rSlash - r/Askreddit What Stranger Will You Never Forget? Do Aliens Love Dogs?

Episode Date: February 13, 2021

r/Askreddit In today's episode, users recount stories of strangers they will never forget, like a homeless guy who's been torn from his family and is desperate to perform a simple act of kindness, as well as a helpful stranger who returned a lost wallet without taking any of my money. You also get to hear my insane dog alien rant, which is even more ridiculous than it sounds. If you like this content, be sure to subscribe for more daily Reddit content! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Enjoy the classic taste of the holidays at Tim's with the new non-alcoholic Bailey's flavored holiday menu. Whether you're hanging holiday lights or driving up to your folks, you can enjoy your Tim's and Bailey's anytime, anywhere at participating restaurants in Canada. Welcome to R-Slash, a podcast where I read the best post from a cross-reddit. Today's subreddit is R-Slash-Askreddit where we answer the question, what stranger will you never forget? Our first reply from Bad Panda. When I was a broke 18-year-old trying to make ends meet, I had a side hustle providing IT support for households, kind of like a geek squat sort of thing. In practice, I would mostly set up computers for elderly people in the tech

illiterate and teach them how to use them. Or I would get them out of technical binds, usually with printers by googling on their behalf. This elderly Korean gentleman hired me to set up his new computer form. I spent an hour setting and up and teaching him how to use it, and two more hours eating a wonderful lunch with a man and his wife. He wouldn't accept my invoice for just one hour of work. Instead, he paid three times my hourly rate for all three hours. Then, he asked me to come back and train him the next week. Over the course of about a month I came back four times, worked with him, had a lovely meal, and he would tell me about his family and his kids.

He was so proud of his daughter, who was about to finish her residency and become a pediatrician. By the end of the month, he was pretty comfortable in the PC, and I think him profusely for how kind he was and how ridiculously he'd overpaid me. He told me I reminded him of his son, who was estranged for some reason I didn't press, and that he hoped that somewhere out there somebody was being kind to his son and sharing a homecooked meal with him. I don't know why, but more than 10 years later, I can't think about that guy without tearing up.

I hope everything turned out well for him. Is anyone else getting strong Uncle Iroh vibes from this guy? Our next reply is from Terz for Nipples. This lady who told me that I looked great and blue and that it was clearly my color. To this day, if I'm deciding between shirts to buy or wear, I'll go with blue. That compliment was about 15 years ago at least. Man, it's true. If you want to make a guy's day, give him a compliment.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that some guys go literal years without hearing a compliment. Our next reply is from Back to Buck. My loss while it was returned in the mail. The anonymous stranger spent $9.75 postage to send it back at their own expense with all my money, credit cards, drivers license, and other items intact. Nothing was missing. A note enclosed red, please do something kind for a stranger whenever you have the opportunity.

And then beneath that we have a similar story from Legal Action. I was walking past a local bar and I found a phone case in the middle of the road around a corner about a block away. It was the kind that carries credit card, cash, the whole deal, and a new, for the time, iPhone. I took it home hoping I could figure out who it was from the info inside. Turns out it was unlocked, so I found the most common contact and call that number. A dude answers and I say, I just found this phone. Do you know the person who owns it? He says, where are you? So I give him the nearest intersection and he says, we'll be right there. Five minutes later the phone rings and the guy says he's outside, so I head outside. He has a woman with him. I hand him the phone. He hands it to her. She looks

at the wallet section and starts screaming. You stole my money! Where's my money? Where are my credit cards? She's clearly plastered. The dude just points at our credit cards. They're right there. Angie spent all your money in the bar. He didn't take anything. And then they started arguing about how exactly she managed to drop her phone in the middle of the road around the corner from the bar after spending all of her money.

Talk about strangers you'll never forget. And then we have a similar story from John C137. I had a similar thing happen with a new iPhone I found in a little dog park across the road from my house. There was no lot code so I tried writing some numbers. There was no answer so I texted the number labeled boyfriend. Ten minutes later I could have string up I rate threatening text and phone calls from this girl and her boyfriend about me being a thief. Eventually I got it across to them to actually read the message I sent explaining that I found the phone she dropped. And if they just came back to the park at any time and ring the phone, I would come out and return their property. They then flipped out and

started demanding I bring it to their house. So I took it back across the road to the park and left it exactly where I found it. Man, I don't get it. If some stranger has your iPhone, which is worth probably a thousand dollars, why would you yell and cuss at them? Sounds like that lady got what she deserved. Our next reply from Florida, man. I was driving down south of my girlfriend doing blue at our tire so I had to put on the spare.

