Acts of Random Kindness...again

This year, I am spending Christmas in England. I landed on Liverpool airport, and from there, I had to make my way to my partner's house in Wolverhampton. For all my ranting about England, their stupid separate water taps, driving on the wrong side of the road, and all, upon landing, I was instantly reminded of their charming side.

The details here are unimportant, but the bottom line was that the machine at the train station were unavailable, thus I couldn't print my pre-bought ticket for the train Liverpool-Wolverhampton. This could go one of two ways: I buy a new ticket (which would be considerably more expensive) or board the train and run the risk of having to pay at least 20 pounds penalty.

I explained my situation to the guard. He nodded, smiled, explained to me it was alright, let me go through and advised me, should I get checked on the train, to tell them that the machines weren't working (when, in fact, I was taking a train from a different stop from the one I was meant to, and it didn't have machines in the first place. Had I gone to the stop I was meant to be boarding the train from, I would have missed it). I thanked him for his kindness, he even told em which track number I should be looking for.

Uplifted by his kind spirit, I saw a couple who were unsure which train they should board. Soon enough, their confusion gave away their Iberian origins. Partly because of the kindness I had just encountered, and partly because it's what I would do anyway, I helped them out after checking the schedule board.

The train was rocking soothingly, I was deep into my forensics book when a man came to check tickets. I explained thhe situation, and he was very understanding.

I like it when chance encounters are positive and make your day. The staff at the station chose to believe my story, which was, incidentally, true. They didn't have to. The Spanish couple would have been alright without my help, too. But it sure left me with a smile on my face, feeling a connection with people I will probably never meet again.