I was riding my bicycle home from work on Wednesday, Sept. 4. I was riding down Evergreen Road in the North Hills toward Rochester Road.

The road there is very steep and the asphalt has deteriorated, making it rough and bumpy. I have ridden down there many times and was careful to not go too fast. It is a narrow road and at that time of the day has a lot of traffic. I kept to the side of the road as best I could with the rough pavement.

Suddenly I heard a crack, the bike lurched -- and I tumbled to the asphalt. I ended up in the middle of the road, right in front of a large white SUV.

Luckily the driver, Dave, was able to stop. The cars coming up the hill also stopped.

I was able to get up and seemed OK, except for some bad scrapes. My bike helmet -- and Dave stopping his truck -- saved me from serious injury.

After I got up, the other cars drove off, but Dave got out of his truck to ask if I was OK. Both my hands, my arm, shoulder and back were all bleeding. My bike was in three pieces. The aluminum stem that connected the handlebars to the front fork and the rest of the bike had sheared off. I told Dave I was all right and thanked him for not hitting me.

After he was certain I was OK, he offered to ride me home. It was out of his way, but Dave took me and the pieces of my bike to my house. My hands were too bloody to even thank him with a handshake.

Thank you, Dave, for being a good driver and for getting me home. Pittsburgh's a better place because of people like you.

-- RON FALLER, Ross

At noon on Wednesday, Aug. 27, with no warning, the timing belt in my car engine broke as I exited Route 60 at Montour Run Road.

My car would not restart. I stood on the side of Montour Run Road until almost 2:30 p.m. awaiting a tow from AAA.

In the span of 2.5 hours, nearly 30 fellow drivers slowed down or stopped to ask me if I needed help. A few even parked their cars to walk over to me, to make sure I was OK. Most were on their lunch hours -- with their own time limited.

I'd like to take this opportunity to warmly thank those folks for their genuine concern and their unselfish offers of assistance. I deeply appreciated every one!

God Bless You,

-- MRS. A.M. PAFF, Aspinwall

On Friday, Aug. 22, I parked my car in Squirrel Hill and went to work on Forbes Avenue. When I left work I noticed my keys were missing. I was frantic: How could I have lost my keys?

I was walking to my car and thinking, if I dropped my keys I would never find them.

To my surprise and relief, I got to my car and found a note on the windshield. It contained the phone numbers of two wonderful women -- Sybil and Barbara. They had found my keys and put them safely on their front porch. I called them up and retrieved the keys.

Thank you so much for your kindness. I will appreciate it always. Pittsburghers are such great people.

-- SEMA FINEBERG, Shadyside