My bicycle broke down on the way to work this morning, and to make a long story short, the whole day was crappy as that.

After work I took my bike and turned it upside down to try to figure out what the h*ll was wrong with it this time, when a sweet young girl stopped by on her bicycle and asked if there was anything she could do to help me out.
I looked her, a bit suspicious, since she looked like a 12 year old, and I was the fancy pancy grown up woman, in my fancy pancy suits after my fancy pancy work. Not to mention that when I am as frustrated as I was at that moment, I simply can't speak German and hardly English as well.

So I pointed at the chain and mumbled something about it being 'kaputt', and that little darling turned my bike around, tried it out, did some testing and figured out what was the cause of my problem, explaining that she didn't really have the tools to fix it and giving me the directions to the nearest bicycle repairer.

I mean, seriously! How great are people who DON'T just mind their own business??

what a nice story and what a nice reaction on your part.
That is the way I experienced the English many moons ago. I went to GB as a 17 year old and in the 18 years of staying there I found the people very helpful and
now I ask
how nice are the English
or has it changed :-)

Begga I could hug you. Just because your so honest about your experiences both positive and negative. We need more Beggas on the English Forum.

Oh and a hug for the helpful young lass too.

I dont believe it.............., as no men stopped to help you out.

And I will claim that hug the next time I meet you lady!

Begga you are sweet

I have already posted this story - but it seems to fit here better
I left my wallet at a train station yesterday morning
I was just getting comfy on the train as it started to take off when I looked back where I had been sitting and saw my wallet sitting there.. I felt like slamming myself up against the window and screaming "NOOOOOOOOO!!"
Also the ticket checking man showed up a few moments later and I had nothing to show him except my practically empty handbag and myself totally freaking out. Poor guy. I usually talk a little too fast for people to understand easily, but when I was panicked.. I couldnt even tell when one word ended and the other began.
But he was so nice and calm, and asked if I still wanted to keep traveling to Zürich or if I wanted to get off at the next stop. Nice man I was expecting him to get angry.

Anyway there is an sbb office at the station where I lost my wallet, so I left my number there in case it got found and handed it. But I kind of assumed it was gone, seeing as it wasnt handed in straight away but was gone from the seat.

I was so sad, and screwed. I dont have a credit card or anything, but just my ID and I hope to use my Australian drivers licence someday and wouldnt know how to replace it.. and its my favourite wallet I have everrrr had and I love it.

But.. turns out the guy that found it wanted to make sure it got returned. And amongst all the Australian shop membership cards he found my Swiss video shop one and decided to take it there.
The video shop isnt even in the same town as the train station.. but he took it there anyway. And, of course, nothing is missing.

Also a nice man

He left his name and number with the wallet.. so now I have to think of some way to thank him!?



And so, the mean old man blowing smoke all over me causing me to move away from him and not take my wallet with me, and then smirking at me as we got on the train instead of telling me I had left my wallet.. will now be long forgotten thanks to the nice sbb man who decided to give me a break, and the nice man at the train station who went to much more effort than he had to

If I had to lose my wallet somewhere.. I think there would be worse places than Switzerland to do it!

thank goodness for those people, i agree!
i always count them as little blessings!

Just another story which seems to fit nicely under this banner.
Last week I was queuing up at the station behind some other revelers to get a fastnacht badge. It was the last day and since the trams were suspended I didn't fancy walking home through the confetti-wielding crowds without one. Anyway this random Swiss guy walks up to me and gives me his badge, I tried to offer him some money but he cheerily waved it away.

I've come to expect quite a bit from fellow cyclists when they see one of their own with a mechanical issue. In Seattle fellow cyclists nearly accost you trying to help - and initially I had ascribed your experience to cyclist-to-cyclist grace. Then I read further about several other random acts of grace and kindness bestowed from the locals to the (obviously?) foreign nationals.

After having read other posts in the forum about the distance some feel from the locals, this entire thread was an enjoyable read.

I think the Swiss have a soft sport for the fellow cyclist. Before the snow I was cycling on my new bike (being new no punture repair kit or anything just me and my massive excitement) only to get a puncture about 5 miles away from where I live. I decided not to ruin my new shoes (stupid cleats) so I started to walk bare foot along the side of the road carrying my biek on my shoulder. After about 10 minutes or so of walking this lovely woman stops her car and asks if I need a lift anywhere. Feeling relived I jumped into the car hoping she wasnt a serial killer or something and after fropping her childern off at home she drove a few miles out of her way to drop me off at my front door! That made what was quickly becoming a terrible day into an amazing one. I couldn't ever imagine this happening back in the UK

left my backpack full of really nice and expensive presents from my b'day at 3am on the train from zurich to dietikon, picked it up the morning after from the "lost and found" in Zurich HB, all contents still present... where else but switzerland?

Just another great story that fits in.

Last year on a saturday afternoon, I were so in a hurry to goto manor to buy some stuff, it was the end of the day, shops are closing & everywhere is crowded, I just parked my car in a hurry in plain street & forgot to close the window of the car, with my laptop bag on the side seat & iphone beside, after my return to the car, there was this guy standing beside the car drinking coffee, he told me he saw the window open, checked the parking grill & realised that I'll be returning within 15 min (assuming I respect the parking time), so he decided to guard it till I'm back, I invited him to a drink, we had a chat & he was absolutely great guy.

That's an absolute great thing about Switzerland, it's so safe.

LUCY! Could we please keep this wonderful Thread on topic!



Later: Lucy has now removed the post which caused my reaction, but I'm leaving mine to remind her to behave herself! Simon CH quotes it in post #16! - which I see this morning has also been removed. Ah well, you can't win them all.

...what is a parking grill?

No problem Its gone

This blue thing you mark the time with in the blue zones, isn't it called grill or have I been living in illusion all these years!!

What have the Swiss ever done for us?!

^^^ They're great at taking blurry pictures?

I once left my camera on the S-Bahn, got home, realised a couple of hours later it was missing, went on to the lost and found web site on the SBB and there it was.

Most impressed. When I collected it, I offered a reward and it was politely declined.

Another story..

My partner forgot his rucksack in a bar and never bothered to ask anywhere if it was found until he got a phone call from the bar stuff saying that his rucksack was there. After no one turned up for it (it was actually weeks later), they looked inside and found some document with his name on it so that they could retrace his phone number.
If you loose something, you don't even need to look for it.. it will eventually come back to you!!