Your best coincidental moments
Discussion
Big Rod said:
Years ago, before the turn of the century, I accepted a job I really shouldn't have been offered in the first place. I spent the next few years barely managing to keep my head above water and was carried by the rest of the team, (I have no issue with admitting it.), including my boss.
That job offer was a real 'Mr Destiny' point and is pretty much pivotal in how my life subsequently turned out, which I'm very happy about.
About 15 years later, (house/Wife/family/etc), I was due to change contracts and for some reason my old boss had been on my mind. I think I wanted to thank him for, (albeit unknowingly), having such a fundamental effect on what I loosely call a career. A few times I thought I caught sight of him while doing the incumbent job but had been mistaken.
So I take up my new post which required that I had to travel a bit so found myself a lovely little 'boutique' hotel about 170 miles away from where I live in the wilds of Sunderland. I had to start the job a couple of days early so I hadn't intended on being there that night but after the first day in the office I retired to the hotel and sat at the bar reading a paper and drinking a beer when I was conscious of someone walking up the the check-in end of the bar.
I didn't pay much attention to them until he opened his mouth and I recognised the voice.
It was my old boss, about 200 miles from where he lives AND he'd only booked the hotel about 30 minutes previously while he was driving up the A19 from a previous engagement.
It got a little messy that night and I got my chance to thank him. (Don't think he quite got his head around what I was thanking him for though!)
you sucked him off... didn't you...? That job offer was a real 'Mr Destiny' point and is pretty much pivotal in how my life subsequently turned out, which I'm very happy about.
About 15 years later, (house/Wife/family/etc), I was due to change contracts and for some reason my old boss had been on my mind. I think I wanted to thank him for, (albeit unknowingly), having such a fundamental effect on what I loosely call a career. A few times I thought I caught sight of him while doing the incumbent job but had been mistaken.
So I take up my new post which required that I had to travel a bit so found myself a lovely little 'boutique' hotel about 170 miles away from where I live in the wilds of Sunderland. I had to start the job a couple of days early so I hadn't intended on being there that night but after the first day in the office I retired to the hotel and sat at the bar reading a paper and drinking a beer when I was conscious of someone walking up the the check-in end of the bar.
I didn't pay much attention to them until he opened his mouth and I recognised the voice.
It was my old boss, about 200 miles from where he lives AND he'd only booked the hotel about 30 minutes previously while he was driving up the A19 from a previous engagement.
It got a little messy that night and I got my chance to thank him. (Don't think he quite got his head around what I was thanking him for though!)
Our first day on holiday 2 weeks ago, and I'm jetlagged. I'm removing the family's skis from the ski locker in an apartment (condo) block in Whistler, Canada.
A chap walks towards me (the locker's in the car park), and starts with, "Excuse me, please could you tell ....." and gives then gives me a big hug, laughing. It's a colleague from my London office that I regularly go for a beer with when I'm in London!
Neither of us knew we'd be skiing in Canada at the same time over Christmas, let alone renting accomodation in the same bulding.
A chap walks towards me (the locker's in the car park), and starts with, "Excuse me, please could you tell ....." and gives then gives me a big hug, laughing. It's a colleague from my London office that I regularly go for a beer with when I'm in London!
Neither of us knew we'd be skiing in Canada at the same time over Christmas, let alone renting accomodation in the same bulding.
This is a bit convoluted - but i reckon it has to be the worst coincidence ever.
As a 6th form student I worked at Argos. One Saturday i got pulled into the office and asked why I was making nuisance, sexually explicit phone calls to another member of staff - some 50 YO woman who I didn't really know.
I was advised that this had been going on for the last 6 months - that the police were involved and that they knew it was someone who worked in the store as they had traced a call back to it.
I was told that this woman had a missed call at her home - dialled 14715 - and then spoken to my dad.
I denied all knowledge (because i had done f
k all) but was suspended on the spot and advised to consult a solicitor.
I went home, somewhat panicky - spoke to my dad who confirmed that someone had called the night before - asking who lived at the address - and then getting my name. This woman said that she had a missed call from out home number.