The spare tire blows out while we're exiting the very next exit. So there we are, maybe 19 years old and at least 100 miles from anyone we know at a gas station in the middle of nowhere. I'm trying to figure out what to do next and it probably looked like there was something wrong so this older man offered to help. He drives me 20 or so minutes to a junkyard to get a cheap tire. Then he puts the tires on the rim with no more than a pry bar and some soapy water. He had a compressor on his truck so he aired it up and I put it on. And then we just went on our way. Our next replenishment acceptable medicine. I took a train to New York City by myself for the first time. I was 18. It was my second time to

New York City and my first time ever on a train. I told the kiosk lady that I'd never been on a train before and asked if she might give me a quick rundown of what to do. Another train station employee was nearby and was so interested in amused that I was taking a train for the first time and was alone. He walked me through what to do, down to the smallest detail. No judgment, no meanness. He was just a guy with a silly disposition, delighting in a young person's naivete, breaking up the dull dreams of his weak. I aspire to be that way when people ask me for help. Thanks, Frank P. You were a peach. Our next reply is from Thaddish Jones. I'll always remember the foreign exchange student

and his parents who walked past my park bench on campus and dropped his passport. I chased after them to return his passport, and his mom started screaming at me and broken English like, why do you have his papers? Why do you steal his papers? While the kid and his father look like they were going to die from embarrassment. Well, I guess now we know that Karen's exist in all cultures. Our next replies from fish and chips. When I was super overweight, I was just starting to work out somewhat regularly. Being morbidly obese at the gym is terrible. I've never felt more eyes on me before in my life. I was on a treadmill doing some light jogging and a super fit girl got on the machine next to me.

This was all pre-COVID. She did a short warm-up and before she got off the treadmill, she turned to give me a high five until me to keep it up. It was so encouraging to have that support when I was used to getting stared at by everyone else in the gym. Her small, kind gesture went a long way. Our next reply is from CDC. I was drunk on my front porch one night, me and a couple of friends were shooting the breeze. I lived in a rough neighborhood at the time. There were a lot of homeless people, but most of them were just decent people down on their luck. Anyway, I see this homeless guy walking by my

house and I holler out to him. Yo, man, you want a beer? And he's like, man, hell yeah, thank you! So he comes up to my house. I give him a beer and an extra one for the road. He starts going on about how he misses his son and how he never gets to see him anymore. We all just sit there and listen to him. He starts crying and says that he bought his kid a bag of brand new hainsocks and his mom would let him have them. Now I don't know what he did to deserve that treatment. Maybe he's a total son of a gun and deserves to be where he is.

Maybe not, I have no idea. But what I do know is, whatever has past, he was having a very human moment at the time and he was super thankful. Not just for the beer, but that me and my friends were listening and talking with him, just letting him vent. Then he tried to give me the pack of socks that he bought for his kid, which I vehemently refused. I was like, man, you keep him, your feet might get cold out there. But he wasn't hearing it, I mean, he refused to keep them. He flat out insisted that I take them. Eventually, it became obvious he wasn't going to take no for an answer and he wore me down

and I accepted them. I guess he didn't need the reminder. He moved on, and the party vibe was completely gone. We all just went inside and crashed. And then beneath that we have a similar story from Lizzie Yote. About a year ago, I fell off the wagon and was back to drinking heavily every night. In July, some random dude from the apartment complex was walking by. I offered him some beer and smoke to keep me company since it was laid

outside and I was spooked. He told me about his current life issues and how alone and unsupported he felt. We talked for hours. In November I happened upon him again and he's dressed much nicer and has a bounce in a step. He explained that talking to me that night really helped him get himself into gear. He gave my drunken ass a look and said, if I can do it, you can. You're never alone. I'm now nearly two months sober again with zero interest in picking

up a bottle. I've officially started therapy and I have cleared but manageable goals laid out to help me move forward. If he can do it, I can. Our next reply is from Quintess Knowness. In college I was dating a girl. I really loved her, but I realized that we were incompatible and we had to break up. So I downed a handle of vodka by myself in my dorm. I was super drunk, but still feeling awful, so I decided to head to the bars and drink some more. I actually don't remember if I made it there or not, but I remember getting off the drunk from having come from the bars and was too waste to continue the relatively short

walk to my dorm. I decided to just lay down where I was, which was quite literally the gutter next to my railing. Luckily it was an empty which was quite literally the gutter next to my railing. Luckily, it was an empty gutter, but a gutter nonetheless. This absolute bro comes by and sees me laying in the gutter and helps me up. He helps me walk back to my dorm, and on the way there, he asks me what's wrong. I explain the situation. I don't remember much of anything of the conversation, but I do remember him saying something to the

