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“What The Hell Are You Doing Here, Jimmy?”: 30 Things That Were Super Unlikely To Happen, But Did
Interview
While getting hit by lightning, for instance, sounds soooo unlikely, the chance of it happening is never zero. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the odds of being struck by lightning in a given year are less than one in a million, however, the person holding the record in the US has been struck seven times in their lifetime. Talk about bad luck.
If you think that’s unlikely to happen, buckle up for today’s list, as it’s dedicated to even more mind-blowing occurrences that happened despite the odds. Continue scrolling to find redditors’ stories, which they shared after ‘Plus-Statistician80’ asked them about statistically improbable things that happened to them, and see that it’s not only bad luck but funny coincidences, too, that can happen despite being unlikely.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Not me but my old neighbour, let's call him Jimmy. He and his wife decide to go on a once in a lifetime trip to Australia and New Zealand. At one point he's driving through a really remote part of New Zealand and his hire car breaks down. This was before mobile phones. No other cars on the road and just endless countryside around him. So he sets off for the one building he can see, some farm further down the road and about a mile up its own driveway. He finally reaches it, knocks the door and a woman answers. She took one look at him and said "What the hell are you doing here Jimmy?".
She went to the same school as him, in the same tiny village in the UK. She had emigrated 30+ years before and ended up on this remote farm.
Norm Gilmore 4 months ago
There you go BP. Fixed it so it's on the correct side for New Zealand... statistica...cbaff6.jpg 
#2
Favorite Chinese restaurant in Ohio. Went to Hawaii. Tasted pepper steak at restaurant and mentioned to the owner it tasted the same as the one in Ohio. Owner was the brother of the owner of the Ohio restaurant. .
#3
When I was on holiday as a kid in Ireland our car broke down going up a hill. A farmer came out and towed us back to the cottage we were staying at.
The next year we were driving up the same hill and the car broke down again in the same place. The same farmer came out of his house and said ‘Didn’t I see you here last year?’.
In a recent interview with Bored Panda, the user ‘Plus-Statistician80’ shared that they wanted to ask a question that would garner a solid variety of responses. And it sure did.
Redditors' stories covered everything from winning the lottery (the chances of which are close to zero), to meeting an old acquaintance million miles away from where they used to hang out (which isn’t that common of an occurrence either), among other things.
#4
I started playing World of Warcraft when it launched and I was living in California at the time. A year and a half later I moved across the country to a very small town in Tennessee. The kind where the population doubles when college is in session.
I was playing the game and while waiting on a guild meeting the guildies started saying where they were from. One guy who I was buddies with said he was in the same small town I was currently in. Then the same part of town. Then the same apartment complex. Then the same building. He was two doors down from me, part of a row of townhouses.
I said “Hold on, step outside.” and a moment later we were staring each other in the face. Countless hours spent playing together not realizing we were only separated by a single neighbor’s room. We became great friends and hung out in and outside the game for several years until I moved back to California.
Serial pacifist 4 months ago
I just saw that it is a lonely story without comments, so here’s one support message from a gamer.
#5
Not me, but i had a phonecall with my grandma recently and she told me that she and her husband went on a trip the other day. They sat down on a table which they thought was free but a few moments later another couple the same age came through and said they already occupied the table but they could sit there together and drink coffee or something. So they did and my grandmother and the other woman started to talk and got to the point where the other woman mentioned her surname for some reason, which happened not only to be uncommon but also seemed familiar to my grandma. It turned out, that the other woman and my grandma were neighbors in a small german village back then, but during world war 2 had to leave. Over 80 years later they met again because my grandma sat down on an occupied table hundreds of kilometers away from the village they come from.
#6
My son and I watched the eclipse in Wyoming on August 21, 2017.
He asked when the next would be. Aside from the recent one in April 2024, we discovered there will be one in our hometown on August 12, 2045.
He noticed the he would be about the same age on that date, as I was during the Wyoming eclipse. I was 41, and he will be 41 at the one in the future.
We did the math...
As it turns out, on August 21, 2017 I was 15,206 days old.
On August 12, 2045, my son will be 15,206 days old.
I sure hope to enjoy it with him!
“Specific events are generally unique to the individual so I thought this would be a great question,” the redditor told Bored Panda, adding that the things they found the most surprising about the netizens’ answers were how close some of them came to death and how small the world was.
#7
My Jeep was stolen and then taken by the thieves to the gas station where I was working to fill up on gas.
#8
I took my kids on family vacation to the beach, and my car was kinda acting up the entire time. I had a 2010 Chevy Traverese, and it kept not wanting to start, but I jumped it and started heading home after a week of babying it.