I quizzed my two brothers - one of whom had made a phone call to his mate but he had recieved no answer.
I took a look in his address book....
What he had done was dial the first three digits of his mates number - then dialled the last 3 digits of another mate who's number was on the line below. By some godawful quirk of fate this happened to create the number of this woman...
The woman who had been getting dirty phone calls.
The woman who had been getting dirty phone calls from someone who worked at Argos. Where I worked.
To this day I cannot get my head around the probability of that happening. It must be hundreds of millions to one in terms of probability. If any statistical geniuses on here want to have a crack at calculating the odds I'd be very interested
As a 6th form student I worked at Argos. One Saturday i got pulled into the office and asked why I was making nuisance, sexually explicit phone calls to another member of staff - some 50 YO woman who I didn't really know.
I was advised that this had been going on for the last 6 months - that the police were involved and that they knew it was someone who worked in the store as they had traced a call back to it.
I was told that this woman had a missed call at her home - dialled 14715 - and then spoken to my dad.
I denied all knowledge (because i had done f
k all) but was suspended on the spot and advised to consult a solicitor.I went home, somewhat panicky - spoke to my dad who confirmed that someone had called the night before - asking who lived at the address - and then getting my name. This woman said that she had a missed call from out home number.
I quizzed my two brothers - one of whom had made a phone call to his mate but he had recieved no answer.
I took a look in his address book....
What he had done was dial the first three digits of his mates number - then dialled the last 3 digits of another mate who's number was on the line below. By some godawful quirk of fate this happened to create the number of this woman...
The woman who had been getting dirty phone calls.
The woman who had been getting dirty phone calls from someone who worked at Argos. Where I worked.
To this day I cannot get my head around the probability of that happening. It must be hundreds of millions to one in terms of probability. If any statistical geniuses on here want to have a crack at calculating the odds I'd be very interested
Edited by Mr Gearchange on Monday 4th January 15:18
In the mid 90s I bought a car I'd always loved since the age of 3; a Beetle. It was a 1967 1500cc Cal-look; I thought it was beyond cool and it did have a little bit of a following in the town I lived in as it was very loud and instantly recognisable.
The seller seemed keen to do the deal and knowing I was naive and smitten it was an easy sale for him. No doubt he knew how bad it was. It was a financial black-hole.
Every single month I owned it it was in the garage for something and trying to run it on an office junior's budget and use it as a daily driver got too much. 6 months later I sold it and snapped the hand off the first person to show an interest.
Meanwhile, my mum had bought a 1988 Civic which turned out to be a real Friday-afternoon car. She had it a matter of months before selling it. A few months in the same town I bought the Beetle from I walked past it on a night out just as the female driver and her passenger were getting out. The passenger happened to be the same guy who had sold me the duff Beetle earlier in the year; his girlfriend had bought an equally duff car from my mum.
Karma was restored.
The seller seemed keen to do the deal and knowing I was naive and smitten it was an easy sale for him. No doubt he knew how bad it was. It was a financial black-hole.
Every single month I owned it it was in the garage for something and trying to run it on an office junior's budget and use it as a daily driver got too much. 6 months later I sold it and snapped the hand off the first person to show an interest.
Meanwhile, my mum had bought a 1988 Civic which turned out to be a real Friday-afternoon car. She had it a matter of months before selling it. A few months in the same town I bought the Beetle from I walked past it on a night out just as the female driver and her passenger were getting out. The passenger happened to be the same guy who had sold me the duff Beetle earlier in the year; his girlfriend had bought an equally duff car from my mum.
Karma was restored.
Mr Gearchange said:
This is a bit convoluted - but i reckon it has to be the worst coincidence ever.
As a 6th form student I worked at Argos. One Saturday i got pulled into the office and asked why I was making nuisance, sexually explicit phone calls to another member of staff - some 50 YO woman who I didn't really know.
I was advised that this had been going on for the last 6 months - that the police were involved and that they knew it was someone who worked in the store as they had traced a call back to it.
