Strangers you always run into

_Redzer_

I can't be the only one here who runs into the same person enough for me to recognise them after only passing each other by.

Before Christmas there was a guy I would always pass in college, but the only one I'd pass consistently.
If I was going to a lecture, he'd be going the opposite direction, always -if I was going to the bar, he was coming from there. He was always coming the opposite direction as me the whole time.
I'd meet him on the street in random places every single day. He was recognising me back, so there was this strange awkwardness and acknowledgment, and I always felt like a stalker the amount of times I'd cross paths with him.

The worst encounter of all when I was walking home at night, pitch black and I meet yer man right as he's putting his key in the door, he turned around and saw me, I was so stunned and afraid he'd think I was actually stalking him I tried to wave, but it basically came out looking like this

Never seen a lad shut the door as quick. Wouldn't blame him if he bolted it either!

It's happened again with another guy with even more consistency recently. It's feckin strange. If I was into all that shíte I'd say the universe wanted me to meet these people.

Has this ever happened to a really high degree for anyone else when you're doing your daily commute or on your lunch break, did you eventually introduce yourself or talk to them?

Might do it with the guy I see 3+ daily. Sure what could go wrong? :pac:

Tail Docker

_Redzer_ wrote: »

Might do it with the guy I see 3+ daily. Sure what could go wrong? :pac:

That's youthful stamina for you.

_Redzer_

Tail Docker wrote: »

That's youthful stamina for you.

Might turn that 'see' 3+ daily into 'see' 3+ daily :pac:

Sir Arthur Daley

Tail Docker wrote: »

That's youthful stamina for you.

Have you heard of viagra old man? :pac:

dmc17

They must get less strange if you're always running into them

Sauve

There's an older man I pass most mornings on the way to work, I think he's a security guard somewhere.
We've escalated from a half-smile to a full-blown smiley "Good Morning" now.
It's kinda nice

_Redzer_

dmc17 wrote: »

They must get less strange if you're always running into them

Nah it really doesn't, cos we avoid looking at each other.

There's a really long corridor that I frequent at random times. It doesn't matter, I *always* see him walking down at the very top, so it's this really awkward show down. You can only look at the floor, wall or ceiling for so long like, it's that long

It's funny. Once I was done with college I thought I wouldn't see him again and I got a bit disappointed, oddly. Well he is ridiculously hot in fairness, but sure enough he's back around again.

Yesterday I thought to myself I hadn't seen him at all today, looked out the window a bit later -there he goes.

Thought the same today, went to the stairwell, he's going down ahead of me.

That's beyond strange to hit into a stranger that often.

corktina

I see this strange old man all the time, have been doing this for years. Kind of unsettling, he's just the same after all this time except now he's getting a bit raddled and lined looking. Mostly I see him in the bathroom mirror :-(

Badly Drunk Boy

I've a few of these people on the go, although the times I see them might only happen for a few weeks at time. After a while of not seeing them, they re-appear for another spate.

It could be explained by the fact that I (sort of) work shifts, except my times going in to work are flexible enough, so I might see the person as I'm going into work at 11am within a certain 40 metre stretch of road, and then, going in at 9am the next morning, I see them on the same stretch of road.

dmc17

He's most probably just a ghost or something. Have you tried speaking to him?

I have become friend with some one from a situation like that, we cant remember how we fires encountered each other, but it did start with a nod, then a hello, then a few words which lead to a chat. I like serendipity like that.

_Redzer_

Passed him by pure chance once again.

If I see him again today I'll talk to him

The Moldy Gowl

_Redzer_ wrote: »

Passed him by pure chance once again.

If I see him again today I'll talk to him

Just give him the nod.

Nod downwards means you want to see his junk.
Upwards is friendly

pickarooney

He's probably just your fylgja, OP.

Pumpkinseeds

There's a lady who adopted a rescue kitten from me, I used to meet her in the local shopping centre on the same day every week, for about a month. Poor woman must've thought I was stalking her

takamichinoku

Galway's really bad for this, I'm always bumping into people I recognise but don't know. Sometimes I accidentally greet them a bit with a nod or whatever, probably would talk to them if they seemed cool and an opportunity arose though.

Worse still are the friends of friends you've met once on a drunken night out and have no interest in talking to again but you both clearly know each other.

Boom_Bap

There was a guy in college that I never spoke to before, but used to always see him about the place.
It got really weird when I would see him getting involved with girls that I had previously been involved with.

