Pay It Forward

I found a video article on CNN.com entitled "Man fills strangers gas tanks".  The title is interesting in itself because it leaves the consumer asking questions and therefore increases the probability that they'll click the link.  One may wonder why would a man do such a deed for someone he barely knows in today's self-centered society but questions such as this are immediately answered as "Dave" of Portland, Oregon is revealed in the two-and-a-half-minute clip.

The video tells the tale of a man who fills strangers' tanks randomly on his own time, only asking the recipients to "pay it forward" or "do what they can within their budget for someone else".  What makes this clip work is the fact that the man's actions are so genuine and rare they produce opposite positive emotions.  And hopefully positive actions by the recipients in the future.

I enjoyed this story because it was an easily digestible at 2:37 and offered a complete picture of the situation.  Missing information included David's last name, names of interviewees, among other small things.  But overall, the story is very satisfying and complete.

http://www.cnn.com/video/?JSONLINK=/video/us/2008/10/11/natpkg.or.gas.pay.forward.kgw

Kevin Ornduff