I was told that this woman had a missed call at her home - dialled 14715 - and then spoken to my dad.
I denied all knowledge (because i had done fk all) but was suspended on the spot and advised to consult a solicitor.
I went home, somewhat panicky - spoke to my dad who confirmed that someone had called the night before - asking who lived at the address - and then getting my name. This woman said that she had a missed call from out home number.
I quizzed my two brothers - one of whom had made a phone call to his mate but he had recieved no answer.
I took a look in his address book....
What he had done was dial the first three digits of his mates number - then dialled the last 3 digits of another mate who's number was on the line below. By some godawful quirk of fate this happened to create the number of this woman...
The woman who had been getting dirty phone calls.
The woman who had been getting dirty phone calls from someone who worked at Argos. Where I worked.
To this day I cannot get my head around the probability of that happening. It must be hundreds of millions to one in terms of probability. If any statistical geniuses on here want to have a crack at calculating the odds I'd be very interested
fAs a 6th form student I worked at Argos. One Saturday i got pulled into the office and asked why I was making nuisance, sexually explicit phone calls to another member of staff - some 50 YO woman who I didn't really know.
I was advised that this had been going on for the last 6 months - that the police were involved and that they knew it was someone who worked in the store as they had traced a call back to it.
I was told that this woman had a missed call at her home - dialled 14715 - and then spoken to my dad.
I denied all knowledge (because i had done f
k all) but was suspended on the spot and advised to consult a solicitor.I went home, somewhat panicky - spoke to my dad who confirmed that someone had called the night before - asking who lived at the address - and then getting my name. This woman said that she had a missed call from out home number.
I quizzed my two brothers - one of whom had made a phone call to his mate but he had recieved no answer.
I took a look in his address book....
What he had done was dial the first three digits of his mates number - then dialled the last 3 digits of another mate who's number was on the line below. By some godawful quirk of fate this happened to create the number of this woman...
The woman who had been getting dirty phone calls.
The woman who had been getting dirty phone calls from someone who worked at Argos. Where I worked.
To this day I cannot get my head around the probability of that happening. It must be hundreds of millions to one in terms of probability. If any statistical geniuses on here want to have a crack at calculating the odds I'd be very interested
Edited by Mr Gearchange on Monday 4th January 15:18
king genius, beating the rap like that... Still making those calls?This still amazes me: Mrs 111R likes reading and I used to buy her 2nd hand books off eBay. One time she chose a book that she had read years ago and proceeded to read through it. At the end she looked inside the back cover and, handwritten, it read 'This book belongs to Kiran Sidhu.'. That's her sister!!! I bought the book from a guy who lived 200m away from us and her sister owned the book 20 years ago. Unbelievable!!!
carreauchompeur said:
Mr Gearchange said:
This is a bit convoluted - but i reckon it has to be the worst coincidence ever.
As a 6th form student I worked at Argos. One Saturday i got pulled into the office and asked why I was making nuisance, sexually explicit phone calls to another member of staff - some 50 YO woman who I didn't really know.
I was advised that this had been going on for the last 6 months - that the police were involved and that they knew it was someone who worked in the store as they had traced a call back to it.
I was told that this woman had a missed call at her home - dialled 14715 - and then spoken to my dad.
I denied all knowledge (because i had done fk all) but was suspended on the spot and advised to consult a solicitor.
I went home, somewhat panicky - spoke to my dad who confirmed that someone had called the night before - asking who lived at the address - and then getting my name. This woman said that she had a missed call from out home number.
I quizzed my two brothers - one of whom had made a phone call to his mate but he had recieved no answer.
I took a look in his address book....
What he had done was dial the first three digits of his mates number - then dialled the last 3 digits of another mate who's number was on the line below. By some godawful quirk of fate this happened to create the number of this woman...
The woman who had been getting dirty phone calls.
The woman who had been getting dirty phone calls from someone who worked at Argos. Where I worked.
