# "Missing" woman unknowingly joins search for herself **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 30, 2012, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-woman-unknowingly-joins-search-for-herself/633123 "2012-08-30T08:41:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-woman-unknowingly-joins-search-for-herself/633123/1 "2012-08-30T08:41:48Z")
[Oops.](http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/missing-woman-unknowingly-joins-search-herself-165249353.html) > [@](#): > > It turns out the woman merely changed clothes during the bus stop, and after she returned, those on the bus didn’t recognize her. > > When the description of the “missing” woman was circulated, apparently the lady who changed her outfit didn’t recognize the description of herself. So she joined the search party. I bet everyone involved felt _incredibly_ clever afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-woman-unknowingly-joins-search-for-herself/633123/2 "2012-08-30T09:04:40Z")
Reminds me of a sign I once saw: “I’ve gone to find myself. If you see me before I get back, keep me here.” ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-woman-unknowingly-joins-search-for-herself/633123/3 "2012-08-30T09:29:09Z")
Thanks for the link. Loved the story. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-woman-unknowingly-joins-search-for-herself/633123/4 "2012-08-30T09:34:03Z")
> [@](#): > > It turns out the woman merely changed clothes during the bus stop, and after she returned, those on the bus didn’t recognize her. I think this woman needs to seriously consider a new career as some sort of spy or supervillain-level cat burglar or international jewel thief. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-woman-unknowingly-joins-search-for-herself/633123/5 "2012-08-30T10:10:42Z")
She confused them by changing from a leather outfit with pointy ears into a skimpy black dress. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-woman-unknowingly-joins-search-for-herself/633123/6 "2012-08-30T13:27:10Z")
Her disguise was so good she couldn’t even recognize herself? Man, that is some cunning disguise skill. ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-woman-unknowingly-joins-search-for-herself/633123/7 "2012-08-30T17:14:42Z")
The woman later discovered that she was also the long lost love child of Clark Kent! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-woman-unknowingly-joins-search-for-herself/633123/8 "2012-08-30T17:35:23Z")
“Man, she kidnapped herself.” ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-woman-unknowingly-joins-search-for-herself/633123/9 "2012-08-30T18:24:17Z")
Seems it could be an instance of the “All Asians look alike” effect. Obviously, the only way to tell them apart is by the clothes they are wearing. So changing clothes is a very effective disguise. I’m wondering why the tour operator didn’t just do a head count at some point. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-woman-unknowingly-joins-search-for-herself/633123/10 "2012-08-30T19:31:20Z")
You must have really looked like hell if “freshening up” makes you look like a whole new person. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-woman-unknowingly-joins-search-for-herself/633123/11 "2012-08-30T19:50:16Z")
She probably once read a travel book that included the phrase “Should you ever find yourself in Eldgjá volcanic canyon…” ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-woman-unknowingly-joins-search-for-herself/633123/12 "2012-08-30T19:54:19Z")
I keep picturing [Ms. Swan from MAD TV.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O91b4asREAs) ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-woman-unknowingly-joins-search-for-herself/633123/13 "2012-08-30T21:07:48Z")
Maybe it was on the way to a convention for [Prosopagnosia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosopagnosia) sufferers. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-woman-unknowingly-joins-search-for-herself/633123/14 "2012-08-30T21:49:57Z")
I keep telling people its not a stereotype, those Asians _really are_ sneaky. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Woo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@Dr.Woo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Woo)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-woman-unknowingly-joins-search-for-herself/633123/15 "2012-08-30T23:16:57Z")
Man, she must really clean up good. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-woman-unknowingly-joins-search-for-herself/633123/16 "2012-08-31T01:21:04Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > Maybe it was on the way to a convention for [Prosopagnosia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosopagnosia) sufferers. I know you’re joking, but I can totally see myself in a situation like this. Actually, I don’t have to totally see it, not recognizing people is pretty much my ground state. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missing-woman-unknowingly-joins-search-for-herself/633123/17 "2012-08-31T01:41:43Z")
> [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > Her disguise was so good she couldn’t even recognize herself? Man, that is some cunning disguise skill. I think that perk is in one of the mods. More seriously, unless you already know that you’re the star of a farce, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to assume that the missing person someone is describing to you in person is _someone else_–possibly someone who looks quite a bit like you, depending on how vague the description is.