Your chance in a million

[xxmimixx]

Many times things that have happened, by pure chance, one in a million.
Tell us your story here.

I had quite a few but I think the most incredible is this one:

About 10 years ago was living in London, my flat mate found a wallet with passports and travel tickets in the underground. She brought it home, because she noticed all documents where in Italian and thought the fact that I spoke Italian might come handy in reuniting the item with its owner.

I found a business card (same name as on passport) called several times but no answer. Didnt want to bring it to the Police as I thought they wont actively 'look' for them, probably just wait for a claim. So kept hold of it for a couple of days (whilst I was still thinking I could do something about it!)

Until when a couple of days later I was on my way to work, by tube. But was way too early so I decided to get off at Leicester Square and have a stroll, some ice-cream at the Hagen-Dazen shop.
There was a juggler with a large crowd surrounding him. I joined in to have a look at his tricks.
Then he started picking people from the crowd. Two people.
One of them was the person in the passport!!!!!!! I almost fainted and so did he when I approached him!!!

PS: I had to meet him again to hand over his stuff and he told me there was no answer on the number I had tried to call as his elderly mum was deaf!

 

[swee'pea99]

Not nearly such a good story, but I did once get talking to a bloke on a train in the middle of Spain or Greece or somewhere - can't remember exactly, it was a long time ago - and we did that thing you do: 'Oh, you're from London? Me too. Whereabouts in London? Shepherds Bush? No way! etc' Turned out he lived at the other end of my street...maybe two minutes' walk.

 

[Arch]

Mum and I did an evening course in tracing family history. On the first evening, we got talking to one of the other students, and he and Mum were similar ages, and both natives of Leicester (not unlikely, that was where we were...). Oh which part? Grew up off the Melton Road. Oh, me too, where? Willowbrook Road. Me too!

Turned out they'd lived one house apart when they were about 5 or 6, 60 years before.

 

[ColinJ]

I used to live in Coventry and was friends with twins who lived in Birmingham so I used to go over to see them from time to time. I used to meet them in the Prince of Wales pub in Moseley. 10 years later, I got sent on a recording studio engineering course at the then polytechnic at Kingston upon Thames. I spent a few days wondering where I'd seen the instructor before. Eventually, it dawned on me that he looked like a regular from the Prince of Wales. When I asked him, it turned out that he knew the twins!

 

[AnythingButVanilla]

I was on a school trip in New York and while I was there the family that I was staying with had a bereavement so I was sent to spend the afternoon with their friends while they sorted stuff out. I got all the usual questions about where in Scotland I came from and gave the usual answer of Glasgow because people usually don't know of the town where I grew up. Turns out that not only did the man know where I came from but his cousin was my gran's insurance man and had been a friend of our family for decades. Insurance man's daughter is now also married to my ex-stepfather although that's not quite such a co-incidence

 

[colly]

There worked with a bloke some years ago who, as a small boy lived in South Africa. One day out and about he came across an elephant standing on three legs and noticed that a long thorn was stuck in the base of the elephants fourth leg. A dangerous thing to do but he knelt down and pulled the thorn out from the elephants foot. The elephant gently put it's foot down and then walked off into the bush.
Years passed, the boy became a man, moved to England and set up home. Still more years passed and one day the circus came to town and the chap took his family along to see the show. One act was performing elephants and as they were parading around the ring one of the animals stopped, turned to stare at the man, and then it walked slowly over. Reaching out with it's trunk it sniffed the man and stroked him then took hold of him and lifted him into the ring. He lifted the man up then slammed him down onto the floor and trampled him under foot.

















It was a different elephant.

 

[thnurg]

While strolling through Lewes I once bumped into a guy that I had recently worked with in Stirling.

According to Terry Pratchett, million to one chances happen nine times out of ten.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Whilst out walking in the middle of nowhere (just about) in Forsinard one day whilst on holiday, who should I meet, but my (then) English teacher. Also, whilst on holiday in the broads one year, I met my old music teacher in a shop in Bury St Edmonds.
Oh and talking of teachers, my old Geography teacher's husband is in the same Rowing club I have been vaguely involved with over the years, AND, another chap there had a wife (they are now divorced apparently) who was once a teacher at my Primary School (but who I was never taught by).

Not content with that, an old guy we know from when my brother and I went to the BBs, was non other than the husband of my now late Chemistry teacher from first and second year, and what's more, he still lives just up the road from us.

And finally, my Mum taught at our old Primary School until she retired and some of the people we remember are/were still there! (ok, so not a co - incidence).

 

[snorri]

I was cycle touring through Belgium and spotted some naval ships, got invited on board the RN one and had a few beers in the mess. Back ashore and carried on with the tour for a week or two. On the way home from the tour I was cycling through a town in the Scottish borders when I saw one of the guys from the ship, now on leave and helping an elderly relative at the shops. We had a chat and carried on our ways.

 

[xxmimixx]

According to Terry Pratchett, million to one chances happen nine times out of ten.

then this thread should become e x t r e m e l y l o n g

some good stories here, keep them coming...

BTW when I went on holiday to Corwnall this summer we came across our neighbor, during a day trip. We didnt know we were both going on holiday in Cornwall on the same week, and visit the same town on that day, be in the same square at the same time!


I have another story but I cant remember it now and it bugging me!

 

[coffeejo]

One of the guys in my cycle group has a daughter a few years younger than me. It turns out that I met her several times as she went to uni with an ex of mine.

Even weirder: when I was seeing said ex, we got to know a local vicar. Turns out that I was at uni with his daughter.

 

[Mozzy]

Stayed at a health place 15 years ago for a weekend special. Only one other couple staying, and he looked familiar but didn't think anything of it and he asked me if I fancied a go on the 9 hole golf course in the morning. Introduced himself as Phil and we played merrily and then all four got together for lunch and after, said our goodbyes. Turns out it was Phil Collins!

 

[Globalti]

I seem to wake up next to the same person every morning. Still haven't quite got used to it.

 

[colly]

I have just recalled an incident. My eldest son was at work one day and some piece of equipment went on the blink. An engineer called from the West Midlands based company. When he arrived a day or so later my son greeted him when he arrived to escort him to where the faulty stuff was. On the way this chap said ''You have an unusual surname, one you don't forget, I went to school with a lad with the same name.'' It turns out he went to school with my nephew, my sons cousin, who lives in Redditch

Not a million to one chance maybe but I would say about 897,463 to 1 at least.

 

[colly]

I seem to wake up next to the same person every morning. Still haven't quite got used to it.

Ah, but sooner or later you sleep in your own space
Either way it's okay to wake up with yourself