Some people are spectacularly nice.

My car needed a warrant so I took it in to get a bit of slap and tickle today at the Car Slap and Tickle Shop. I'd been recommended a Chinese mechanic called Jason. Now, since Jason is about a twenty minute hike from work, I arrived about half an hour before I needed to be at the coalface.

'Hi Kate!' yelled Jason as I walked in. 'Want a ride to work?'

Can I just say at this point that Jason had absolutely no idea what I looked like or where I worked, so I liked him already.

'No, it's okay, I can walk.' Says I, half meaning it.

'No, no, you don't want to walk, we can drop you !' He insisted.

Not wanting to look the proverbial gift horse in the mouth and discover he needed some very expensive dental work, I took him up on his offer.

His off sider then emerged from under a car bonnet and said that he would drop me. I didn't catch his name, so let's call him Bruce.

Bruce is in his fifties, Maori and by the end of our trip to work I wanted to build statue in his honour.

First up, he taught me the psychology of the lights between their place of work and mine. ('No don't get in that turning lane, if you do, it'll take you two changes of lights to get through').I reckon he's now saved me at least a minute forty seconds a day (and I'm telling you, I can do a lot with that minute forty). I think he should set himself up as a traffic logistics consultant.

But the thing that really made me think Bruce was so sensational was when he told me about the all the different vehicle licenses he has.

'I've got all of them, heavy traffic, bus.....'

'You've got your bus license?! You can drive buses?'

'Yes, but I'm a terrible bus driver. I stop all the time.'

'How come?' Ask I, suspecting his press might be true.

'I just stop for everyone, especially stop for old ladies. All the time. If they're crossing the road, or if they look like they might want to catch the bus, I will stop and check. So my bus always runs late, I'm a terrible bus driver.'

At that point I burst out laughing and told him that he sounded like the best bus driver on the planet - unless you needed to get somewhere on time.

I have to say, after my encounter with Jason and Bruce, I arrived at work in such a good mood. I had encountered beautiful generosity of spirit, all before 8.30 am.

It was one of those mornings that just restores your faith in human nature.