effect of, bro, your problems aren't going to be solved at the bottom of a bottle. Earn the points, share the journey. With the TD, AeroPlan visa-infident card, earn up to 50,000 bonus AeroPlan points. Conditions apply, offer in January 3, 2024. Visit TDAeroPlan.com for details. Looking for bright even glowing skin? Then harness the brightening power of vitamin C and get your glow on with Garnier vitamin C brightening serum. A highly concentrated serum formulated with derming gradients such as vitamin C, niacinamide

and salicylic acid. Visibly smooth skin texture, even out the look of skin tone and boost glow. All in just two weeks with Garnier Vitamin C brightening serum, like Garnier, naturally. Shut Now on Amazon.ca Our next reply from Dula Peep. I was on a solo trip to Amsterdam last year, partying in Opus 1 does. I was at a bar having a few drinks, and a gorgeous British woman a cedar to over from me grabs my arm. I am a very gay looking man by the way, and starts going on and on about how good it is to see me.

I got the hint and notice an older guy bothering her and her friend, and played along with him as their long lost BFF until he left. We ended up spending the rest of the night bar crawling and getting trashed together, having the best time. I'll never forget you, B. Our next reply is from Anis going, I volunteer at a suicide hotline. Some guy, Bob called in and we started talking about his home situation. It was nothing absolutely horrendous, but he felt trapped and stressed and felt like he didn't have options. When people use language like that, our training says we should ask if they're thinking of suicide. Many volunteers have trouble with this, but if you mention suicide to someone who's not suicidal, it doesn't make them more suicidal.

They just correct you and say, no, I feel more like such and such. So I asked Bob, Bob, you're using a lot of language that people use when they're thinking about suicide. Are you thinking about suicide? There was a pause, and then a loud whale. I could hear so much pain in his voice. I listened him cry for at least five minutes. I've talked to people who had suicidal ideation before. People who said it would be better if I were dead, but they didn't have a plan. Bob said yes, he was considering suicide and we talked it out a bit more. While he was crying,

that was the most concerned I've ever been for a human being outside of my family. This wasn't just talking. I felt like he had already made up his mind about it, which was so scary. I only know what he told me. I know that he was in a car park somewhere. I know we got a few short laughs out of each other

and made some plans for him. Plans are important because it gives you a sense that if you have something to do to plan for you can't commit suicide. Anyway, he truly was a stranger. I don't know his real name or what he looks like. I just know his story. I know that he was in a men's pain that day. He had a particular kind of accent and whenever I meet someone with that same accent, I think of him and hope he's okay. Whenever I include a story like this on YouTube, there's a very good chance that the video is going to get demonetized and it's not going to make any money. But I still include stories like these because as a society, I think it's really important that we talk about mental health. Our next reply is from Eminol Canada. I was in the

laundry with my dog and an old man with his dog approached. Our pets met and the man said, When Jesus said love your neighbor as you love yourself, only the dogs understood it. After that we had a small chat, then he left and I've never seen him again. I will never forget that man. Alright guys, buckle up, because you're about to hear my crazy dog rant. This rant is long, rambling, and most of all insane, but I promise it wraps back around to dogs loving thy neighbor. First off, this involves spoilers for the movie The Abyss, so if you want to watch that

movie without it being spoiled, stop watching now. In the movie The Abyss, there are these, like, underwater explorers, and they're at the very bottom of the ocean and all this weird stuff keeps happening. So eventually this guy dives deeper than anyone's ever dove before and they find this like underwater alien city that's occupied by these like butterfly people. And these butterfly people take this guy into their city and they show them these videos of like mankind and what mankind has done.

And the videos are just awful. It's like war and pestilence and murder, and clearly these aliens don't share a language with the person, but what they're saying is mankind has been judged, and we find mankind wanting, therefore mankind deserves destruction. The aliens, these like butterfly people are telling this guy that they're gonna destroy mankind. And then they show like another montage of this guy with his wife

and how he like loves his wife. The message then becomes because this guy loves his wife and even though mankind like does all these awful things, they still love each other and the love redeems mankind. And when I first saw that movie, I was like, I don't know, 12 or something, and it bothered me so much, and I couldn't figure out why,

and I thought about that for years. Years and years and years, years I thought about the movie The Abyss, and I finally figured out why that movie is wrong, why it bothered me so much. And I'm gonna share it with you right now. This is my crazy dog rant. So you have to imagine, if you have a society

capable of like interstellar travel and you can fly to any planet in the solar system, what would be valuable? So if aliens came to Earth, they wouldn't care that we had gold because if they really wanted gold, they would probably just fly to some planet that's unoccupied and has tons of gold

and just mine that gold. If Earth had something valuable would have to be something unique. And what's unique about Earth? There's really only two things. One, our biological entities, so like, plants and animals. Two is our culture, the things that we create, like art and music. Now, first we have to ask ourselves, would aliens care about our art and music? Probably not. Why do I think that? Well, just look at a cat. What does a cat find interesting? If you give a cat just like a ball of yarn or a laser pointer, it goes absolutely nuts, but humans just completely don't care about that type of stuff.

