# Ever meet a doper in real life by complete accident? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 21, 2003, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-meet-a-doper-in-real-life-by-complete-accident/163184 "2003-03-21T19:21:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-meet-a-doper-in-real-life-by-complete-accident/163184/1 "2003-03-21T19:21:57Z")
A while back I had a thread about one of my classes. It did not have to do with meeting other dopers, but I idly mentioned that one of my students came in once with a Straight dope Shirt on. Not wanting to alert him I was on the boards, or that sometimes the computer in my office has the boards on the screen, as it does right now, I have never said anything to the kid. I’ve posted things on the boards I do not necessarily want my student to know… Anyway back to the OP. There are currently 32,900 people on the boards from all over the world. Dopefests have intensified over the years…But has anyone ever met someone in real life and found out they were a doper? I have a straightdope mug, that I have ceased bringing to work because alls I need is a student saying something like, “Hey Mr.X you post on the Straightdope huh? I bet you are **Phlosphr** , I did a search…he he he he he…, I saw that thread about coming to class smelling like Pot. I got your number now!” Yeah, I don’t think so. Anyway story for another time. So, anyone meet a doper by chance one day? ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-meet-a-doper-in-real-life-by-complete-accident/163184/2 "2003-03-21T19:25:46Z")
I met **cmkeller** once when I attended a wedding where a cousin of his was getting married. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-meet-a-doper-in-real-life-by-complete-accident/163184/3 "2003-03-21T20:00:59Z")
I don’t think it was 100% by chance, but **Demo** and **Psycat90** once popped into the bookstore I used to work in, when I lived in California. I sure was surprised to see them, anyway. I’m waiting for the inevitable day that I run into **CrankyAsAnOldMan** or **Hello Again**. This will happen eventually, I am sure. ---
**Author:** ![hedra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/779978/32.png) [@hedra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hedra)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-meet-a-doper-in-real-life-by-complete-accident/163184/4 "2003-03-21T20:19:18Z")
Kinda sorta. I emailed Esprix about a UU thing, and he recognized the domain of my email addy (company address). Same company. Upon further email, we discovered that not only was it the same company (huge company), and the same state, but the same city, complex, and… building. He was three floors up from me. :eek: We had lunch. He’s pretty cool in person, too. Then he up and moved to California. I wonder, sometimes, how many others there are here… ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-meet-a-doper-in-real-life-by-complete-accident/163184/5 "2003-03-21T20:27:58Z")
In Dublin, we had arranged to meet **Twisty** for dinner one night. When we stopped at a cash machine, before meeting him, we bumped into **micilin** , **yojimbo** and another Doper (?) whose name fails me at this moment. So we went to the pub with those guys. **Twisty** eventually got his meal sometime near midnight. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-meet-a-doper-in-real-life-by-complete-accident/163184/6 "2003-03-21T20:28:57Z")
So I’m at Evecon a few years ago. It’s a local Washington DC gaming convention held around New Years each year. I’m there with a couple of friends. We decide to play Civilization (the board game). Some others join us, including a pal of my pal. I look on his ID badge… It says ‘John Corrado’. “Um”, I say. “Do the letters SDMB mean anything to you?” ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-meet-a-doper-in-real-life-by-complete-accident/163184/7 "2003-03-21T20:31:40Z")
Well, I am one doper’s brother’s adminstrative assistant. Don’t know if that counts, though. ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-meet-a-doper-in-real-life-by-complete-accident/163184/8 "2003-03-21T21:14:24Z")
I’d already met **Jane D’oh** at a ChiDope, and I ran into her at the Shakespeare Theater at Navy Pier when I was there to see a play. [sub]Hi, **Missy2U**![/sub] You should tell him we share a birthday, too. 😉 Or maybe not. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-meet-a-doper-in-real-life-by-complete-accident/163184/9 "2003-03-21T22:36:02Z")
This year there’s another Doper (lurker) living _right up the hall from me in my dorm_! It’s made me consider watching what I post…but it hasn’t actually made me do it. 😉 I know there’s at least one Doper who’s an alum of my school, but I haven’t (to my knowledge) run into her at any of the fundraising dinners or anything. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-meet-a-doper-in-real-life-by-complete-accident/163184/10 "2003-03-21T23:02:27Z")