Foggy Jew

As I was going up the stair
I met a man who wasn't there
He wasn't there again today
I wish to God he'd go away.

Sir Osis of Liver.

In such situations I would feel the need to box him in the face just to break the deadlock.

Sunnyisland

I go for a walk most mornings, meet the same people nearly everyday, I say good morning to them all, some say it back some look away and some just look at me. :-)

Warper

There is this girl i see every night without fail. She never notices me probably because i am in her closet.

Sinister Kid

There is a guy that works in the shop where I grab my lunch when I am in work, he is also in my gym so I'd see him after work & I'd often see him in the supermarket close to the gym after that. To top it off I have also spotted him on a dating site & only realised after I clicked on his profile who he was... so I'm pretty sure he thinks I am stalking him
We do the nod of the head or a quiet hello when we pass but it's still a little awkward...

Adamantium

takamichinoku wrote: »

Galway's really bad for this, I'm always bumping into people I recognise but don't know. Sometimes I accidentally greet them a bit with a nod or whatever, probably would talk to them if they seemed cool and an opportunity arose though.

Worse still are the friends of friends you've met once on a drunken night out and have no interest in talking to again but you both clearly know each other.

There is no escape on the Salmon Weir Bridge

RedXIV

Used to see this guy cycling the opposite direction to my walk every morning to the Dart, first time I saw him I thought he was someone I knew so stated at him a bit, then we got to the nods and now we can quite cheerfully shout at each other from across the road. No idea what his name is our what he does but it always cheers me up seeing him.

Moving jobs next week so will miss him now because I won't need the DART

Maximus Alexander

There's a girl that always walks past me in the morning in the opposite direction at the same point on the road, even when I leave the house 5 minutes earlier or later.

There are also a couple of people who are almost always on the same LUAS and in the same cabin as me on the morning commute.

Never happens on the way home, but presumably that's because people start work at a fixed time and finish at slightly more flexible times.

Kilgore__Trout

From Cat's Cradle:

We Bokononists believe that humanity is organized into teams, teams that do God's Will without ever discovering what they are doing. Such a team is called a karass by Bokonon ... "If you find your life tangled up with somebody else's life for no very logical reasons," writes Bokonon, "that person may be a member of your karass." At another point in The Books of Bokonon he tells us, "Man created the checkerboard; God created the karass." By that he means that a karass ignores national, institutional, occupational, familial, and class boundaries. It is as free form as an amoeba.

Maybe you ought to print this off, and show it to the guy to explain why you've been bumping into one another so often. Should help smooth things out and convince him of your sanity.

moc moc a moc

Sauve wrote: »

We've escalated from a half-smile to a full-blown smiley "Good Morning" now.
It's kinda nice

Jesus, what's next, handjobs??

Son Of A Vidic

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

There's a girl that always walks past me in the morning in the opposite direction at the same point on the road, even when I leave the house 5 minutes earlier or later.

She's an obvious stalker?.........She hot?

Nassau

16 years ago there was a guy I used to always see walking past the bus-stop I was waiting at in the mornings.

Then always saw him walking home (damn fast walker!). Lived next estate up from me.

Started to see him in the local every weekend...

Felt like we were stalking each other.

14 years ago married him.

Maximus Alexander

Corvus Maximus wrote: »

She's an obvious stalker?.........She hot?

Hah! She's fairly decent, I'm spoken for though.

_Redzer_

pickarooney wrote: »

He's probably just your fylgja, OP.

This is getting seriously ****ed up. Right after I read that I was heading on my way, turn to go out the door, and he's walking towards me.

Wtf?

Didn't talk to him, I think me both think it's too odd.

It's like he's the mirror image of me ffs

FouxDaFaFa

I'm monogamous and only have one woman I do this with. She has dyed red hair and I think she's Polish.

There are periods when it gets very intense and we see each other a few times a day. We both have trouble with committment so tend to have a cooling off period after that, pretending to ourselves that it's "just casual".

Deep in our hearts we know the truth.

Dravokivich

There's a guy who works with the local fire station I see regularly enough. We always tend to nod and exchange a brief "Howye!"

I'm not sure who started it. But I'd be damned if I was gonna finish it.

castletownman

I've bumped into girls on night's out in Dublin that I've recognised from my hometown. They usually lead with the line "I know you from <bar name here>". So either I'm instantly recognisable as some sort of good looking chap from back home that all the ladies remember or I'm best remembered as "that guy from the pub. You know the guy. He's always there!!"

