances in which I've had to stop doing good things for people who took advantage, I maintain my commitment to doing good deeds for their own sake and how doing so fills my own cup.

[malaise]

18. I was in my regular pharmacy recently and this senior citizen was paying for

some over the counter meds. She clearly didn’t have enough money so I told the cashier to put the balance on my bill.
The woman started thanking her gawd for showing up. I told her that a godless fellow human being was helping her.

[mwmisses4289]

19. 😃

[UniqueUserName]

20. Yes! And I've wondered the same thing as you. . .

After pondering, I've landed on this:

Camus may be correct in his assertion that I did that for my own vanity and ego (at least that's one idea in The Fall, 1956). However, in the moment that I choose to help someone who is having difficulty and has not even requested help, I'm affirming my faith in humanity. I would like to think I would put the effort even if no one ever can reciprocate. When I wonder what I think of us, I realize I do have faith in us. It is worth helping, It will make a difference. I know this because of you ---not just you, the generic ---you the specific. You chose to help. We chose to help. It may not be all of us. But this is what we are like. And I like it

[Tommy Carcetti]

21. It was no big deal, but when I was in Ukraine a few years back...

...I was staying at a hotel on Independence Square in Kyiv, which was the site of the massive Maidan protests back in 2014 where former President Yanukovych killed over 100 people before fleeing to Russia.

I had some free time and I decided to walk around the square. At some point, I was approached by a woman who told me she was collecting donations for a memorial for the protestors killed at the square. She asked if I could spare a few hryvnia (Ukrainian currency) for the memorial and in exchange I'd get a ribbon I could place at the temporary makeshift memorial that was there at the time.

Now, one thing about Ukraine then (and possibly still now) is that both that the cost of living is way, way below what is it is in the US, and the exchange rate is super favorable as well. It's roughly 25 hryvnia to a US dollar. And you can get an entire meal with drink and desert at a full service restaurant in Ukraine for about $5. So I exchanged part of the $200 cash I had on me for hyrvnia, but kept some greenbacks on me as well. So my wallet is absolutely flooded in hryvnia in 5, 10 and 20 variations. And I also have some $5, $10 and $20 bills on me as well.

So the woman asks me for a donation. She speaks good English. And obviously when I respond my accent tags me as an American.

I figure, what the hell, and I give her something like 20 or 25 hryvnia. That's about a dollar's worth and no big sweat to me, and a US dollar goes a long way, so I figured it would mean even more for her.

But as I open my wallet to give her the hryvnia, she sees that I also have US dollars in there as well. I think specifically it was a few $10 bills.

So she goes to me, "Oh you are American?"

I say yes, and she says, "My sister, she likes to collect foreign money. Would you mind if I could have one to give her?"

Now, I'm immediately very skeptical of her claim. And I could have very well told her no and just walked away. She was a small woman and it wasn't as though she was holding me up at gunpoint or anything.

But for whatever reason, I say, "Sure." And I give her a $10 bill. Which is something like 250 hryvnia, and given the cost of living is probably worth something like $50 over there.

She does give me a ribbon, though. And I do place it at the temporary memorial.

But after doing that, I couldn't help but wonder if any of the money--Ukrainian or American--was going towards any type of memorial. It probably went all towards her. But I really don't feel bad about being duped, either. As Americans, even us middle class folk have wealth we take for granted that people in some other countries certainly don't.

After all, during my trip there I had been benefiting by getting full meals and goods at a way cheaper rate over there than what I'd be paying here. And perhaps there was some inherent guilt I was feeling because of that.

So if I got scammed out of $10 by a little Ukrainian woman, so be it. Good for her.