A Stranger Bought Lunch For Me Today ...

[mackeysmom]

I was at the mall's Food Court today getting pizza. The guy behind the counter seemed to be working alone and was frazzled - had no control over the line of people. To make a long story short, the guy in front of me wound up getting ignored in the confusion and the worker tried to take my order.

I pointed to the guy in front of me and mentioned that he was next in line. He thanked me, placed his order and then I placed mine.

When I went to pay for my pizza and soda, the worker told me that the guy in front of my had paid for my lunch as a way to thank me for being courteous.

I looked around to find him so I could thank him, but he was gone.

I'll have to find a way to pay it forward ...

- Laura

 

[StephMK]

Aw, great story! I love hearing things like this.

 

[disneydeal]

that's awesome.... i've done that before just to see a smile on someone having a rough day. every so often i'lll give a big tip to a waitress that's especially good at refills and making sure everything is going good. staandard is $4 or $5 on our $20 meal but i'll do $10 on occasion...


next time your in a drive thru at burger king or somewhere and you see someone behind you with kids pay their for their food also at the window... it'll teach their kids there is still nice people out there.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Best thing I've read all day

 

[mackeysmom]

Aw, great story! I love hearing things like this.

that's awesome....

Best thing I've read all day

Seriously - everything you see and hear is usually so negative - it totally made my day. I must have looked like a fool sitting there eating my pizza with the biggest, stupid grin on my face.

 

[StephMK]

Seriously - everything you see and hear is usually so negative - it totally made my day. I must have looked like a fool sitting there eating my pizza with the biggest, stupid grin on my face.

Aw, I hope he saw you enjoying your lunch and felt doubly good about his secret good deed!

 

[SandrA9810]

I paid the remaining balance at the grocery store for a guy. He was short on cash (and didn't know the PIN number to his debit card), and already put a few things back. At the end of his transaction, a $10 coupon printed out (Tom Thumb was doing a promo), he handed it to me.

It was the strangest pay it forward, pay it back moment I've ever had.

 

[peabody58]

From time to time, I like to pay for other's meals while in the fast food drive-up lane. It's a great feeling knowing I just made someone's day.

However, be warned. If there is a police car behind you, and you pay for his/her bill, be prepared to pay big time!! More times than not, the officer is doing the entire department's lunch run!! Thank goodness for Disney VISA!

 

[BunsenH]

Please allow me to be the first DIS Wet Blanket.

I hope that he wasn't hiding in a corner watching you eat. That would be super-creepy. Did you mention this to a security guard? I would have high tailed it out of there and eaten in my car.

(This is all in jest. Enjoy the moment!)

 

[The Princess]

Great story!!!! I love hearing stories like that!!!

 

[Bren's Mom]

From time to time, I like to pay for other's meals while in the fast food drive-up lane. It's a great feeling knowing I just made someone's day.

However, be warned. If there is a police car behind you, and you pay for his/her bill, be prepared to pay big time!! More times than not, the officer is doing the entire department's lunch run!! Thank goodness for Disney VISA!

Op, that's a very sweet story!

And Peabody...how does that work? Do you just leave them your credit card??

 

[momtojandj]

Such a great story! Since I work with lots of grumpy angry customers..this story really made my day, thanks for sharing!!

 

[Hannathy]

From time to time, I like to pay for other's meals while in the fast food drive-up lane. It's a great feeling knowing I just made someone's day.

However, be warned. If there is a police car behind you, and you pay for his/her bill, be prepared to pay big time!! More times than not, the officer is doing the entire department's lunch run!! Thank goodness for Disney VISA!

I thought you were going to say you got hit with a ticket for attempting to bribe an officer!

 

[NaLisa]

What a nice way to spread some cheer! Thanks for sharing.

 

[maslex]

I like hearing stories like this. But I've always wondered. How do you know how much to give the cashier to cover for the meal of the person behind you? I would guess it would be easier if it were through a drive-thru because I'm sure the cashier should have the next guy's total by then.

But in the OP's case, she was behind him, so I'm just wondering how much he knew to give the cashier?

I'm sure he can't just hand them a $10 to cover it, because what happens if the meal only comes up to $6? Who gets the change?

And before anyone gets all up in arms, I'm not trying to be a debbie-downer or anything, I'm just generally curious.

 

[Jennasis]

Sweet! I love stuff like this. We had leftover DDP meal credits on our last day at WDW a few years ago and had just eaten our farewell lunch at Flametree BBQ. As we left we found a nice couple and offered them our credits. They were suspicious, then shocked, then overjoyed! Left with a warm fuzzy that day.

 

[lemondog]

I love that! Twice...yes twice...we have been out to dinner as a family and the server has come up and told us someone in the restaurant anonymously paid our bill. I think they must feel sorry for us with the 4 screaming kids!

But seriously, I have tried to pay it forward through the years. Nothing feels better than to give!

 

[wvjules]

Op, that's a very sweet story!

And Peabody...how does that work? Do you just leave them your credit card??

I like hearing stories like this. But I've always wondered. How do you know how much to give the cashier to cover for the meal of the person behind you? I would guess it would be easier if it were through a drive-thru because I'm sure the cashier should have the next guy's total by then.

But in the OP's case, she was behind him, so I'm just wondering how much he knew to give the cashier?

I'm sure he can't just hand them a $10 to cover it, because what happens if the meal only comes up to $6? Who gets the change?

And before anyone gets all up in arms, I'm not trying to be a debbie-downer or anything, I'm just generally curious.

The cashier knows the amount of the bill for the car behind you. Just tell him/her you want to pay and ask for the total.

 

[disneydeal]

Last trip to Disney we had lots of credits left with only 1 in a half days to go so we shared with a couple of new friends that we met at the pool..... Covered snacks during the pool movie then lunch the next day at mk.. Oh and ice cream at main st bakery. Then unloaded all our extra poweraid that we would get as our meal drink but didnt use being we used our refill mugs....

 

[maslex]

The cashier knows the amount of the bill for the car behind you. Just tell him/her you want to pay and ask for the total.

Yeah, I figured that much. But I'm more curious how it goes in the situation of the OP. The guy went before her, so he couldn't have known the total beforehand, ya know?