I like to think it's the former.

_Redzer_

Told one of my mates about it and they found it seriously odd. We went for dinner. On the way back I said I'd point him out if we past him again, thinking I wouldn't see him again.

Nope. Walked into one of the buildings, there he is sitting down, the first person you'd be able to see once you walked in, because of the pillar blocking the rest.

****ed up or what.

Clearly I'm supposed to be with this lad instead

I think there are certain people we are meant to meet if that does not sound too new age or airy fairy.

blade1

Yeah!
Kept bumping into this freak all the time!
I was opening my front door one night and I could feel I was being watched so I looked over my shoulder and to my horror there they were, just staring at me!
I ran inside and called the guards!!!
Some F*ckin' Freaks around the place!!

Davarus Walrus

I work near Baggott Street and would bump into Willie O'Dea, the TD, on a regular basis. His glare, comical moustache and lack of stature would always cheer me up.

_Redzer_

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

There's a girl that always walks past me in the morning in the opposite direction at the same point on the road, even when I leave the house 5 minutes earlier or later.

There are also a couple of people who are almost always on the same LUAS and in the same cabin as me on the morning commute.

Never happens on the way home, but presumably that's because people start work at a fixed time and finish at slightly more flexible times.

That's the difference, you both have set schedules that over lap. I've been meeting this guy when I've just been coming and going at random, unpredictable times, yet I will always meet him along the way.

Strangest bit by far was reading that wiki thing only to meet right when I turned the corner coming out of the stairwell.

It's still all completely random, but Jesus.

Might have to throw the old boyfriend out, I'm getting all the signs :pac:

_Redzer_

I'm hoping I see him on the way home now. Just cos I'll do nothing but laugh.... which will either make the situation better, or much more awkward.

I'll be a bit disappointed if I don't now

Reedsie

Used to meet the same people on the train every morning. Same carriage, same seats every time. Was only 6 or 7 of us ever in the carriage so we all had our own space, never chatted. But if any one of us ever fell asleep the rest would always know which stop to wake them up for.

beks101

I remember on my first J1 summer in New Jersey a good decade ago (GOD I feel old :eek:), I'd go for a jog around the local neighbourhood block every morning before work.

Every single morning without fail, regardless of what time I'd leave the house, I'd run into the same middle-aged guy, very fit, tanned, clearly in training for something, striding away in the opposition direction in his sports kit, we'd make eye contact, give a friendly smile, jog on.

One morning I was out for the usual early dose of exercise and there he was running towards me in the distance, I swear it must've been about the twelfth or thirteenth time seeing him. We made eye contact and this time he jogged passed, circled around and started running up alongside me, said "alright then, I'll give you a head start, let's go!" and while I sort of hesitated trying to figure out how to get this weird guy away from me, he started yelling "GO GO GO! GO ON, GO!"

So I thought "fcuk this" and started sprinting at top speed ahead of me, with this guy chasing behind me, til we were both neck-and-neck, not a word exchanged between us, just puffing and panting and running our stupid legs off.

We ran like that for a good three miles, getting faster and faster and circling around the block and back up the street towards my house. At this point the exhaustion and adrenaline hit me and I started laughing uncontrollably at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation; laughing and panting to breathe, and suddenly he was roaring uncontrollably too, and we continued that way til I got to my house - at which point I just sort of pointed, spurted out "this is me" and veered off path into my driveway and out to the backdoor. He just waved and laughed and continued sprinting ahead.

One of the weirdest and most surreal and deliriously wonderful experiences of my summer, that was. My legs ached for about a week after that. Never saw the old dude again either.

TrustedApple

There is a guy from my town with a long pony tail and has been wearing the same jeans, jumper and shoes since i was a child and is also born again christian.

I have bumped into the guy everywhere and anywhere from my own town any time i go for a walk or run i see him i also have bumped into him in cork, waterford and even Dublin

Santa Cruz

_Redzer_ wrote: »

I can't be the only one here who runs into the same person enough for me to recognise them after only passing each other by.

Before Christmas there was a guy I would always pass in college, but the only one I'd pass consistently.
If I was going to a lecture, he'd be going the opposite direction, always -if I was going to the bar, he was coming from there. He was always coming the opposite direction as me the whole time.
I'd meet him on the street in random places every single day. He was recognising me back, so there was this strange awkwardness and acknowledgment, and I always felt like a stalker the amount of times I'd cross paths with him.

