Can I Help You?

By Val
@valmnz (17097)
New Zealand
December 29, 2016 12:05am CST
This afternoon I parked my car only a few metres away from the scene pictured here and waited to put my money into the parking meter that serves about ten cars. The younger, well-dressed man in front of me appeared to be having difficulty with using the parking meter, so I asked if I could help him. Somehow he'd pressed the wrong button and was looking rather confused. I'm from Auckland he said. Aha, I thought, he's from the largest city in New Zealand. No doubt their parking meters are much more sophisticated than the ones in our provincial, much smaller city. He graciously accepted my help and I felt pleased to be able to help him. Obviously, the simple things in life are just too obvious for those used to higher degrees of sophistication.
17 people like this
18 responses
Michelle
@infatuatedbby (94914)
• United States
29 Dec 16
Very nice you were able to help him. :) Some people I see them struggling and ask to help and they go NO angrily.
3 people like this
Val
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
29 Dec 16
That's not very polite, is it!
3 people like this
Michelle
@infatuatedbby (94914)
• United States
29 Dec 16
@valmnz Nope. Their lost not mine. :)
3 people like this
Ptrikha_2
@ptrikha_2 (46736)
• India
29 Dec 16
Yes sometimes we need to figure out things on simpler systems, and its great that you provided the help.
3 people like this
Val
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
29 Dec 16
He accepted my help willingly.
1 person likes this
Belle Starr (Iz)
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
29 Dec 16
lol I have to admit that there are so many different types of parking meters that I have been confused by more than one !! And I live in a very small town!!
1 person likes this
Belle Starr (Iz)
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
30 Dec 16
@valmnz I am still trying to get used to ones that take a credit card lol
Val
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
29 Dec 16
Yes. In most parts of town now we no longer have individual meters, but one that serves a stretch of street. I don't think there are any here that yu can use an app for, though I confess I'm not sure.
1 person likes this
Anna
@LadyDuck (469488)
• Switzerland
29 Dec 16
I think you are right, young people now have the habit to do everything using their phones and the app, they cannot use simple things anymore. Let's hope they can still use their brain.
1 person likes this
Val
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
29 Dec 16
He and his family did seem like nice people.
2 people like this
Val
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
29 Dec 16
@LadyDuck he was and so were his family. I think he works in a far more sophisticated world than I do!
1 person likes this
Anna
@LadyDuck (469488)
• Switzerland
29 Dec 16
@valmnz Sometimes it's hard to understand very simple instruction. I am sure he is a nice young man.
1 person likes this
crazyhorseladycx
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
29 Dec 16
no doubt he 'ppreciated yer kindness :) we tend to be creatures'f habit 'n new schtuff, e'en if'n such's ol' 't times jest fuddles our brains.
3 people like this
Val
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
29 Dec 16
I think he was expecting to pay much more than he had to, his being from the big smoke! Our parking fees are about a third of what he probably normally pays per hour. He may have thought he'd done something wrong!
3 people like this
Marsha
@MarshaMusselman (38856)
• Midland, Michigan
30 Dec 16
At least you came on the scene to help him out. I'm not sure what he would have done otherwise. Why are people in your country known as Kiwis? I've never heard of that before.
1 person likes this
Val
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
30 Dec 16
The kiwi bird is our national emblem and it's a term given to us when we travel abroad. I'm not sure when or how it originated, but it's a really common expression worldwide.
1 person likes this
Val
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
4 Jan 17
@MarshaMusselman kiwifruit is the correct name of the fruit, they'd never be called kiwi here in NZ.. I think they may be marketed internationally as kiwi though.
1 person likes this
Marsha
@MarshaMusselman (38856)
• Midland, Michigan
4 Jan 17
@valmnz I guess I could have looked it up. I didn't realize there are birds called kiwi. I'm only familiar with the fruit and thought the reference related to that. Being like a bird makes more sense.
1 person likes this
sishy7
@sishy7 (27167)
• Australia
29 Dec 16
And I thought simpler = easier... I guess that's not always the case...
1 person likes this
sishy7
@sishy7 (27167)
• Australia
30 Dec 16
@valmnz This reminds me... The first time I went to my son's Uni, the largest campus in the state, parked my car at visitor's lot then walked all over the parking lot looking for a parking meter until a guy saw I was probably looking confused and asked how could he helped. I told him I needed to pay for the parking and he pointed to a board that looked nothing like a parking meter. I thought it was just a sign board and there were several of them all over the huge parking lot. Apparently there was an app code on that board to pay parking - I had NO idea! Still, it did nothing for me as I did not have a smartphone then... So he directed me to the security office and I paid my fees manually in there...
Val
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
29 Dec 16
Not if you're used to using apps and credit cards rather than coins. It's a different world out there these days!
1 person likes this
Pat Z Anthony
@PatZAnthony (14749)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
30 Dec 16
It always nice to be able to help others, but especially when we are appreciated, we enjoy helping more.
1 person likes this
Val
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
30 Dec 16
They looked like a nice family and he didn't mind admitting he was confused.
Jekca
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
29 Dec 16
hehehehe, well I am sure he was glad someone helped him!
1 person likes this
Val
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
29 Dec 16
Yes, I think he told me he was from Auckland s a way of explaining his helplessness!
2 people like this
Fiacre Banks
@xFiacre (12867)
• Ireland
29 Dec 16
@valmnz Nice to be able to show a younger person that they don't know everything!!
1 person likes this
Val
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
29 Dec 16
And one from Auckland where many think they are better than the rest of the country.
2 people like this
DianneN
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
29 Dec 16
Lol! At least you were kind enough to help him. That's a huge plus in this day and age. Kudos to you.
1 person likes this
Val
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
29 Dec 16
I've been told we Kiwis are friendly people we do what comes naturally.
1 person likes this
DianneN
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
29 Dec 16
@valmnz That is an honor! I wish more people were like you!
1 person likes this
Valerie J. Routhieaux
@just4him (317022)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
30 Dec 16
I'm glad you were able to help him.
1 person likes this
Val
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
30 Dec 16
Lol, I think he was too!
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (337535)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Dec 16
Some of these devices, like parking meters, checkout machines, etc seem to be deliberate built to be confusing. It's always nice to be able to help people isn't it?
1 person likes this
Val
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
29 Dec 16
I think they may have apps in Auckland that allow you to just tap your credit card on the meter.
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (337535)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Dec 16
@valmnz We have one of those in our IGA too - and the MyKey card in Melbourne is a tap thing too.
1 person likes this
My Money Cottage
@mymoneycottage (47)
• United Kingdom
29 Dec 16
A little kindness goes a long way :)
1 person likes this
Val
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
29 Dec 16
If you can help someone, why not!
Silvermist
@silvermist (19702)
• India
30 Dec 16
@valmnz That was really nice of you.What is the building in the photo?
Hazel Vee
@epiffanie (11326)
• Australia
31 Dec 16
I would be lost using those parking meters or ticket machines as I have always relied on my husband to do that ..Maybe it's time for me to learn the sophisticated system of things ..
Judy Story
@jstory07 (138935)
• Roseburg, Oregon
29 Dec 16
That was nice of you to help him. I never park anywhere where I have to pay.
1 person likes this
Val
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
29 Dec 16
It isn't very expensive where I live and sometimes in the city centre it is unavoidable.
1 person likes this
suhail
@suhail1 (931)
• Manila, Philippines
6 Jan 17
very true as you said, life is too sophisticated and we made it sophisticated and we almost forgot the simple and small virtues inside us