Good Samaritans in Riga

Sep 09, 2010

I am writing to share a story of kindness and generosity we experienced on Aug. 26, 2010 in Riga. My wife and I, along with another couple, were in a taxi returning from Brivdabas Muzejs to our ship, which was docked near Old Town. Unfortunately, as we drove along, our taxi collided with another car in a serious accident.

Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt. Although not hurt, we were dazed and had several aches and pains. As we stood on the sidewalk, many people gathered to look at the accident. Among them was a young couple who came up to us and spoke to us in English. We were unable to speak the local language so this young couple was like an angel to us. We asked them if they would act as interpreters, which they graciously did. They offered us water. They invited to let us sit in their car out of the chilly wind. They even offered to give us a ride to our ship, but their car was too small to accommodate the four of us. They eventually called another cab for us, so we could get back to our ship before departure time.

The second cab arrived and took us to our ship. When we exited the cab and attempted to pay the fare, the driver said: “You do not need to pay. I have already been paid” and held up money he had been holding in his hand. We do not know who paid the fare. As we boarded the ship, we were not thinking about the bad accident we had just experienced, but we were thinking of the kindness shown to four strangers in Riga. The goodwill and generosity of the people of Riga, Latvia will always be a cherished memory.

Gratefully,
Four American visitors
David McAllister

PS: We forgot to get the contact information of the young couple. He had lived in Ireland for several months and learned to speak very good English. The girl had learned her English in school. To both of them, a big THANK YOU.

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