Anyway, I was in Ocean shores, headed back to central WA, about 6 hours away. As I head through Olympia, the car just gives up and dies. So I pull off to the side of the road, and a big truck pulling a camper pulls up behind me. He said he could jump me, and he did. Car started and was doing great. About 15 minutes later, I hear a loud thunk, and car dies, this time permanently. So I pull over. About 20 minutes go by, and again, the same trunk pulls over. I am at this point 5 hours away from home. Guy said, "we'll look like it's done for, but if you tell me where you live, I can take you most of the way. I tell him my city, and he laughs, and says Me too!. I asked what street he lives on, and apparently, he lived four houses down. So I packed what I could into his camper, and he took me, my wife, and three kids home. I made sure to thank him and every Thanksgiving and Christmas brought him either a turkey or a ham, for my appreciation.
Well, several years later and divorced. I meet my current girlfriend. My Tahoe needed the wheel bearings replaced and I was so busy, I had no time to do it myself. Especially working 80 some hours a week at times. So I wanted to pay someone for it. She tells me her dad has a friend and he would do it fairly reasonably if I buy parts. So I do, and she takes me to his shop. Same dude that helped me years ago. I get out of the car and give him a big hug. Tell him I would pay whatever he wants and left my Tahoe there. I ended up also giving him a gift card to a fancy local restaurant for his trouble.
About 6 months later, I was trying to pull out a cat from under a car in a smoldering hot parking lot as it was stray and very tiny, and the temps were over 110 degrees on black top. So I chased this kitten right under a truck, and the driver waiting for his wife steps out, there he is again.
Every time I have needed help innthe past few years, it seems like he is always there. Dude might be Jesus or something. Not like I lived in a crazy small town. Over 400k people in my city. I have went 30 years without running into people that visit the same places I do.
Mark 4 months ago
*Attenborough voice* The elusive Australian Jesus. Its last known sighting was over 2000 years ago, but recently scientists have found a living specimen in the Australian Outback. It lives a very different life, and can be found in cities. It does not seem to possess the water-walking skills of the more well-known Middle Eastern Jesus, scientific name Christus Nazaretii
#9
Surviving a drowning having been gone for 12-15 minutes, resuscitated, 2 days on life support, lost a third of my bodyweight and walked out of the hospital less than a week later. Full clean bill of health two weeks after that. No permanent damage.
Discussing things that were unlikely to happen but did to the OP themselves, the redditor admitted having a police helicopter light them up in their car once with a bright spotlight and red and blue lights. “I pulled over and waited for what I assumed was a swat team coming to get me,” they shared.
“I waited a few minutes and then the lights went off and it flew off,” the netizen recalled, adding that the statistically improbable part was that they had just actually committed an offense. “I really thought I was done for; but nope… [It was a] wrong person or maybe they were bored and messing with me.”
#10
I was walking down the sidewalk when some scaffolding gave and almost crashed down on me. Fortunately, someone shoved me out of the way. Ten years later a bus lost its brakes and nearly hit me but someone pulled me to safety. The weird part? It was the same person that saved me both times.
#11
Stuck in traffic on the George Washington Bridge, I looked in my rearview mirror and realized my parents were in the car right behind me. They lived in a different state. Completely random chance.
Could be worse. My buddy has been struck by lightning twice, and - independently of that - once woke up naked in a morgue with a toe tag on.
EDIT: Not a prank. He’d been surfing with his partner, got hit by a wave, and the bungee attaching him to his board got snagged on a rock underwater. He remembers seeing the surface but not being able to reach it. His partner fished him out, called 911, and did CPR for about 45 minutes until the paramedics arrived. They said “nope, he’s gone.” She said “are you sure, because I thought…” They said “Nope.” So they bagged and tagged him.
And then he woke up in the morgue.
Cold water. No permanent damage, but you can bet that the law suit paid for his chef’s training.
#12
Back in 2004, I had been hitchhiking around out west for a couple of months. Summer was coming to an end, though, and I was planning on making my way back to Indiana where my parents lived. I was on the Oregon coast when I got picked up by a biology teacher, we'll call him Scott, from New York.
Scott was on his summer break doing hikes in different parks out west, but was also about to start his trek back home. Since Indiana was on the way, I asked if I could tag along and maybe get dropped off in Indiana. He said he had a few more hikes and peaks planned, but if I was okay with that, I was welcome to join him.
We went to Mt. Hood and South Sister in Oregon, Canyonlands down in Utah, a couple of peaks in Colorado, and he took me all the way back to Indiana and dropped me off at my parents house. It was a wonderful time and we exchanged emails to keep in touch. Time went on, and the emails became much less frequent, but every now and then, one of us would reach out and check in.
