• Welcome! The TrekBBS is the number one place to chat about Star Trek with like-minded fans.
    If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

On strangers paying for your meal out of the blue at a restauraunt...

SVD

SVD

Captain
Captain
Yesterday: As I am getting ready to pay for my breakfast ($8, some ¢) at my usual diner, a stranger has the waitress take my bill from under my nose and proceeds to pay both his and my bills.

Upon seeing my complete surprise, the native-Bostonian waitress says, "just pay it forward, sweetie".

In the spirit of the event, I tipped her, the Augies Baristas, and the bartender at the grill where I usually get my lunch on Thursdays more generously than usual.

Telling my grandpa about this, he says "Why did he do that? What were his motives? He could have been Jack the Ripper! You never know in this day and age." :wtf:

Since we are well enough off such that I do not need such charity, Grandpa told me to politely refuse next time.

Is he off base with either his recommended action or his paranoia?

OR

Would I be the fool to not accept free stuff?
 
Re: On strangers paying for your meal out of the blue at a restauraunt

The message is already there. Pay it forward, what I believe to be a wonderful concept. I have paid for quite a few strangers' meals, made up the difference at the checkout for an embarrassed little old lady who didn't have enough to pay for her groceries, and this has been done for me also. It's just kindness making it's way through modern social barriers and touching hearts. :)
 
Re: On strangers paying for your meal out of the blue at a restauraunt

Not meaning to sound like a jaded cynic, but honestly, how often does this sort of thing happen? Has a random stranger ever offered to pay for your meal out of sheer kindness? What about you, or you, or you? Anybody? Hello?

(chirp . . . chirp . . . chirp . . . )
 
Re: On strangers paying for your meal out of the blue at a restauraunt

^ No worries here, it takes all kinds.

But you mention Cynicism... I sometimes forget that his advice/lessons/warnings about how the world works goes through the lens of his cynical nature.
 
Re: On strangers paying for your meal out of the blue at a restauraunt

How strange, maybe you should buy a new shirt or something? ;)
 
Re: On strangers paying for your meal out of the blue at a restauraunt

Santa's Camel said:
Not meaning to sound like a jaded cynic, but honestly, how often does this sort of thing happen? Has a random stranger ever offered to pay for your meal out of sheer kindness? What about you, or you, or you? Anybody? Hello?

(chirp . . . chirp . . . chirp . . . )
Click to expand...
My mother included me in her morning drive-through Starbucks habit when I stayed with her this summer, and there were about a half dozen times or so that we'd pull up to the window and find that the person in the car in front of us had paid for our order as well. Naturally, we paid for the order of the people behind us, and when I asked the barista she said that they'd get strings of this "Pay It Forward" (or backward, in this case) that would last for hours.

It was a shitty movie, but the idea of paying it forward is a nice one, and it certainly happens.
 
Re: On strangers paying for your meal out of the blue at a restauraunt

I never had anyone pay for one of my meals, but a couple of times I have driven up to a highway toll both and had the toll collector tell me that the driver in front of me had paid my toll. I never thought to view it as creepy, but as a pay-it-forward moment. I believe that I left a pretty nice tip at the next stop for a meal as a pay-it-forward.

If a person ever paid for something and then tried to start up a conversation or started lurking around as I finished my business there I would be suspicious, but if they just walked out (or even tipped their hat to me as they left) and disappeared into the daylight I wouldn't worry and I would have accepted the gesture... and would indeed pay it forward!
 
Re: On strangers paying for your meal out of the blue at a restauraunt

Paying it forward or Random acts of kindness are wonderful things to give and receive.

It makes it the true meaning of Christmas all year round. If it truely caught on in a big way, it could be the saving of us all.
 
Re: On strangers paying for your meal out of the blue at a restauraunt

I got unexpectedly comped at a casino coffee shop a while back. I just left my waitress the amount of the check as a tip.
 
Re: On strangers paying for your meal out of the blue at a restauraunt

Robert D. Robot said:
I never had anyone pay for one of my meals, but a couple of times I have driven up to a highway toll both and had the toll collector tell me that the driver in front of me had paid my toll. I never thought to view it as creepy, but as a pay-it-forward moment. I believe that I left a pretty nice tip at the next stop for a meal as a pay-it-forward.

<snip>
Click to expand...

It's been quite a while since that has happened to me, but it has. It's always such a surprise when something like that happens. But a nice one. :)
 
Re: On strangers paying for your meal out of the blue at a restauraunt

ancientone51 said:
Paying it forward or Random acts of kindness are wonderful things to give and receive.
Click to expand...

Ah, thank you! I knew there was another term for paying it forward, and Random Acts of Kindness is it. :bolian:

A few years ago I was in a London Underground station trying to work the Oyster card machine and a stranger walked up to me and gave me the day pass she'd purchased, telling me she no longer needed it and that I could have it. She refused any payment for it, and it made my day.
 
Re: On strangers paying for your meal out of the blue at a restauraunt

^ That's cool that someone gave you their Oyster card. They will certainly not go to Shell for that action. :guffaw:
 
Re: On strangers paying for your meal out of the blue at a restauraunt

^ Recently a few people have approached me with coupons they couldn't use, like 50% off an item in stores like A.C. Moore or Michaels (craft stores.) I think that's really sweet.
 
Re: On strangers paying for your meal out of the blue at a restauraunt

The world would be a better place if more of us did things like that. I've done some small-scale ones -- giving the person ahead of me in a check-out line some change, giving a server an extra large tip when I used a coupon, etc.

Mr. Laser Beam said:
^ That's cool that someone gave you their Oyster card. They will certainly not go to Shell for that action. :guffaw:
Click to expand...

:techman:
 
Re: On strangers paying for your meal out of the blue at a restauraunt

I believe random acts of kindness can literally change the world. I have experienced them and they feel wonderful, usually in coffee shops when buying a sandwich or hot chocolate, although it is usually the staff rather than fellow customers who do this. I wish I could remember to do it more often myself!
 
Re: On strangers paying for your meal out of the blue at a restauraunt

Yeo-ho-homan Randi said:
^ Recently a few people have approached me with coupons they couldn't use, like 50% off an item in stores like A.C. Moore or Michaels (craft stores.) I think that's really sweet.
Click to expand...

Some one did that for me once too. It was a couple of Christmases ago. I was doing my Christmas shopping and was in line for the check out at Filene's Basement when a woman came and gave me her 10% off coupon.
 
Re: On strangers paying for your meal out of the blue at a restauraunt

Wow you guys are lucky. No stranger has ever paid anything for me. I have wanted to help other people in this way before but I really cannot afford it. Hopefully some day I can, because I enjoy making other people happy.
 
Re: On strangers paying for your meal out of the blue at a restauraunt

One of my favorite things to do (and it costs next to nothing), is to buy the Salvation Army bell ringer freezing his or her jingle bells off a nice cup of coffee or hot chocolate. It just feels good.

Oh, and thanks to ancientone51 for remembering it as "Random Acts of Kindness". The phrase was eluding me earlier. :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

Sign up / Register


Back
Top