Singaporeans are sharing the little acts of kindness that meant the world to them

SINGAPORE: There’s an awful lot of complaints and stories online about how Singaporeans are rude, unfriendly, and sometimes even apathetic. Of course, this doesn’t apply to everyone, but the discourse surrounding the supposed negative personality of the general population has become so rampant.

Recently, however, a local Reddit user started a thread celebrating a different side of Singapore. The user invited others to share stories of strangers whose simple acts of kindness left an indelible mark on them.

The Reddit user wrote: “What was the kindest thing a stranger ever did/said to you? It’s rare to find good hearted people in sg anymore with the recent years, especially after the pandemic but I like to make this thread a heartwarming one for me.”

The dentist who came to the rescue 

Stories quickly poured in, with one user recalling how a dentist helped her without hesitation and even waived the consultation fee.

She wrote in the comments that she first went to the doctor to have her jaw checked after feeling a “weird clicking sensation” every time she chewed.

“The doctor felt something pop when I opened my mouth, so she said I should go see a dentist instead. So I went to the dentist next door, and tried my luck to see if they can accept my walk-in.” 

“The receptionist rejected me saying I need an appointment and the earliest one is next week, and I was internally crashing out because I was reading online that my symptoms, if left untreated, could lead to locked jaw syndrome.”

Luckily, the kind dentist overheard their conversation and came out of the room to offer her a quick five-minute check-up.

“She felt my jaw (no pop sensation) and said I might have overworked my jaw chewing something too tough or something, so just some rest will do, if it gets worse, I can come back 3 days later. I asked how much the consultation fee was, and she just waived it off saying it was just a 5min checkup with no issues.”

While walking home, the woman said she held back her tears because she was deeply touched by the dentist’s kindness. 

She was grateful not only for helping ease her anxiety, but also because she had just graduated, was still searching for a full-time job, and had yet to receive her part-time wages.

“Safe to say I’m a regular there now. It’s a private clinic I used to frequent (since 2017), but I tried changing to other cheaper clinics during that time, and now I’m back.”

The auntie with the umbrella 

Another user, a mother, recalled how a kind stranger once shielded her and her infant from the rain while they were waiting to cross a traffic junction.

Although she was only a short walk away from the sheltered path leading home, an auntie in her 50s insisted on sharing her umbrella, telling her, ‘Baby is still so young, don’t get caught in the rain.’

The mother said the simple act of kindness stayed with her.

“My baby is now 9 years old. I still cross that traffic junction daily, and now if and when I see the exact situation play out in front of my eyes, I’ll be that elderly lady for her, like she was for me. And maybe, just maybe, it’d be my turn to say, ‘Baby is still so young, don’t get caught in the rain.’”

The elderly stranger who gave up her seat 

One user recalled a time when she was in secondary school and suffered severe period cramps while riding the train.

She said the pain became so intense that she ended up crouching on the train floor. An older woman noticed her distress, empathised with her, and immediately offered her a seat, saying she knew exactly how it felt.

Looking back, the user said she appreciates that act of kindness even more nowadays, especially after experiencing the opposite while recovering from leg surgery.

“More recently, I had to go for leg surgery and was on crutches for a while… The number of times I had to ask people for the priority seat but they pretended not to hear me or something.”

The taxi ride that became free

Another user recalled an act of generosity from 12 years ago. He said he took a taxi, and when the fare came to S$6, he only had a S$50 note. As the driver did not have enough change, the driver simply told him, “Never mind,” and let him go without paying.

“I was mind-blown [by the kindness],” he wrote.

The mystery meal sponsor

Someone else shared that a complete stranger once paid for his meal simply because he looked…depressed.

According to him, he never even got the chance to thank the person, as the stranger had already left by the time he found out.

“I didn’t even know what that person looked like waitress just told me the bill was paid.”

The unexpected free egg

Another person shared a more recent incident, saying that two days ago, he was at a coffee shop ordering his usual sliced beef soup with rice when the uncle suddenly threw in a bowl of braised egg that he did not order. 

“I thought he might have mistaken my order, but I didn’t mind if I had to pay for the additional braised egg. Before paying, I still asked the price to double-confirm, and apparently, he gave the braised egg for free.” 

“The best part? There were no words spoken throughout the whole interaction. He just waved me off when I pointed to the egg during payment.”

A helping hand across the road

One person shared that her Japanese grandmother, who moved to Singapore just over 10 years ago, was pleasantly surprised by the kindness she received on the streets. 

She shared that her grandmother had difficulty walking and was worried about crossing the road in heavy rain without slipping. As her grandmother did not understand English, Chinese, or any local dialects, she was unable to respond when a young woman approached her.

Realising the language barrier, the young woman simply reached out, held her grandmother’s hand, and helped her safely across the road.

“She extended her hand and held my grandmother to cross the road. My grandmother recently passed on, but she recounted that she was surprised at how kind-hearted more and more Singaporeans are becoming.”

Breakfast, paid by strangers

The Reddit user who started the thread also shared a memorable act of kindness she experienced herself.

She recalled that in 2014, she had ordered a McDonald’s Breakfast Deluxe but realised at the counter that she had forgotten to bring the money her mother had given her. Embarrassed, she awkwardly asked the staff to cancel her order.

A married Malay couple standing behind her then stepped in and paid for the entire meal.

“One married Malay couple behind me offered to pay the entire meal for me and I asked to get their number so my parents can pay them back.” 

“And they said its okay there’s no need for me to return them the money as they said it’s always good to help someone as their religion taught them as Muslims not expecting any returns and even gave me a pat on my shoulder and it still stuck with me till this day.”/TISG

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