We have all heard tales of strange people living in Montana; the Unabomber, the freedom militias, the poor sods stuck in the Federal Witness Protection Program.
I assure you the majority of people living in Montana are friendly, polite, are reasonably sane, and will go out of their way to lend a hand to strangers.
Now, I am a cynical Californian transplanted in Montana. I cannot help but feel suspicious of helpful strangers.
Oh, the clerk wants to volunteer the use of his truck to haul a new desk to my home, does he? Back off! I know how to use this pepper spray!
This actually happened, sans threats and pepper spray.
I bought a desk at the local Staples, and then realized I had no way to get it to my apartment. The clerk offered to haul it to my place, free of charge and after work hours.
No, he was not hitting on me! The guy was at least sixty years old. He volunteered because I needed help. His no-strings-attached offer blew me away.
Desperate, I agreed. He delivered the desk as promised, said, Glad I could help, and left.
Weird, I breathed. What is wrong with these people?
The clerks admirable attitude is...