# Has Anyone Ever Met A Doper IRL By Pure Happenstance? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 6, 2013, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-met-a-doper-irl-by-pure-happenstance/662791 "2013-07-06T15:55:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-met-a-doper-irl-by-pure-happenstance/662791/1 "2013-07-06T15:55:38Z")
How many of you have met a fellow Doper purely by accident? No, not at a Dopefest or other organized get together. I’m talking purely by chance. If so, how did this occur? Did you reach for the same copy of _Cat Fancy_ at the same time in the grocery store? Saw someone in a SDMB t-shirt? (do those exist?) With a SMBD tie clip? Worse, a moderator with the dreaded coffee mug? Saw someone reading the Dope at the library? Stumbled upon each other in a conversation where a Dope meme was mentioned? What’s the scoop, people? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-met-a-doper-irl-by-pure-happenstance/662791/2 "2013-07-06T16:06:40Z")
Not a chance meeting but a close call. Twice I’ve seen a car with a California plate “I(heart)SDMB”. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-met-a-doper-irl-by-pure-happenstance/662791/3 "2013-07-06T16:36:41Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Not a chance meeting but a close call. Twice I’ve seen a car with a California plate “I(heart)SDMB”. And you didn’t do everything in your power to get them to pull over? 😕 😃 ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-met-a-doper-irl-by-pure-happenstance/662791/4 "2013-07-06T17:09:39Z")
Talked to one on the phone when we were both in Qatar ATST. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-met-a-doper-irl-by-pure-happenstance/662791/5 "2013-07-06T17:12:40Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Stumbled upon each other in a conversation where a Dope meme was mentioned? Precisely that - I was talking with Wendell Wagner at a convention when in the course of a conversation he mentioned the “What if Tolkien was written by other authors” thread. ---
**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:** [July 6, 2013, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-met-a-doper-irl-by-pure-happenstance/662791/6 "2013-07-06T18:01:27Z")
Sort of. I was going to a doper meeting at a pub in Houston. I arrived early and decided to kill some time by shopping for books at a bookstore down the block. As it turned out two of the other dopers (Ringo and Irishman if I recall correctly) who were going to the meeting had the same idea. Another time I was taking a train down to NYC to go to a doper meeting. At one stop, I noticed a woman getting on and thought “She really looks like Eve.” I asked and it was in fact Eve who was going to the same meeting. I figured this was a much greater coincidence as it was hours before the meeting and we were in another state when we ran into each other. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-met-a-doper-irl-by-pure-happenstance/662791/7 "2013-07-06T18:50:43Z")
> [@eenerms](#): > > Talked to one on the phone when we were both in Qatar ATST. How did that happen? Was it an arranged call via the Dope? > [@Andy\_L](#): > > Precisely that - I was talking with Wendell Wagner at a convention when in the course of a conversation he mentioned the “What if Tolkien was written by other authors” thread. **awkward silence** “Say, you don’t happen to visit this particular website, do you?” 😃 I’m still wondering if someone used a reference to the death ray in casual conversation with a stranger to get a “Dude! Goats?” reply…or something. > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Sort of. > > I was going to a doper meeting at a pub in Houston. I arrived early and decided to kill some time by shopping for books at a bookstore down the block. As it turned out two of the other dopers (Ringo and Irishman if I recall correctly) who were going to the meeting had the same idea. > > Another time I was taking a train down to NYC to go to a doper meeting. At one stop, I noticed a woman getting on and thought “She really looks like Eve.” I asked and it was in fact Eve who was going to the same meeting. I figured this was a much greater coincidence as it was hours before the meeting and we were in another state when we ran into each other. I’m not sure those really qualify (;)) as you were on your way to a Doper hangout, but still a pretty large coincidence, particularly with **Eve**. ---
**Author:** ![nikonikosuru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@nikonikosuru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikonikosuru)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-met-a-doper-irl-by-pure-happenstance/662791/8 "2013-07-06T18:56:19Z")
I saw Queen Tonya when I worked as a cashier at the grocery store. We both live in the same area but I was surprised that she didn’t go to the one closer to her. It took me a few seconds to recognize her at first (Sorry! 🙂 ) I also saw LOUNE when I was working at Panera. I don’t think he recognized me which is okay since I was embarrassed about working there enough as it is. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-met-a-doper-irl-by-pure-happenstance/662791/9 "2013-07-06T19:00:49Z")
