Determination
Sam noticed something white on her windshield. She noticed it was a piece of paper, and opened it. She could feel her blood starting to boil as she read its contents.
People have no regard for others! She had trouble believing that someone went out of their way to write her this note. The situation was too serious for her to ignore. She was hell-bent on getting the last laugh.
Types Of Neighbors
There are different types of neighbors. Some are pleasant and quiet, others are rude and loud. Some bake sweet treats for their fellow man, and others are inconsiderate and impossible to live with.
Sam Halms unfortunately was unlucky enough to get insufferable neighbors.
Been Here Forever
For many years Sam lived in a quiet neighborhood located in Northfolk, UK. In all her years, she had never encountered any issues with her fellow neighbors.
That is why she was so stunned when she read the note that was left on her car's windshield by a neighbor. Whoever sent her such cruel message was remorseless.
Social Distancing
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, various countries in the world went into lockdown. This was no different for the community of Northfolk. They were prohibited from leaving their homes unless absolutely necessary.
The only way to prevent the spread of the virus was through social distancing, and Sam respected that. However, there was a problem.
Worsening Situation
The amount of COVID-19 cases in the UK was astonishing. They were rising daily and eventually hit the 500,000 mark. This caused the UK government to reassess the lockdown restrictions which led to even tighter restrictions.
The situation was dire but that did not prevent Sam from driving to work every day. She was blissfully unaware of the fact that everything she did was being documented by a stranger.
Trying To Survive
Sam was aware of how dangerous the situation was, but she had no other options. She needed to go to work in order to keep her head above water.
She never anticipated her next-door neighbor to do something so heinous to her. She lost trust in humanity after reading the note she received.
Audacity
Sam could not believe how horrible and hurtful her neighbor's note was. Her neighbor did not know her at all, yet still had the audacity to judge her! She was already feeling very low, and this note hit the nail in the coffin.
The note started off with, "To the selfish person,"
Had No Clue
Whoever wrote the note obviously did not know the first thing about Sam. They wrote the note under the assumption that Sam broke the lockdown regulations for no reason every day.
Instead of speaking to Sam about her behavior, the unidentified neighbor decided to express their strong opinions immediately.
Ignorant Note
Each sentence was more ridiculous than the previous one. "I have been watching you travel every day in your car, you are not in uniform, so this is clearly unessential travel! You are part of the problem! Stay at home and protect our country + NHS. You have been reported!"
Sam could feel her face starting to get red. If she was a cartoon character, steam would be coming out of her ears!
Planning Her Revenge
Some stranger judged her based on absolutely nothing! This was astounding to Sam. She couldn't let the stranger get away with their ignorant behavior, she needed to make them pay.
She snatched up the disgusting note, snapped a picture of it, and made her way to work.
Sam's Story
As soon as Sam arrived at work, she started typing on her computer. As a nurse working for the British National Health Service, Sam has dedicated her life to giving and surviving humanity.
It has been especially difficult for her with more and more coronavirus patients arriving every hour, which was why she was so upset when she found the note.
She Made a Facebook Post
She was driving to work to save lives, not to have fun with her friends, as her neighbor probably assumed.
"I don't usually post much personal stuff on social media, but I'm hoping that sharing this on here will reach the idiot that left me this note on my car," she said in her post.
She Saves Lives
Sam continued writing, "Most importantly… I work for the NHS. I go to work every day supporting our country and have done for many years…"
"While you are clearly spending your days watching me, probably claiming that you're employed as a 'full-time mommy.' she typed with tears in her eyes.
Message to the Stranger
"Why didn't you just approach me and ask me what I was doing, maybe then you would understand why I am getting up every day to work for the NHS!?" she continued.
In her post, Sam also explained why she wasn't wearing her uniform driving to and from the hospital.
Wearing Uniform is Only Required During The Shift
She wrote, "Why on earth would I wear my uniform to and from work at this current time? Equally, not all NHS staff have to wear a uniform – food for thought."
"If this has reached you, hopefully now you feel like a complete fool and that you should think twice before sticking your nose into other people's business," Sam explained.
Her Post Went Viral
Soon after uploading her post on Facebook, Sam began receiving a lot of replies from people. More than 28,000 Facebook users have shared her post.
People empathize with her and urged others to think twice before saying or doing anything that might hurt someone. However, some users sided with the neighbor.
The May Have Had Good Intentions
They pointed out that the neighbor probably had good intentions and wanted to explain how crucial it is to follow the rules. However, most people agreed this person could have expressed their opinion in a much nicer way.
One user who was stunned by the rude message also shared their opinion.
The Comments
"There are people who are genuinely terrified of this virus because of the media hype and think everyone who is out is in the wrong and part of the problem," the person wrote.
Others pointed out uniform protocol instead, "The person who wrote the letter is obviously unaware that many key NHS workers travel to work in their own clothes and get changed at work," another user commented.
Supportive Messages
The messages of support kept coming every hour. "If you wear scrubs at work, for instance, they would have to stay at work," another person wrote.
