Tried talking to a stranger at the bus stop in Nashville after 2 years of avoiding eye contact

I was waiting for the 55 bus last Tuesday and this older guy was sitting there with a little dog in his lap. Normally I just stare at my phone but I forced myself to say something about the dog being cute. Turns out he was a retired mechanic and he spent 10 minutes telling me how to fix my car's weird clicking noise for free. I actually wrote down what he said and it worked when I tried it on Saturday. Now I talk to at least one random person every week just to see what happens. Has anyone else had a random stranger give you advice that actually saved you money?

2 comments

2 Comments

rubysingh1mo ago

Oh come on, "saved you money" is way too generous here. That guy probably gave you advice that any YouTube video could have shown you in 5 minutes from a certified mechanic. You basically traded a stranger's rambling for a few bucks at a shop, which isn't some magical life lesson.

jamesf411mo ago

Yeah, I get what you're saying @rubysingh, but I think you're being a little harsh. That guy could've just kept walking, and instead he took his time to help a stranger. You can learn anything from YouTube, sure, but having someone actually there with you makes it stick better. Even if it was just basic advice, it still saved that person from paying shop rates for a simple fix. That kind of random kindness is rare these days, and it deserves some credit.