In 2015, I moved to Boise, Idaho. Sometime in 2016 or 2017, I checked that old email address of mine and, sure enough, there was an email from Scott asking how I was doing. I replied and told him how I was in Idaho now and gave him my phone number as that was a much easier way to get ahold of me.
About 30 minutes after I sent that email, I got a text from Scott. He said that was amazing and that I should come over to Payette Brewery and have a beer with him. He lived in Boise, too! But it gets even crazier.
I couldn't join him right then, but we agreed to get together later that evening. Scott invited me over to his house and sent me his address. When I typed it into google maps I was in shock. He only lived 3 blocks away from me! We were neighbors!
#13
I gave birth to my daughter on my birthday. Roughly three years later, I gave birth to my son on his father's birthday.
TheNewJenBrady 4 months ago
My spouse, my dad, my niece, and my best friend all have the same birthday. Dad, spouse, niece, in that order are each 30 years apart. Also, my daughter was born on mother's Day and my son was born on my birthday 😊
#14
I won $30,000 from a slot machine and paid off all my student loans that week.
Gabriele Alfredo Pini 4 months ago
I paid 5000€ for a five years bachelor at the FTIS (theological university in Milan). Now I work in a very different field but what I learned there help me appreciate more my life and I'm not burdened by a absurd student loan. No regrets
#15
I had my SO's aunt (on their dad's side) show us Tillamook Ice cream for the first time ever. Never heard of it, never tried it. It was good though! We had Caramel toffee cruch flavor.
The next day later, someone at work randomly brought everyone ice cream... it was Tillamook... Caramel toffee crunch flavor. (They have never brought us ice cream before, this was entirely random and out of nowhere)
Litterally the day after that, we saw my SO's Mom (their mom and dad are divorced and don't talk), anywho, she had something she just HAD to show us... it was Tillamook... specifically, Caramel toffee crunch flavor.
Finally, the next day, we had to see my parents. They didn't have it, but my mom asked us if we ever tried Tillamook, "because it's really creamy, I like the Caramel toffee flavor".
I felt like I was in a groundhog day themed ice cream ad.
#16
I was in the WTC both times it got attacked... 1993 and 2001.. so guess what tourist attraction I will not visit.. I am not giving them another shot at me.
Serial pacifist 4 months ago
Oh my God. Great to hear you lived to tell the tale. It sounds like some documentary material.
#17
Car was broken into, everything stolen including handbag in boot with wedding ring and engagement ring. Bag was found in a field weeks later and handed into police and we were called to see if it was ours. There had been a hole in the pocket where the rings were and they had fallen into it and were still there.
#18
I worked at a funeral home and was cleaning out the basement. Found an old photo of a newly wed couple that must've been left at a service, or left at a graveside and collected. The date on the back of the photo was the same day I found it, 60-some years later. Pretty wild but not unbelievable.
Then, about an hour later a very elderly man walks in the lobby. It's none other than the husband from the photo, ready to begin pre-planning his own funeral arrangements. Both of us were in tears when I showed him the photo of him and his wife.
Brian Droste 4 months ago
I bet he appreciated it getting it back. Probably brought back a lot of memories.
#19
A car with the next license plate number parked next to me.
Xenia Harley 4 months ago
Once, I was going to meet my friend at the Bronx Zoo. I was going from a totally different direction. We end up arriving almost at the exact moment and parking right next to each other! Not sure what the odds are!
#20
I dropped a quarter. I was busy looking for something in my pocket and I didn't watch where it rolled to. I was on a blacktop driveway so I didn't think I would have trouble finding it. When I started to look for it I couldn't find it anywhere. Finally I decided to drop another quarter and direct it in the same direction I knew the other one had rolled. I watched the second quarter roll up to the house and underneath the screen door. I figured "oh, ok thats where the first quarter is also. I went over to the screen door and opened it up.....only one quarter! I'm thinking where the heck is that first quarter. I bent down to pick up my second quarter and there were two quarters. The second quarter had landed directly on top of the first quarter! Under the screen door. Dropped from about 15 feet away!
Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 4 months ago
It's ok, really it is. The quarters were just roommates.
#21
I lived. Doctors told my parents they would be surprised if I made it to 2, then 5, then 10, 18. After 18 I was out of the woods and had a whole life left to live.
#22
Jumped off a boat while docked in Cabo. Probably 20 feet deep water. Didn’t realize for hours later than my Apple Watch had come off. Panicked and immediately started to cope with the fact it was gone. The captain said “I’ll go get it.” Hopped in the water w goggles and flipper. 15 min later popped up with it. Said he followed the anchor line down and the current to determine where I must have hit the water when I jumped in. Scanned the area briefly and located it. Already had it in water mode and it was completely unharmed. Absolutely incredible. Tipped well that charter.