One user wrote, "Obviously, [the neighbor] doesn't know her neighbors! Why would uniform-wearing medical staff wear gear worn inside wards outside of work and risk-sharing any viruses… should use her brains… and support, not write anonymous notes,"
Don't Be Too Quick To Judge
Whoever wrote this note didn't know what Sam does for a living. The outcome might have been very different if the neighbor had spoken to her about it instead of writing a rude message.
"Shows just how cowardly she is by not putting her name to the letter. She obviously has nothing better to do. Keep up the good work. It is appreciated by the majority." another user wrote.
Another Encounter
However, Sam isn’t the only one to wake up to an unexpected note on the windshield of her car. For this man, a note was left on his car for a completely different reason and his girlfriend was quick to jump on the case.
Having had a few drinks the night before and leaving his car at the bar, his memory was a little hazy about what had happened.
Morning After
Art graduate Austin Martin told his girlfriend he had plans to meet up with a friend at Union Bar and Grill in Gering, Nebraska.
When he woke up the next day and looked out of the window, he vaguely remembered leaving his truck at the bar, so asked his girlfriend Janelle to give him a ride to collect it. But he never imagined such an ordinary story would soon go viral.
‘What’s That?’
As the couple pulled into the parking lot, Janelle spotted something on the windshield under the wiper. It wasn’t usual for people to post flyers in the area, so she knew instantly that it was something personal.
Austin was still feeling a little worse for wear after the night he’d had, so didn’t even notice the note. Which was just as well for Janelle, who was determined to get to it first.
First In
Janelle pulled up right next to Austin’s truck, making sure the driver’s door was closest to her boyfriend’s vehicle.
By the time Austin knew what was going on, Janelle was out of the door with the note in her hands. Austin stared at her reading the message, confused. And then it all came flooding back to him.
Temptation
Austin had been really looking forward to the night out. He hadn’t seen his friend from college for months and although he’d told himself he wasn’t going to have a drink so he could drive home, one thing led to another and before he knew it, he was over the limit.
The next thing he knew, he’d woken up at home and his truck wasn’t where he usually parked it. But the mysterious note would soon fill in the gaps.
No Choice
Gering doesn’t have a cab service, and ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft don’t operate there, so if Austin wasn’t able to drive home, he would have had to get a ride from someone who hadn’t been drinking that evening.
And it’s exactly this that led to someone placing the note on his truck windshield.
Starting To Sweat
As Janelle read the note out loud, it was clear that it hadn’t been written by someone Austin knew.
“Dear Union Bar and Grill Park Guest,” the letter began. “Just wanted to thank you for leaving your car parked overnight.” Austin started to sweat. Did he not do the right thing to leave the car there? Would he be fined?
Trouble
“Let me take a look at that,” said Austin, desperate to see what kind of trouble he was in. But Janelle was also keen to find out what her boyfriend had been up to that would prompt a stranger to leave a note on his car.
She continued reading aloud while Austin braced himself to face the music.
Fearing The Worst
Seeing the note, Janelle’s paranoia had gotten the better of her. Her boyfriend had come home drunk the night before after saying he was going to stay sober.
Then when she drives him back to pick up his vehicle, there’s a note on his windshield. But fortunately for her, the message was actually a very pleasant surprise.
Good Decision
“I’m not sure if you consumed alcohol at our restaurant or not, but we want to thank you for not drinking and driving,” the note continued.
The message had been written by bar owners Scott and Carla Swanson as a way to reward customers who were responsible drivers. But that’s not all they had to say.
Tasty Reward
“Bring this letter to the bar and we will give you a hamburger and french fries,” read the letter.
“Please accept this as a thank you for being responsible. Life is valuable, have a great day. Scott and Carla Swanson, the Union Bar and Grill owners.” Janelle was floored by the gesture and was quick to share her thoughts on social media.
Setting An Example
“More bars should take note from Scott and Carla Swanson,” Janelle said on Facebook, along with a photo of the kind note.
The post went viral, attracting more than 26,000 likes, 1,500 comments, and 53,000 shares. But the owners themselves are a bit confused as to why the note has garnered quite so much attention.
Nothing New
“Why it went viral this time, I have no idea because it’s been posted a lot of other times,” said Scott, explaining that they’d actually been doing this for some time.
“Carla and I pulled into the parking lot a couple of years ago,” Scott continued. “We had a pretty good night the night before and there were 10 cars in the parking lot. Carla mentioned that we ought to think of something to do for the people that are responsible.” And his wife is delighted by the response.
Helping The Community
Carla is thrilled that the note has gone viral, because she hopes other bars might do the same thing and help fight drink driving.
“The more we can do away with people driving and drinking, it’s better for every community,” Carla added. “My message to them is don’t drink and drive and get a ride if you’ve been drinking too much.” But the pair don’t do it all the time - and for good reason.
Abusing Their Generosity
cott said that while they love spreading the message that it’s OK for customers to leave their cars overnight to avoid a drunken trip home, it’s not something they can do for everyone because eventually, drinkers would start doing it just to get a free lunch.
Surely no one would abuse the hospitality of such good-intentioned folk!