I had recently moved to New York City on my own at the age of 18, attempting to adjust to the fast-paced lifestyle after leaving a small Southern town. I had never used the subway before, and I had no idea how to buy a MetroCard.

A queue of impatient people gathered behind me as I stood at the only machine that was working and tried to figure it out. There was a noticeable sense of frustration in the air as people yelled at me to “hurry up!” and “what’s wrong with you?” I became more agitated as my anxiety increased and I started to cry.

A man then interrupted the line and ordered everyone to stop. He came over, carefully explained everything to me, and even got me a 12-ride card. “The next time someone yells at you, just yell back, and they’ll leave you alone,” he said, giving me a comforting pat on the back. I experienced a sense of support and connection at that precise moment.

I was inspired to remain in the city and take advantage of all the amazing experiences that followed because of his generosity and help. © Reddit/Wiffle_Snuff

Story 2: My cousins and I went to a bookstore when I was about twelve years old. We bought a couple of books and went outside to read. From a nearby bench, we saw an old man staring at us intently for a long time. He watched us for ten minutes or so before getting up and leaving the bookstore.

He came back with three gift cards about five minutes later. He smiled warmly as he walked up to us, said, “I love seeing kids read,” and gave us each a $20 gift card. His generosity moved me to tears and left me completely stunned.

Story 3:

I was driving home from work a few years ago when I ran out of gas. In order to avoid totally blocking traffic, I was able to move my car to the median. I had no money for gas and no one to call, so I was stuck at that point. Luckily, three people came to my aid.

The first man came up to ask me if I was okay, what was wrong, and if I had any money for gas. I showed him my uncashed check, which showed that I had no cash, and explained that my car had run out of fuel and that I had no way to get to a gas station. Then he drove off, and a second car pulled up shortly after.

The second individual was a woman who spoke with me briefly before stating that she was unable to help, which was entirely acceptable.

Then an undercover police officer was the third to stop. Since he didn’t want to abandon me, he was incredibly considerate and assisted me in pushing my car onto the grass while we discussed potential fixes.

The first man came back, got out of his car, and gave me a full 10-gallon can of gas while I was speaking with the officer. I was so appreciative that I even offered to get his number in order to pay him back, but he said it would be no trouble at all. I’m really grateful that he spent his money on gas for me even though I never asked him to. I regret that I will never be able to return his generosity.