Evan not Hansen 4 months ago
That captain was clearly very experienced and knows the water well, it's great that he was able to find it!
#23
Had a baby with a life threatening birth defect. Only 1600 babies a year are born with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, my little girl being one of them. We’re incredibly fortunate that she survived and is thriving.
#24
Not me.
My oldest son quit HS with 6 wks to go, went back after a year, got his diploma, then went to college, has to waste a year due to an auto accident, had a failed relationship, had a daughter which he eventually got custody of.
Took 7 years to complete college.
Now has an MBA and is a director of sourcing for an international chemical company.
Was kind of a wild ride.
He tells young people that he's living proof that you can screw things up massively and turn it around if you really want to.
#25
Got attacked by a robin in the morning, then attacked by a hawk 3 hours later. Weird day.
#26
In Eastern North Carolina I overheard a table speaking German when I was waiting tables in college. I was learning to speak German at the time and decided to just say hello or something to them.
Come to find out they were living in the US at the time, and after fast-forwarding 10 years we've got several European trips together and they're some of my closest friends!
If I hadn't just said a simple hello in a language I was learning, I never would have had most of my international experiences and connections.
Aroace tiger (she/they/he) 4 months ago
When i read the first sentence i took it very literally...
#27
Years ago I matched with someone on a dating site and we both discovered that we live in exactly the same suburb. That isn't the improbable statistic, what really blew our minds was when talking about our pets.
We discovered that we both have a cat called Ramone, that we PREVIOUSLY named Ramona before realising weeks later after getting them that they were not infact female. Wild coincidence 😆.
#28
On Reddit, someone found a camera memory card in Australia and posted some photos from it to help find the owner. The photos were of my co-worker in Los Angeles.
#29
My stolen bike was recovered by police. The thief was arrested and jailed. It was a miracle of a series of fortunate events.
Edit:
Since this comment has gained some traction, I decided to give you guys the story.
In 2009, I recently bought a pretty distinctive bike (2008 Bianchi San Jose) and decided to ride it to work. I worked in Downtown Brooklyn in an area called Metro Tech, which is a series of 20ish story buildings and a public common area run by JP Morgan Chase. I locked my bike at a rack between the buildings at 9am. When I went to leave at 5pm, the bike was gone. After collecting myself from the shock of my new bike being stolen, I went over to the security office for Metrotech. The person manning the front desk heard my story, but pretty much threw his hands up and said there’s no hope. However, while we were chatting a guy in a suit walks into the area and says he runs security for the entire complex. He asks me a few questions and says he’s going to review some of the security footage, but he can’t promise anything. I thank him and go home. I make some posts to some NYC bicycle forums that night with pics. I was thoroughly depressed.
The next day, I take a little break from work and walk over to the police precinct and file a report about 10am. Of course, this being NYC, the lady taking the statement treated me like I was wasting her time. This kind of stuff happens all the time. However, around 3pm I was sitting at my desk at work and get a call from a guy with a thick Brooklyn accent.
*Is this u/Silent_Beautiful_738?
Yes
*Do you own a Bianchi Bicycle?
Yes
*Does it have a sticker on it? What does it say?
Yes? Robert’s Bicycles Bayside Queens.
*We have your bike. Meet me at the precinct.
Get to the precinct. I identify the bike. They say the guy who stole it is being booked, and they tell me the story.
NYC has these “undercover” cops that kind of roam around in unmarked cars and surprise people. Well these cops just happened to be driving around Park Slope area, which is kind of a wealthier area, and see this guy with a brand new bike and a piece of notebook paper taped to the front saying $200. They stop and jump out. They start grilling him. “Is that your bike? Where did you get it? Etc” The guy was obviously lying through his teeth, but they couldn’t do anything about it. There was no proof. They get back in the car and drive off. As they’re driving, they get a radio call to head to Metrotech Security.
When they get there, the head of security says he has footage of a guy stealing a bicycle. The image of the man and the bike are clear. The bike has distinctive stripes on it, so there’s no way to mistake it. The cops view the footage and holy s**t, it’s the f*****g guy they just stopped. They get the footage and haul a*s back to the corner where they saw the guy and what-do you-know, he’s still there. The arrest him. Confiscate the bike. Since they have the video, the police report, and personally witnessed him trying to sell it, I got my bike back immediately and never had to go to court.
What are the odds that the head of security walks into that security office, finds the footage, and the same exact cops who see the thief are called to review the footage? Why did the thief stay at the same corner? Why didn’t he remove the sticker? F*****g miraculous.