To this day I cannot get my head around the probability of that happening. It must be hundreds of millions to one in terms of probability. If any statistical geniuses on here want to have a crack at calculating the odds I'd be very interested
fAs a 6th form student I worked at Argos. One Saturday i got pulled into the office and asked why I was making nuisance, sexually explicit phone calls to another member of staff - some 50 YO woman who I didn't really know.
I was advised that this had been going on for the last 6 months - that the police were involved and that they knew it was someone who worked in the store as they had traced a call back to it.
I was told that this woman had a missed call at her home - dialled 14715 - and then spoken to my dad.
I denied all knowledge (because i had done f
k all) but was suspended on the spot and advised to consult a solicitor.I went home, somewhat panicky - spoke to my dad who confirmed that someone had called the night before - asking who lived at the address - and then getting my name. This woman said that she had a missed call from out home number.
I quizzed my two brothers - one of whom had made a phone call to his mate but he had recieved no answer.
I took a look in his address book....
What he had done was dial the first three digits of his mates number - then dialled the last 3 digits of another mate who's number was on the line below. By some godawful quirk of fate this happened to create the number of this woman...
The woman who had been getting dirty phone calls.
The woman who had been getting dirty phone calls from someone who worked at Argos. Where I worked.
To this day I cannot get my head around the probability of that happening. It must be hundreds of millions to one in terms of probability. If any statistical geniuses on here want to have a crack at calculating the odds I'd be very interested
Edited by Mr Gearchange on Monday 4th January 15:18
king genius, beating the rap like that... Still making those calls?
All you need to do is fabricate two numbers in a phone book.I dragged my brother up there to explain the situation to the GM and the wronged party - I was thinking "they will never believe this, s
t, even I don't believe this"They listened to what my brother and I had to say - called the two numbers to verify that they were indeed freinds of my brother and was allowed back to work.
I think they knew who it was - and they didn't think it was me. Insane coincidence though.
A couple.....
....I'm on a business trip to the States & staying in a hotel in a quiet town around an hour south of LA. Having a drink in the hotel lobby and a cousin walks in who is on holiday in California. This was only the 3rd time I'd seen in him in around 20yrs!
...I met my wife in Anglessey, when I lived in Berkshire, she on the South Coast. We'd never lived within 30 miles of each other. A few weeks after we met were watching an advert on TV for the Red Bull Air Race. I mentioned that I was in the same class at school with one of the pilots & it was amazing really, because he was a boring sod a school. She asked which one, so I told her. She grinned & said he was a boring sod when she went out with him too. Said she only saw him twice & the 2nd time he'd forgotten & got pissed, so she slapped him & walked off. Small world!
....I'm on a business trip to the States & staying in a hotel in a quiet town around an hour south of LA. Having a drink in the hotel lobby and a cousin walks in who is on holiday in California. This was only the 3rd time I'd seen in him in around 20yrs!
...I met my wife in Anglessey, when I lived in Berkshire, she on the South Coast. We'd never lived within 30 miles of each other. A few weeks after we met were watching an advert on TV for the Red Bull Air Race. I mentioned that I was in the same class at school with one of the pilots & it was amazing really, because he was a boring sod a school. She asked which one, so I told her. She grinned & said he was a boring sod when she went out with him too. Said she only saw him twice & the 2nd time he'd forgotten & got pissed, so she slapped him & walked off. Small world!
GT03ROB said:
...I met my wife in Anglessey, when I lived in Berkshire, she on the South Coast. We'd never lived within 30 miles of each other. A few weeks after we met were watching an advert on TV for the Red Bull Air Race. I mentioned that I was in the same class at school with one of the pilots & it was amazing really, because he was a boring sod a school. She asked which one, so I told her. She grinned & said he was a boring sod when she went out with him too. Said she only saw him twice & the 2nd time he'd forgotten & got pissed, so she slapped him & walked off. Small world!
She was probably trying to make you feel better because you don't fly a stunt plane.T5SOR said:
GT03ROB said:
...I met my wife in Anglessey, when I lived in Berkshire, she on the South Coast. We'd never lived within 30 miles of each other. A few weeks after we met were watching an advert on TV for the Red Bull Air Race. I mentioned that I was in the same class at school with one of the pilots & it was amazing really, because he was a boring sod a school. She asked which one, so I told her. She grinned & said he was a boring sod when she went out with him too. Said she only saw him twice & the 2nd time he'd forgotten & got pissed, so she slapped him & walked off. Small world!