Somewhere falling further into the depths of the message board is the ongoing online dating thread. It’s a few thousand posts long. Anyways, I had a question about a particular OKCupid match. Literally, seconds before I was about to post my question in that thread I realized something, the person I had a question about was also active in that thread. I’m glad I figured it out before I asked it. That was the pure happenstance part. We did meet IRL after that. ---
**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:** [July 6, 2013, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-met-a-doper-irl-by-pure-happenstance/662791/10 "2013-07-06T19:12:41Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > **awkward silence** > > “Say, you don’t happen to visit this particular website, do you?” Curiously, this is EXACTLY what I did. He’s not around much anymore but former mod John Corrado and I both attended a gaming con in DC 10-12 years ago. We both sat down to play a game and I saw his name tag, which was both his name and his handle. Me: “Do the words ‘Straight dope message board’ mean anything to you?” ---
**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:** [July 6, 2013, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-met-a-doper-irl-by-pure-happenstance/662791/11 "2013-07-06T20:28:31Z")
Once I posted a link to a picture of my apartment complex, and someone responded, “Dude, that’s MY apartment complex.” Yes, we lived in the same (very large) complex. He’s long gone from here I think, and I’m long gone from there. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-met-a-doper-irl-by-pure-happenstance/662791/12 "2013-07-06T20:29:17Z")
This is pretty cool. I want to meet a Doper IRL just by coincidence. Heck, I may have already met someone like **PunditLisa** who lives in the Cincinnati area and just not known it. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-met-a-doper-irl-by-pure-happenstance/662791/13 "2013-07-06T20:30:17Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Once I posted a link to a picture of my apartment complex, and someone responded, “Dude, that’s MY apartment complex.” Yes, we lived in the same (very large) complex. He’s long gone from here I think, and I’m long gone from there. Did you all ever hang out? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-met-a-doper-irl-by-pure-happenstance/662791/14 "2013-07-06T20:38:00Z")
Hasn’t happened yet, but I keep hoping my T-Shirt that says, “3. Hi, Opal!” will do it. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-met-a-doper-irl-by-pure-happenstance/662791/15 "2013-07-06T20:47:36Z")
Yep. I was at a bar and one of the other patrons there who I’m not really friends with but we do chat from time to time was/is a Doper. He just casually told me about this place. And in return, I didn’t say a damn thing. I’ve dumped way too much emotional garbage here, I’m not completely comfortable being friends with people IRL here. I fully accept this is a character flaw. ---
**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:** [July 6, 2013, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-met-a-doper-irl-by-pure-happenstance/662791/16 "2013-07-06T20:55:57Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Did you all ever hang out? Um, once. It seems that was sufficient for both of us. ---
**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:** [July 6, 2013, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-met-a-doper-irl-by-pure-happenstance/662791/17 "2013-07-06T21:05:25Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > **awkward silence** > > “Say, you don’t happen to visit this particular website, do you?” I had an advantage in that I could say something that sounded semi-rational like “Excuse me? Eve?” It would have been a lot more awkward approaching a stranger on a train and saying “Excuse me? Foie gras is evil?” Just my luck, there’d be a wacky misunderstanding and I’d end up with a briefcase full of nuclear secrets. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-met-a-doper-irl-by-pure-happenstance/662791/18 "2013-07-06T21:31:58Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I had an advantage in that I could say something that sounded semi-rational like “Excuse me? Eve?” > > It would have been a lot more awkward approaching a stranger on a train and saying “Excuse me? Foie gras is evil?” > > Just my luck, there’d be a wacky misunderstanding and I’d end up with a briefcase full of nuclear secrets. Ha ha, well yeah. Some of us have more “normal” usernames than others. If I change mine to “Dory” would you be put off if I came up to you and called you Nemo? ---
**Author:** ![Troppus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@Troppus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troppus)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-met-a-doper-irl-by-pure-happenstance/662791/19 "2013-07-06T21:38:04Z")
Yep, but he doesn’t know it and I haven’t figured out his SDMB handle. A professor at my local college mentioned the Dope several times and even dropped a couple memes in class. But he and I had a contentious relationship and he “borrowed” some of my ideas for a published piece about a James Joyce story. So I never introduced myself, just sat in his class seething and trying to guess at his online ID. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-met-a-doper-irl-by-pure-happenstance/662791/20 "2013-07-06T22:12:21Z")
I’ve run into **Elvisl1ves** at the Saugus ironworks. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-met-a-doper-irl-by-pure-happenstance/662791.md?page=2)