I could swear I saw **aenea** and her son at the Northwest ticket counter in RDU airport a few weeks ago, except she didn’t seem to recognize me and I have a poor memory for faces, so I’m not 100% sure. (Seeing as how she had a kid to look after and a flight to catch, and there’s a chance she _was_ a complete stranger, I didn’t like to call attention to myself.) ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-meet-a-doper-in-real-life-by-complete-accident/163184/11 "2003-03-22T00:54:37Z")
I once posted a pic of my new apartment complex in a thread. Another Member recognized it – he lived there too. We had a few drinks a couple of times. ---
**Author:** ![SUPERKARLENE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/22d042/32.png) [@SUPERKARLENE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SUPERKARLENE)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-meet-a-doper-in-real-life-by-complete-accident/163184/12 "2003-03-22T01:49:21Z")
Hehe. I am the Doper of whom **Lamia** speaks. I was flabbergasted to have someone walk into my room and say “Do you post on the SDMB?” I’ve gotten to know Lamia much better, and she’s so much cooler in person than she lets on in the message boards. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-meet-a-doper-in-real-life-by-complete-accident/163184/13 "2003-03-22T03:42:47Z")
I once ran into Ringo and Irishman in a used bookstore. On the other hand it was about a half hour before a planned dopefest that was meeting two blocks down the street. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-meet-a-doper-in-real-life-by-complete-accident/163184/14 "2003-03-22T04:07:36Z")
I’m actually surprised that I haven’t run into any Dopers IRL. I know of at least two who live in the same city as I do. I met one at a ChiDope, and discovered she lives nearly within walking distance (well, a short ride in the car, anyway) and I’m betting we shop at the same grocery store, since it’s pretty much the ONLY grocery store that would be convenient to us both. So far, no unplanned encounters, though. I’m rapidly becoming fairly well-known in this immediate area (involved in local issues that are getting some press) so if you’re a Doper and you recognize me, say howdy, OK? ---
**Author:** ![IThinkNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ce73a5/32.png) [@IThinkNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IThinkNot)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-meet-a-doper-in-real-life-by-complete-accident/163184/15 "2003-03-22T04:11:50Z")
I live so far away from everyone at this point. My town has thirteen houses, a bar, and a church. ☹ I so wish— really— that I could accidentally run into someone. Except I’m not sure how I would recognize their face, as I have never attended a dopefest. I don’t know. But it would be cool! ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-meet-a-doper-in-real-life-by-complete-accident/163184/16 "2003-03-22T04:12:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Phlosphr \* > **I have a straightdope mug, that I have ceased bringing to work because alls I need is a student saying something like, "Hey Mr.X you post on the Straightdope huh?** I usually have some kind of weird crap stuck onto my nametag at work, y’know, rebelling against the man and all that. I’ve taken to putting “Hi Opal” on there now in hopes of someone recognizing it. Maybe I’ll rotate… “Hi Opal,” “Gotcha ya” would be good. “Og smash.” ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-meet-a-doper-in-real-life-by-complete-accident/163184/17 "2003-03-22T04:19:05Z")
My brother, **Billdo** hung out for an evening with **Telemark** without knowing that he was a Doper. Telemark described the evening on the board. It occurred to me that it sounded exactly like what my brother had said he’d done that weekend…turns out that they have a mutual friend. Weird, huh? ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-meet-a-doper-in-real-life-by-complete-accident/163184/18 "2003-03-22T04:23:12Z")
Okay, **Green Bean** , that looks like a _bona fide_ true-to-the-OP occurance. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-meet-a-doper-in-real-life-by-complete-accident/163184/19 "2003-03-22T09:17:03Z")
I ran into **Neidhart** once on the GMU campus on a weekday. I was there on break from work and he was chilling at the library, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-meet-a-doper-in-real-life-by-complete-accident/163184/20 "2003-03-22T14:43:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SUPERKARLENE \* > \*\* > I’ve gotten to know Lamia much better, and she’s so much cooler in person than she lets on in the message boards. 🙂 \*\* That would, of course, be impossible, as Lamia presents herself as the epitome of cool on the message boards 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-meet-a-doper-in-real-life-by-complete-accident/163184.md?page=2)