She was probably trying to make you feel better because you don't fly a stunt plane.5potTurbo said:
Our first day on holiday 2 weeks ago, and I'm jetlagged. I'm removing the family's skis from the ski locker in an apartment (condo) block in Whistler, Canada.
A chap walks towards me (the locker's in the car park), and starts with, "Excuse me, please could you tell ....." and gives then gives me a big hug, laughing. It's a colleague from my London office that I regularly go for a beer with when I'm in London!
Neither of us knew we'd be skiing in Canada at the same time over Christmas, let alone renting accomodation in the same bulding.
A few years ago in Whistler we were having a drink in the Irish bar (Forget the name) and in walks a woman and my wife stops talking to me (Result) and the woman coming into the bar just stops.A chap walks towards me (the locker's in the car park), and starts with, "Excuse me, please could you tell ....." and gives then gives me a big hug, laughing. It's a colleague from my London office that I regularly go for a beer with when I'm in London!
Neither of us knew we'd be skiing in Canada at the same time over Christmas, let alone renting accomodation in the same bulding.
Seems they work together in the same building of 2500 people but in different departments. They cut it short and we went somewhere else afterwards.
For me 2006 - 2009 I worked as a contractor for a global company and one of the IT Help desk guys goes missing never to be seen again. He did have issues but was a great bloke and from time to time we heard rumors of what happened to him.
2011 - Different contract and county and my 1st day who do I see walking out of the doors, you guessed it.
I do know he went through a very tough time but he came through the other side and we still chat even though that contract ended in 2012.
Coincidences are more common than you think. A few of mine:
My Dad died at 11.30 PM on October 23 2006, ten years to the minute after his brother.
Working in the USA and on a night out with colleagues we get chatting to a couple of Brits in a bar and share a few beers.
A decade later, back in the UK I am getting shopping out of the car on the drive at home when a guy from over the road comes over to say hello. It's one of the guys from that night out in the states who is helping his mum move in to her new house.
The World Cup a few years ago was held in Japan. I had a workmate and good friend working out there. One night the 'phone rings and it's my friend clearly calling from a bar. He puts someone on to talk to me. It's one of my neighbours out there on holiday. They got chatting about work and I came up in conversation.
I am 8,500 miles from the UK at a place called Sealion Island - part of the Falklands arcepelego. There's me, thousands of penguins and 2 other humans. One it turned out, drank in my local pub at home and we knew people in common.
Yesterday I was finishing a book which has taken me a year to read and at the end there was passing reference to a Geordie bus driver who stole a Goya painting. I remarked on the story to my wife. Tonight we turn on the TV and catch the end of the One Show where Giles Brandreth is recounting the same story.
My Dad died at 11.30 PM on October 23 2006, ten years to the minute after his brother.
Working in the USA and on a night out with colleagues we get chatting to a couple of Brits in a bar and share a few beers.
A decade later, back in the UK I am getting shopping out of the car on the drive at home when a guy from over the road comes over to say hello. It's one of the guys from that night out in the states who is helping his mum move in to her new house.
The World Cup a few years ago was held in Japan. I had a workmate and good friend working out there. One night the 'phone rings and it's my friend clearly calling from a bar. He puts someone on to talk to me. It's one of my neighbours out there on holiday. They got chatting about work and I came up in conversation.
I am 8,500 miles from the UK at a place called Sealion Island - part of the Falklands arcepelego. There's me, thousands of penguins and 2 other humans. One it turned out, drank in my local pub at home and we knew people in common.
Yesterday I was finishing a book which has taken me a year to read and at the end there was passing reference to a Geordie bus driver who stole a Goya painting. I remarked on the story to my wife. Tonight we turn on the TV and catch the end of the One Show where Giles Brandreth is recounting the same story.
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