After all this, I got some messages from the bicycle forums from people in Park Slope who saw the guy trying to sell the bike. Apparently, he was getting a lot of s**t from passersby because he was obviously hocking stolen goods.
#30
Not me, but a friend married a guy named Joe. After they got married she moved into his house that he already owned. Years later they divorce and she moves out. Then a few years after that she meets and marries another guy named Joe who owns a house on that exact same street!
They’re still happily married living in Joe #2’s house a few blocks away from Joe #1’s house. We joke that her first marriage was off by only a few house numbers.
What do you think ?
BookFanatic 4 months ago (edited)
A new colleague hadn't heard my last name before and had a good time trying to pronounce it (wrongly). I guess he told his wife about it because she called me that afternoon. "Janet, is (my last name) your last name ?" Yes. "Did you used to live in (town I was born in)?" Yes. "Were your parents (Mom's name) and (Dad's name)?" Uh...yes? She and her sister lived next to my parents when I was born. Both of them were my regular babysitters!
John Nelson 4 months ago (edited)
I was a civil war reenactor back in the 80's, and my unit went to an event in Illinois. On a dare, myself and another member of our unit charged the union artillery line, and got a bit too close by the time that they fired. Unharmed, but knocked down, even with blanks, 12 pound cannons are no joke! Blinded by the smoke, the cavalry went right over us, but again we were unharmed, but I had a hoof just nick my ear. Made for quite a show for the spectators, but decided to never do that again! lol! Years later, I've moved to Arizona, and hired in to the local police department. A new officer was hired in, too. We got to talking, and it turned out he was a civil war reenactor back east, too! Then he got to telling the story about the time he was manning a cannon at an event in Illinois when two crazy Confederates charged the line just as they were about to fire..... :)
marianne eliza 4 months ago
Enjoyed this for the most part but the occasional downer really took the smile off my face.
Justin Tyme 4 months ago
I have been stuck in two malfunctioning elevators. I researched some information and found that the chance of the same person getting stuck in two elevators is one in ten billion.
Jess Smith 4 months ago
It probably isn't. Because here's the thing: they're not independent, so you can't just square the odds of you getting stuck in one elevator. If you've gotten stuck in one elevator, you're more likely to be stuck in two. Why? Two major reasons. One, you getting stuck in an elevator indicates you're the sort of person who rides them a lot. Two, most elevators you ride are in a fairly limited region. In a poorer area with less money for repairs, laxer rules, etc there are more likely to be two malfunctioning elevators. You getting stuck in one elevator is a very weak indicator that you're more likely to get stuck in another one, as you probably live in an area with more malfunctioning elevators than typical and ride it more than typical. Also, the world has c. 8 billion people. I would be moderately surprised if under, say, 10 people alive had gotten stuck in two elevators before.
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Bex 4 months ago
One day Mom and I were getting lunch in a town across the state border (the town I grew up in and she lives in (Riverside, RI) borders the town Seekonk in Mass). We had never been to this place before, but while we were eating, a guy starts cleaning the tables around us (sandwich shop). He hears me mention I want to learn to kayak and offers to take me. I said sure. He ends up becoming a great friend. Several months later, I find out his great uncle and his grandfather went to high school with my parents (in RI). Not only that, but his great Uncle ended up being my Dad's boss when they were in their 30's. And, Chris's aunt used to babysit me and my sister when we were super young (I was about 4). Oh, and BTW, I live in a town in Mass that's 45 mins away from Riverside and Seekonk, so me even being in that area the day I met Chirs was unusual.
4 months ago
One time when my dad was on vacation as a kid, he saw his best friend (who he did not know was on vacation) at a restaurant in Denver (which was far from his hometown). Years later, we went on a vacation as a family to the smoky mountains (which was also really far from home) and I saw my friend there from my hometown. Had 0 idea he was going on vacation. Also I met a person with the uncommon first and middle name as me. Not real name but one like it: Victoria Earlene. We went to school together
Joy 4 months ago (edited)
Here's one that's creepy, though not super improbable: My dad was born and raised in a small town. Has a crooked front tooth. Worked on a neighbors farm as a teenager. Studied engineering in college. Is obsessed with documentaries. Has the middle name of "Allen". HAS to be working on something in the house. Cannot sit still for the life of him. Loves watching romance movies and cries if they're sad. My husband: SAME ON ALL COUNTS!!! INCLUDING HAIRLINE AND SAME CROOKED TOOTH!