So if you were to imagine like cat aliens, then the type of like, uh, art and culture that they would find really interesting would be laser pointer exhibits in giant museums full of yarn. Cats are like really similar to humans because we're both mammals, we're both born on, like born on earth, our DNA is pretty similar. If cats and humans are already that far apart in what they find appealing,

then we can't possibly expect aliens when they come to Earth to look at a soccer game, or to look at the Mona Lisa and be impressed by it. They're just going to be like, I don't get it. I'd rather look at like laser pointers because I'm an alien and my brain works so differently that I can't even relate to this. The next option is some sort of like biological thing on Earth that they really care about. For example, did you ever read animus when you were a kid?

It was about these aliens that came to Earth and they could turn into like all these different animals. But one of the things I found really interesting was that one of the aliens was really, really, really into cinnamon buns. And they were talking about how there weren't cinnamon buns or that flavor of cinnamon buns anywhere else in the galaxy. So this alien really enjoyed cinnamon as like this grand contributor to what Earth added to the universe now That's possible. It's very possible that if aliens come to be like, oh my god You guys have hot peppers and hot peppers don't exist anywhere else in the galaxy that flavor doesn't exist And we love hot peppers So we will not nuke planet earth into oblivion because we want to buy hot peppers from you

That's a possibility. But get this. My personal theory is that I think that if aliens ever visited us, the thing that they will actually care about, or let me rephrase, the thing that they are most likely to care about, is dogs. So you have to imagine what an alien society would have to be like in order to make it to Earth. One thing that we know for certain is that they would almost necessarily have to be a communal

society. They would have to work well with other people because you can't expect one living organism to be born and then before it dies, build a rocket ship and fly to Earth, that just not going to happen. It has to, they have to work together as a society. Therefore, we can expect aliens to be highly collaborative and to like other people and to like form bonds with them. That's a reasonable expectation. Also, it's fairly reasonable to assume that aliens, wherever they are, will probably enjoy pets. Because exploiting animal labor is a very important part in a smart, intelligent species evolving to the next step of society. Domesticated animals are basically free labor at a time when technology levels are super, super low.

So it's a reason that other alien species would have also domesticated animals in order to like reach the next level of society. So if an alien comes to Earth, it's likely that they will be one, highly social and cooperative, and two, they probably would have used pets at some point in their evolution through technology. So then they come to earth and we have dogs. And dogs are highly customizable, they can be as tiny as they can fit in the palm of your hand, or they can be huge, like as big as a pony practically. And they absolutely love a door anyone. It doesn't matter who

are what you are. They'll make friends with lizards, cats, humans, I saw videos of dogs being buddies with cheetahs. I mean, it doesn't matter. So if aliens come to Earth and we like give them a puppy, the puppy would just instantaneously love this alien and be like, hey, let's be buddies for best friends forever. And I think that there is a chance that like an alien will get a puppy and be like, hey, let's be buddies for best friends forever. And I think that there is a chance that like an alien will get a puppy and be like, hey, this thing is neat, it's really loyal, and it's affectionate, and it likes me, and it just completely accepts me for no reason. And as a result, Earth's number one export to the galaxy will be dogs. Or you know, something like cinnamon or chili peppers or chives. I

mean who knows, it could be some interesting spice that they care about. That's why the abyss bothered me so much. If aliens came to Earth, they wouldn't care that we love each other. Oh, mankind loves each other, even though they build nuclear missiles and murder each other every single day, they love each other, therefore they deserve to be spared cosmic destruction. No, there's no way aliens are gonna do that. What they are gonna be like is, oh, you guys have potatoes? Awesome! We don't have potatoes in the galaxy, give us potatoes, we'll buy them, we'll eat them, and we won't destroy you. Or alternatively, give us lots of dogs, give us lots of puppies, because we love pets, we love collaborative animals that like like us and want to cuddle up on us and we won't destroy you.

So I think I really honestly do believe that if aliens visit us our best chance at not being destroyed is puppies. That was our slash ask right at any if you like this content check out my patreon where I publish extra episodes. Also be sure to follow this podcast because I put out new Reddit podcast episodes every single day. turn where I publish extra episodes. Also, be sure to follow this podcast because I put on your Reddit podcast episodes every single day.