Earlier this week, during a visit to London, like most capital cities a busy and often impersonal place, two events occurred causing me to re-evaluate that viewpoint.

Firstly, after leaving the Underground at Green Park I stopped at a fruit stall. I told the seller that I had no change and asked him would he be able to give change for a £20 note. He said “Yes, I suppose so unless you just want a banana”.

I replied, laughing, “Actually that’s exactly what I want”! He said “Well take one anyway and pay me when you walk past again”. I replied that I wouldn’t be passing that way again and he told me not to worry and to just take one. I said “No, I can’t do that. I’ll get some change from another stall”.

So I bought some mints and a Snickers bar from a nearby stall and, armed with my change, returned and paid 30p for the banana. He even gave me the biggest of the bunch!

I thanked him and carried on my journey with a good feeling about the world.

Three minutes later I turned a corner and suddenly a clearly distressed young woman stopped in front of me, said she was desperate and asked me “Please, don’t walk away”. She told me that she had had an argument with her boyfriend and had walked out of his flat but without any money to get to her home, several miles away to the south of the City. She said she was telling the truth and would leave her mobile phone with me as surety for any money I gave her!

She seemed genuinely upset and so I asked her how much the train fare was. She replied that it was £14. I said I wouldn’t give her that but would give her some change. I gave her a £2 coin and she expressed her gratitude and walked off (still with her cell phone, of course!) no doubt with the intention of confronting somebody else.

Was I scammed? I don’t know. On balance I probably was  but it didn’t matter and after the kindness of the fruit seller there was plenty of goodwill in the bank. Two different ends of the human spectrum and karma in reverse. Whatever, it was worth an extra £2 for the banana!