Sheryl Kirby 4 months ago
I have a weird 1. I married a guy 20 years ago named David Wayne(1st name, middle name) we divorced a few years later. Fifteen years later I meet David Lynn (1st name, middle name). He told me that his mom almost named him David Wayne but her cousin liked it and named her son that name so David's mom chose a different 1. lol Another funny coincidence. When I was a kid, I was calling a friend on landline and we were both about 6 years old. I guess I pressed the zero too hard cuz I got the operator. It turned out to be my mom who worked as an operator. She came on the phone asking how she could help and I thought she was checking up on me. I yelled at her to get off the phone, I was trying to call my friend. LOL She was shocked that she had her daughter on her line. LOL
catastrophegirl 4 months ago
this one happened friday. (spoiler: happy ending) i'm getting some work done on my house and i had an appt scheduled for 4pm. a little before noon the guy calls and says "can we meet early, we're nearby" and i said sure and met them at my house. i NEVER go outside. i hate the heat and i'm disabled to where walking is painful. it's a weekday so most people in my neighborhood are at work. while we are standing outside discussing the siding, the guy's partner runs up from the truck at the road and says "this guy collapsed and i think he's having a stroke!" turns out the siding guy used to be a firefighter, they race off to help. i call 911 and hobble over. the cyclist who collapsed is breathing but unconscious but a few minutes later while waiting for EMS, he stops breathing. the neighbor's physical therapist was leaving her house and came over to help, he wouldn't have been able to see the prone cyclist but he saw the 3 of us and came over to help.
catastrophegirl 4 months ago
the cyclist's friend had ridden ahead and didn't come back for several minutes when his buddy didn't show up, no one else was outside. if the contractor hadn't been sitting up high in his work truck to see the guy collapse on the hill on the shaded cycle path in the woods, no one would have found him for a while. former firefighter and a physical therapist there to do CPR from the moment he stopped breathing until the paramedics arrived means that 2 firetrucks, 2 ambulances, and 3 cops later the guy was breathing on his own en route to the hospital after a massive heart attack. if the contractors hadn't finished their job early and wanted to get our meeting out of the way, he would not have made it
Load More Replies... Pharmtechgurl 4 months ago
We have a local gas station that gives $.05 off per gallon with a sign up and a phone number that you enter to get the discount. One day, the pump I was at would not give me the discount. Yeah, I know, $.05 isn't much, but still. So I go into the gas station and the manager comes out to help me. He couldn't make it work either, suggested I move to another pump. That didn't work either, so he did something to make it work. Filled up, noted the cost and went home. The charge never showed up on my bank. Checked the receipt, and the account charged for my was not mine. Went back to the gas station, spoke with the manager, even offered the receipt for him to refund the account and charge me for my gas. He said he didn't care and no one had come back to him from the other account. Thanks random person for a fill up! LOL
Natalie Henry 4 months ago
I enjoy these kind of strange but beautiful things! We all have our stories! Some are more interesting than others!
Nicole Holt 4 months ago
Had a friend - lost contact with her - tried to get a hold of her through her mom, because I had my first child. Her mom tells me my friend also had her first child (just a few weeks earlier) and gets us in touch. Fast forward a few years and I leave the country. and lose contact again (way before cell phones). By chance I got back in touch with my friend about 15 years later. Find out she has 2 dogs called Maddie and Leo. I have two dogs called Maddie and Leo. Weird coincidences. Other than that our lives turned out very differently.
Jess Smith 4 months ago
Littlewood's Law: On average, you experience something with 1 in a million odds once a month. Also worth noting R A Fisher, statistics pioneer/polymath: "the ‘one chance in a million’ will undoubtedly occur, with no less and no more than its appropriate frequency, however surprised we may be that it should occur to us." Given enough chances and enough people (there are ~5 billion internet users), it would be more astonishing if no one had experienced these events (eg, for the 'I won $30,000 from a slot machine' person, if slot machines *never* paid out people would stop playing. It's intermittent wins, some very big. If you gathered up all the people who ever gambled and had student loans when they played and none of them had ever used money from gambling to pay off student loans, that would be more surprising. Similarly, if you gathered up all the people who married someone, divorced and then married someone with the same name, inevitably some will have lived on the same street. Etc).
Beak Hookage 4 months ago
I've got three! 1. When I was born my parents picked my first name purely because my mother just liked it, and gave me my deceased maternal grandmother's name as my middle name. It wasn't until years later that anyone realised that a) If you say my first and last initials aloud, it sounds exactly the same as my first name and b) I had the exact same initials (all three) as my paternal grandfather. And c) Grandpa once had a boat whose name was my first name because of the initials thing. Pure coincidence. 2. There's another woman about my age somewhere in this town who has the same first and last name as me, AND a younger sister with the same name as my younger sister. Once I even got a call on my parents' landline from some guy who was friends with her and thought we were the same person. I still have no idea how he got that number. 3. I lost one of my favourite pieces of jewellery. Months later, had a dream where I got it back. Found it the very next day.
