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[twitchfetish]

So I was at Ikea yesterday with feybles buying my gf's xmas gift.  On the way back to the car, we were walking with our trolley behind a woman and her young teen daughter struggling with a full trolley and a full flatbed trolley full of flat-pack.  Of course the way I was raised said "help", so I asked them if they wanted a hand.  After a little shock,

Comments

[jagwire]

Wow. Epic post is epic. And I agree entirely on all points.

When we were still living at Ascot, Chrissy and I were on our way out to visit mum one night (so yeah, THAT long ago) and came across a poor pregnant woman whose care had broken down in the middle of Kingsford-Smith Drive. Everyone was hooting at her and swearing etc., but we pulled over.

Me being the mechanical genius I am, took one look under the hood, went "Whuh?" and started pushing her car off the road. A couple students from the nearby TAFE came out and helped as well, and we parked the car in the TAFE carpark with an ote to security that it had broken down so please don't tow it blah blah.

Turns out poor pregnant lady lived at like Browns Plains and was trying to get to the airport for a work trip. We always used to drive the gateway past the airport anyway, so we offered her a lift. Now, had it been me alone, she probably wouldn't have accepted, and I don't really blame her, but since I had Chrissy with me, I must have seemed safe.

We got her to the airport in plenty of time, and she tried to give me money for a bottle of rum or something. I couldn't believe it. I mean, it was really nice of her to offer, and I suppose we did do her a solid, but shit. The reward was in the deed.

It's a funny, sad old world isn't it?

[twitchfetish]

And that's part of my point. The fact she wouldn't have if it were just you is sad, but the fact none else even stopped is just pathetic. Iunno. There has to be some way to remedy this. One thing I've noticed though is women aren't as up in arms anymore about guys holding doors etc. I'm hoping it means the ultra-PC thing is wearing off...

[z_dragonmaster]

My car once broke down at the first set of traffic lights coming off the Bruce highway driving into the city. As in, my car was first in line at the red lights, then on the green lights, travelled 5 meters then stopped in the middle of the intersection with miles of cars behind me. Super embarassing.

Out of nowhere suddenly 4 people appeared and started pushing my car. They got me off the road, and two of them stayed with me until a mechanic came out to look at it for me. They even offered the use of their RACQ membership, which was super, super nice.

I didn't offer them any money for their troubles; although I was mega super appreciative, money wasn't really something I could spare, especially considering what it had cost to replace the battery. Now I'm certain those folks were happy simply that they had done a good deed, but what's to say they didn't go home feeling kinda disappointed that I didn't seem to appreciate their good samaritanism?

My point is that no one should really be taking offense if they're offered a reward for being helpful. Even plenty of old folk tales talk about how random acts of kindness end up coming around to help them out later in an act of karma or something. It's just their way of saying "thanks, appreciate it".

As long as by the same token people don't get offended when they help someone out and there "isn't" a monetary reward. That's just a nasty attitude.

Made an additional comment only really to say that Freak Angels is excellent and I'm up to episode 89 already. The art is fantastic, the characters well rounded and the story intriguing. Cheers.

[twitchfetish]

I most certainly didn't take offense. My point was through it was sad that she felt she had to offer. I took it exactly as you said, an expression of grtitude, but it got me thinking, hence the post.

Glad you're enjoying FA. It's pretty spectacular :)