@MC G-Tek 536035 wrote:

Women have proper double standards about things like that mate. They want doors to be held open for them, but when I do it and bundle them into the back of my van, suddenly they don’t like it!

I know what you mean, they don’t always seem a bit apprehensive when I say the rapetrain is coming at 13:54…..there weird.

Whilst travelling through Europe we thought it would be romantic to sleep on the beach in Barcelona, yes young and very naive… We were approached by some dude asking for a light, willing to make friends I gave him one. Next thing i knew he had a knife at my boyfriend’s neck demanding all our money…. I gave him my bag with EVERYTHING in it, passports, money phones, etc etc

The shit got away but then some Spanish guys saw us in distressed and let us stay in there house, fed us and took us to the English embassy the next morning. We met another couple and they gave us a hamper of food knowing we had nothing.

Such a shitty experience as we had to return home but what amazing people we met 🙂 We have been to Barcelona many a times since then, but this time a lot wiser 😉

to be fair across Europe strangers will usually help each other in times of crisis even in Northern European countries where they seem more reserved, a few years ago I had a minor prang on my bike in South Oxfordshire – I didn’t see a pothole (due to being sleep deprived and having spent the last 3 days on drugs) and though I was uninjured and only shaken, a driver behind me immediately stopped and asked if I needed the Ambulance or assistance getting home etc..

Also in some cases what might seem intrusive or judgemental or rude in current British culture (too much like “civillians enforcing rules”) i.e telling folk off for jaywalking / unsafe cycling or driving / for letting a pet dog shit on the street and stopping a couple or group of arguing in public (before they actually come to blows) is actually helping everyone in society and preventing worse situations from escalating…

in 1991 I stopped a runaway pram on Lewisham high street (some woman had been jostled and the pram was heading to the main road with heavy traffic) – in spite of then smoking nearly 40 cigs a day (they were cheap) and being quite unfit (a student who ate all manner of junk), I managed to run after it and grab it in time..

However I did so with such force that when keeping it upright (so the baby would not tip out onto the pavement) I rammed the handles of it straight into my solar plexus, I was near doubled over in pain, coughing and spluttering and that hurt for a day afterwards. To be fair the mum was grateful and the baby thought this was a hilariously funny adventure and probably wanted to do it all again, but that is another reason I don’t want kids and it taught me trying to being a hero can be painful..

IMO the best thing strangers can do for each other across Europe is to use the roads and streets as carefully and safely as possible..

@joksgez 536102 wrote:

i once left my phone in a taxi in nottingham and the person who got in the taxi found it and got in touch with my mom from my contacts and posted it back to me – i live in birmingham

Lucky bastard!!