Bored Panda 4 months ago
Wow, those are quite the coincidences! 😲 Thanks for sharing. Do these events make you feel like fate is real?
Load More Replies... BookFanatic 4 months ago (edited)
A new colleague hadn't heard my last name before and had a good time trying to pronounce it (wrongly). I guess he told his wife about it because she called me that afternoon. "Janet, is (my last name) your last name ?" Yes. "Did you used to live in (town I was born in)?" Yes. "Were your parents (Mom's name) and (Dad's name)?" Uh...yes? She and her sister lived next to my parents when I was born. Both of them were my regular babysitters!
John Nelson 4 months ago (edited)
I was a civil war reenactor back in the 80's, and my unit went to an event in Illinois. On a dare, myself and another member of our unit charged the union artillery line, and got a bit too close by the time that they fired. Unharmed, but knocked down, even with blanks, 12 pound cannons are no joke! Blinded by the smoke, the cavalry went right over us, but again we were unharmed, but I had a hoof just nick my ear. Made for quite a show for the spectators, but decided to never do that again! lol! Years later, I've moved to Arizona, and hired in to the local police department. A new officer was hired in, too. We got to talking, and it turned out he was a civil war reenactor back east, too! Then he got to telling the story about the time he was manning a cannon at an event in Illinois when two crazy Confederates charged the line just as they were about to fire..... :)
marianne eliza 4 months ago
Enjoyed this for the most part but the occasional downer really took the smile off my face.
Justin Tyme 4 months ago
I have been stuck in two malfunctioning elevators. I researched some information and found that the chance of the same person getting stuck in two elevators is one in ten billion.
Jess Smith 4 months ago
It probably isn't. Because here's the thing: they're not independent, so you can't just square the odds of you getting stuck in one elevator. If you've gotten stuck in one elevator, you're more likely to be stuck in two. Why? Two major reasons. One, you getting stuck in an elevator indicates you're the sort of person who rides them a lot. Two, most elevators you ride are in a fairly limited region. In a poorer area with less money for repairs, laxer rules, etc there are more likely to be two malfunctioning elevators. You getting stuck in one elevator is a very weak indicator that you're more likely to get stuck in another one, as you probably live in an area with more malfunctioning elevators than typical and ride it more than typical. Also, the world has c. 8 billion people. I would be moderately surprised if under, say, 10 people alive had gotten stuck in two elevators before.
Load More Replies... Bex 4 months ago
One day Mom and I were getting lunch in a town across the state border (the town I grew up in and she lives in (Riverside, RI) borders the town Seekonk in Mass). We had never been to this place before, but while we were eating, a guy starts cleaning the tables around us (sandwich shop). He hears me mention I want to learn to kayak and offers to take me. I said sure. He ends up becoming a great friend. Several months later, I find out his great uncle and his grandfather went to high school with my parents (in RI). Not only that, but his great Uncle ended up being my Dad's boss when they were in their 30's. And, Chris's aunt used to babysit me and my sister when we were super young (I was about 4). Oh, and BTW, I live in a town in Mass that's 45 mins away from Riverside and Seekonk, so me even being in that area the day I met Chirs was unusual.
4 months ago
One time when my dad was on vacation as a kid, he saw his best friend (who he did not know was on vacation) at a restaurant in Denver (which was far from his hometown). Years later, we went on a vacation as a family to the smoky mountains (which was also really far from home) and I saw my friend there from my hometown. Had 0 idea he was going on vacation. Also I met a person with the uncommon first and middle name as me. Not real name but one like it: Victoria Earlene. We went to school together
Joy 4 months ago (edited)
Here's one that's creepy, though not super improbable: My dad was born and raised in a small town. Has a crooked front tooth. Worked on a neighbors farm as a teenager. Studied engineering in college. Is obsessed with documentaries. Has the middle name of "Allen". HAS to be working on something in the house. Cannot sit still for the life of him. Loves watching romance movies and cries if they're sad. My husband: SAME ON ALL COUNTS!!! INCLUDING HAIRLINE AND SAME CROOKED TOOTH!