The worst encounter of all when I was walking home at night, pitch black and I meet yer man right as he's putting his key in the door, he turned around and saw me, I was so stunned and afraid he'd think I was actually stalking him I tried to wave, but it basically came out looking like this

Never seen a lad shut the door as quick. Wouldn't blame him if he bolted it either!

It's happened again with another guy with even more consistency recently. It's feckin strange. If I was into all that shíte I'd say the universe wanted me to meet these people.

Has this ever happened to a really high degree for anyone else when you're doing your daily commute or on your lunch break, did you eventually introduce yourself or talk to them?

Might do it with the guy I see 3+ daily. Sure what could go wrong? :pac:

It mightn't be so bad if you kept your zip closed

cazzer22

When I was living in Rathmines I used to ALWAYS pass this man and I could tell he recognised me too. He used to be quite a big man and I didn't see him for ages and then when I saw him again, he had lost a huge amount of weight. I congratulated him on the weight loss and when I was still living there we said hello walking past one another. It's so strange.

AnonoBoy

Louis CK knows what you're talking about. (1min 40secs in)

takamichinoku

beks101 wrote: »

I remember on my first J1 summer in New Jersey a good decade ago (GOD I feel old :eek:), I'd go for a jog around the local neighbourhood block every morning before work.

Every single morning without fail, regardless of what time I'd leave the house, I'd run into the same middle-aged guy, very fit, tanned, clearly in training for something, striding away in the opposition direction in his sports kit, we'd make eye contact, give a friendly smile, jog on.

One morning I was out for the usual early dose of exercise and there he was running towards me in the distance, I swear it must've been about the twelfth or thirteenth time seeing him. We made eye contact and this time he jogged passed, circled around and started running up alongside me, said "alright then, I'll give you a head start, let's go!" and while I sort of hesitated trying to figure out how to get this weird guy away from me, he started yelling "GO GO GO! GO ON, GO!"

So I thought "fcuk this" and started sprinting at top speed ahead of me, with this guy chasing behind me, til we were both neck-and-neck, not a word exchanged between us, just puffing and panting and running our stupid legs off.

We ran like that for a good three miles, getting faster and faster and circling around the block and back up the street towards my house. At this point the exhaustion and adrenaline hit me and I started laughing uncontrollably at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation; laughing and panting to breathe, and suddenly he was roaring uncontrollably too, and we continued that way til I got to my house - at which point I just sort of pointed, spurted out "this is me" and veered off path into my driveway and out to the backdoor. He just waved and laughed and continued sprinting ahead.

One of the weirdest and most surreal and deliriously wonderful experiences of my summer, that was. My legs ached for about a week after that. Never saw the old dude again either.

Think this is my favourite thing I've read on boards so far.



When you live in the country, you basically have to say hello to whoever you meet when you're out walking. Back home there's a lot of roads where you can see and recognise a person from like half a mile in advance, so you get to spend 10 minutes or whatever just dreading the possibility of a conversation with whatever c*nt it is.
I was home one summer and I kept seeing this one particularly annoying auld one on my walks, I'd just abruptly turn around so I wouldn't have to deal with her. My uncle was able to tell me a few months later that she knew I was avoiding her.

Hotfail.com

I keep bumping into a user called dianesaccount on literally 90% of people's pages I visit. Seriously, what is up with it? She has 2115 page visits, 0 posts, and got banned the day after she registered, and I see her everywhere on this. :pac: Is there somewhere I can actually find out why it's everywhere and why it has so many views? It's really annoying me :pac:

A Primal Nut

When I started my current job a few years ago; me and another guy seemed to be on the same toilet schedule. We would constantly meet at the urinals. I'd be in there and he'd come in. But more often he'd be in there and I'd come in which made me worry he might think I was doing it intentionally. It got really awkward especially because we didn't really know each other.

Eventually I started checking to make sure he was already at his desk before going to the toilet.

We're good friends now but we've never talked about it.

ElvisChrist6

There's people I see all the time that I give names and personalities to in my head - just to pass the time. There's Greasy Ron Weasley, Helmet Head, Little and Large. There was one person I used to pass at her bus stop every morning 7/8/9 years ago and think "She looks nice"; never gave her a name, just noticed her every day. We've now been going out for just over 4 years, so that's pretty mental! :pac: In the end turned out she used to see me pass every day and think the same things too

artanevilla

Here you go folks: http://youtu.be/M-0nbcHPaWw