This tale of a helpful train driver prompted people to share their similar stories and it’s this week’s loveliest thing
Well here’s a thing to lift your spirits and gladden your heart, a tale of a helpful train driver that went viral – wildly viral – and took on a whole new life of its own.
It all started when Sophie Goodfellow – @sophieglorita on Twitter – shared the story of a train driver who helped her out after she was stood on the wrong platform with her buggy.
To the @SouthernRailUK driver who pulled into West Norwood, saw me standing on the wrong platform, watched me realise and sprint with a buggy out of the station and around it, and then reopened the doors even though he’d already closed them, I wish only good things for you always
— Sophie Goodfellow (@sophieglorita) July 7, 2024
And I know he saw me do those things, because he stopped me at London Bridge for a good-natured, and well-deserved chuckle at my expense. Only. Good. Things.
— Sophie Goodfellow (@sophieglorita) July 7, 2024
In fact, does anyone know if I can nominate him for some kind of award? There wasn’t another train for half an hour!
— Sophie Goodfellow (@sophieglorita) July 7, 2024
And Southern Rail did indeed get in touch.
Hi Sophie, thank you for your message. Please can I ask what service this was so I can get this passed on for you ^Jo
— Southern (@SouthernRailUK) July 7, 2024
Can I just check first that there’s no rule about reopening doors or anything? He didn’t delay the train at all Just occurred to me to make sure!
— Sophie Goodfellow (@sophieglorita) July 8, 2024
Fortunately not …
That’s alright. Doors can be reopened for any number of reasons. The driver will have had to account for it if the train picked up a delay which it sounds like they didn’t on this occasion Looks like they wanted to make sure you got on board ✨ ^Andy
— Southern (@SouthernRailUK) July 8, 2024
Oh good! In that case, it was the 10.42 from West Norwood to London Bridge on Sunday thanks!
— Sophie Goodfellow (@sophieglorita) July 8, 2024
Lovely! Thank you for confirming. We’ll pass on your kind words ^Andy
— Southern (@SouthernRailUK) July 8, 2024
And not only did it prompt lots of fabulous replies …
Your familyname does affect people around you.
— Kristian Gemfeldt (@KGemfeldt) July 8, 2024
It also prompted people to share their own stories of when something similar happened to them and we can’t get enough of it.
@SouthernRailUK are good people. I was in Falmer Station at Friday lunchtime feeling very ill, sheltering from the rain, waiting for a friend to pick me up, and the man working there checked on me to see if I was OK. They are always so nice
— Alice Wright (@sequinnedsheep) July 8, 2024
love this! I was once in an U-Bahn station in Berlin, running for the train, doors already closed; the driver saw me, opened his own door and I got in via his cab! there’s no better way to start the journey!
have a great week 🙂
— elliot ️ (@els76uk) July 8, 2024
How lovely! Last week, I left the Western General Hospital, and was around 50 metres from the Lothian 29 bus on the other side of the road, which was signalling to pull away from the kerb. I waved my bus pass and walked as fast as I could, and the driver very kindly waited for me
— DailyShot (@1dailyshot) July 8, 2024
That’s a good driver. I nearly missed a connection at York after a very long journey and delay, so they rang ahead and held my train in York for 1 minute. Saved me be stuck for hours. You remember these things.
— Sammy (@Tea_lover99) July 8, 2024
How lovely! A train driver once did something similar when I was standing on the wrong platform with a bag & a massive suitcase. It was the last train too! Saved me a long trip back home on the bus 🙂
— Amandine (@AmandineOlivier) July 8, 2024
I was once waiting for the bus with my then newborn. Bus didn’t come. Another driver called the depot for me and discovered it WASN’T coming. Called a cab for me and gave me the fare from his petty cash.
— Sam Humphreys (@sjheditor) July 9, 2024
My son took the wrong bus home on his first day in high school, the bus driver changed the route to bring him right to our house.
Also, the HGV driver driving slow enough & alert enough to stop when 18M old daughter darted into the road. My heroes forever.— pettinera ~ Wthell, Western leaders? (@pettinera) July 8, 2024
And then it got even better, when this happened!
Going to have to mute this now, but I cannot believe how many people have liked and engaged with this! Especially astonished that the train driver’s wife saw this and showed him I just thought it was A Nice Thing, and it turns out the people want Nice Things. https://t.co/fDTmo0SZLD
— Sophie Goodfellow (@sophieglorita) July 8, 2024
To conclude …
Stuff like this makes me so happy! Good people are good for the people https://t.co/j7xM7JePPP
— Olivia Quinn (@_olivia_quinn) July 8, 2024
And this.
— Allie Johns (@AllieJohns) July 8, 2024
Source @sophieglorita