Sheryl Kirby 4 months ago
I have a weird 1. I married a guy 20 years ago named David Wayne(1st name, middle name) we divorced a few years later. Fifteen years later I meet David Lynn (1st name, middle name). He told me that his mom almost named him David Wayne but her cousin liked it and named her son that name so David's mom chose a different 1. lol Another funny coincidence. When I was a kid, I was calling a friend on landline and we were both about 6 years old. I guess I pressed the zero too hard cuz I got the operator. It turned out to be my mom who worked as an operator. She came on the phone asking how she could help and I thought she was checking up on me. I yelled at her to get off the phone, I was trying to call my friend. LOL She was shocked that she had her daughter on her line. LOL
catastrophegirl 4 months ago
this one happened friday. (spoiler: happy ending) i'm getting some work done on my house and i had an appt scheduled for 4pm. a little before noon the guy calls and says "can we meet early, we're nearby" and i said sure and met them at my house. i NEVER go outside. i hate the heat and i'm disabled to where walking is painful. it's a weekday so most people in my neighborhood are at work. while we are standing outside discussing the siding, the guy's partner runs up from the truck at the road and says "this guy collapsed and i think he's having a stroke!" turns out the siding guy used to be a firefighter, they race off to help. i call 911 and hobble over. the cyclist who collapsed is breathing but unconscious but a few minutes later while waiting for EMS, he stops breathing. the neighbor's physical therapist was leaving her house and came over to help, he wouldn't have been able to see the prone cyclist but he saw the 3 of us and came over to help.
catastrophegirl 4 months ago
the cyclist's friend had ridden ahead and didn't come back for several minutes when his buddy didn't show up, no one else was outside. if the contractor hadn't been sitting up high in his work truck to see the guy collapse on the hill on the shaded cycle path in the woods, no one would have found him for a while. former firefighter and a physical therapist there to do CPR from the moment he stopped breathing until the paramedics arrived means that 2 firetrucks, 2 ambulances, and 3 cops later the guy was breathing on his own en route to the hospital after a massive heart attack. if the contractors hadn't finished their job early and wanted to get our meeting out of the way, he would not have made it
Load More Replies... Pharmtechgurl 4 months ago
We have a local gas station that gives $.05 off per gallon with a sign up and a phone number that you enter to get the discount. One day, the pump I was at would not give me the discount. Yeah, I know, $.05 isn't much, but still. So I go into the gas station and the manager comes out to help me. He couldn't make it work either, suggested I move to another pump. That didn't work either, so he did something to make it work. Filled up, noted the cost and went home. The charge never showed up on my bank. Checked the receipt, and the account charged for my was not mine. Went back to the gas station, spoke with the manager, even offered the receipt for him to refund the account and charge me for my gas. He said he didn't care and no one had come back to him from the other account. Thanks random person for a fill up! LOL
Natalie Henry 4 months ago
I enjoy these kind of strange but beautiful things! We all have our stories! Some are more interesting than others!
Nicole Holt 4 months ago
Had a friend - lost contact with her - tried to get a hold of her through her mom, because I had my first child. Her mom tells me my friend also had her first child (just a few weeks earlier) and gets us in touch. Fast forward a few years and I leave the country. and lose contact again (way before cell phones). By chance I got back in touch with my friend about 15 years later. Find out she has 2 dogs called Maddie and Leo. I have two dogs called Maddie and Leo. Weird coincidences. Other than that our lives turned out very differently.
Jess Smith 4 months ago
Littlewood's Law: On average, you experience something with 1 in a million odds once a month. Also worth noting R A Fisher, statistics pioneer/polymath: "the ‘one chance in a million’ will undoubtedly occur, with no less and no more than its appropriate frequency, however surprised we may be that it should occur to us." Given enough chances and enough people (there are ~5 billion internet users), it would be more astonishing if no one had experienced these events (eg, for the 'I won $30,000 from a slot machine' person, if slot machines *never* paid out people would stop playing. It's intermittent wins, some very big. If you gathered up all the people who ever gambled and had student loans when they played and none of them had ever used money from gambling to pay off student loans, that would be more surprising. Similarly, if you gathered up all the people who married someone, divorced and then married someone with the same name, inevitably some will have lived on the same street. Etc).
Beak Hookage 4 months ago
I've got three! 1. When I was born my parents picked my first name purely because my mother just liked it, and gave me my deceased maternal grandmother's name as my middle name. It wasn't until years later that anyone realised that a) If you say my first and last initials aloud, it sounds exactly the same as my first name and b) I had the exact same initials (all three) as my paternal grandfather. And c) Grandpa once had a boat whose name was my first name because of the initials thing. Pure coincidence. 2. There's another woman about my age somewhere in this town who has the same first and last name as me, AND a younger sister with the same name as my younger sister. Once I even got a call on my parents' landline from some guy who was friends with her and thought we were the same person. I still have no idea how he got that number. 3. I lost one of my favourite pieces of jewellery. Months later, had a dream where I got it back. Found it the very next day.
Bored Panda 4 months ago
Wow, those are quite the coincidences! 😲 Thanks for sharing. Do these events make you feel like fate is real?
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