This touched me and I just wanted to share it...

I took the night off last night and decided to make my first little foray into big, bad London in the evening and decided on Oxford Street, just to walk around and maybe find a nice pair of jeans or something for cheap or some clothes. I'm not a shopper and don't really like it and after about 30 minutes I'm cranky and ready to call it quits

Anyway, I found a wonderful place called Wasabi Sushi and Bento which I loved and am bummed that there's not one around me. Called my coworker to see if he wanted me to bring him back something to eat, which he did. So I bought all this stuff to eat and was at the bus stop to come back home. Get on the bus and give my ticket to the driver -- he says "this isn't anything, has nothing to do with us" and tosses it through the slot with enough force that it flew down onto the ground. Ooookay ... so I looked at it quickly and thought I had grabbed an old receipt or something out of my pocket. Apologized and started checking my pockets ... no ticket. He's looking at me with the look that says "get off my bus I need to go now", so I stepped off knowing there'd be another bus in about 10 minutes. Enough time for me to check my bags, etc.

So I'm standing there checking all my pockets. Nothing. Nada. No return ticket. I guess I muttered "sh**" or something, and a woman standing there looked at me and said "you all right?" Now, knowing that that's also a type of greeting here, I wasn't sure what to say, so simply said "I thought I had a return ticket but can't find it and the driver said (etc.)" She starts explaining to me that I couldn't have gotten a return ticket on the bus. Can on the tube but not the bus. I'm pulling out the money I had left after buying the two take-outs and in my hand is 25p. I'm thinking it's a long dang walk back to Victoria!

She says to me do you not have the bus fare? And I said "I can't even begin to say how embarrassed I am that I didn't pay attention to the ticket nor the amount of money I brought with me and have 25p and it's going to be long walk back to Victoria". She pulls out the money for me and gives it to me, starts brushing off my thanks and just engages me in conversation about the Oyster card, etc., and was I just touring or living here and on and on.

I told her I couldn't thank her enough and that if she was ever here in the neighborhood to please stop by so I could pay her back. She just smiled and said not to be concerned and that she would sleep well knowing she had helped. All I could think of was ... okay, Maria, pay it forward.

For me, that woman deserves a and a The kindness of strangers....such a small thing, a mere bus fare, but really not. This little thing in my new city touched me, so I just wanted to share

Maria - that is lovely story. Restores the faith in human nature and often in London people think you are strange if you talk to them at bus stops - I do it all the time in Dublin but I get funny looks and averted eyes in London as if I am some mad person....

As I was reading this I was thinking ' Maria needs an Oyster card...' then I realised that the kind stranger had told you about them. It really is worth buying, even though you have to pay up front (and a £3 deposit for the actual card, so don't ever lose it'!) but it cuts the tube fare in half I think. Isn't the zone 1 now £3 - I think you are paying £1.50 with the Oyster card? It reduces the bus fare as well but I am not sure by how much. I don't live in London but go there several times a year and never have to worry about tickets until the card needs topping up. Great too when you are in rush and there are queues at the machines or ticket office.

If you travel up to town through Victoria again, there's a branch of Wasabi on Victoria station's main concourse which will save you carrying it on the bus.

quote:

Originally posted by Robert D:
If you travel up to town through Victoria again, there's a branch of Wasabi on Victoria station's main concourse which will save you carrying it on the bus.

Are you kidding me??!! I'm 3.5 blocks from Victoria station! A five minute walk! I guess I never noticed it because I try not to be on the concourse of the station very often -- geez that place nearly scares me

Robert, you have made my day can you tell I'm happy!

How nice! We have so many times had people do wonderful things for us while we were traveling.

But for now, please tell me more about Wasabi Sushi and Bento.

This is Wasabi's website. If you click on "Contact" you will get a list of branches.

For London, I think that it is good value for money. I wish that they would open a branch at Waterloo station.