It really is a small world

[wallacej]

OK, this could be a long story, but I know I can't stand scrolling through aboring story, so here are the highlights:

MEL-SYD - DJ flight, Cabin crew announced, Captain's name is familiar to me. Enquired with FA if the captain matched the description I gave her. The reply was yes. I told her that I am convinced he is my former flight instructor from 14 years ago when I was a student pilot... gave my name.

At level, the pilot came down, and sure enough it was him.... blast from the past!!! We had a great catch up after the flight

The very next flight SYD-MEL - QF, sat in row 56, after being granted a request to move from the 7pm to 6pm, I took what ever seat I was given. Back of the bus!!!

Older lady seated in the same row already, I said hello, thought she looked familiar... started chatting. Turns out she was from the same country town I grew up in, and was in fact the mother of one my school friends from Grade 5!!!! We chatted the whole way, and of course she knoew my parents... quick phone call after landing brought smiles to everyone's face!!!


CRAZY - of course, everything in between those two flights was simple boring work.... but heck, would never have caught up with either party if I had not had this job.....

​

 

[oz_mark]

Quite amazing how these things happen

 

[straitman]

I agree that you can't get away with anything these days.

I've bumped into an RAAF friend in London, a friend from RAAF pilots course in the markets in Hong Kong (second time we'd met in 30 years) and someone from our home town in the markets in Darwin last weekend.

 

[Evan]

I have bumped into old school friends and things like that in airports of the work, railway stations, even just walking down the street in small Japanese cities and crazy things like that.
Can't hide anywhere anymore

E

 

[Ikara]

Folks,

I'll give you "small world". This is a true story and I have all of the documentation to back it up.

Mrs Ikara returned from Melbourne today where she had dinner with my 82 year old uncle last night.

Here's the story.

In 1916 my grandfather (Uncle's father) was on a ship heading across the Great Australian Bight on his way to WW1. Wrote a letter to his family, in a bottle, over the side, Xmas day 1916. In 1968 the bottle was found - letter intact. Surname and suburb in Melbourne only visible. Letter placed in a book for safe keeping - forgotten about. Found during a house move last year. Woman who has the letter has a brother (Colonel) in the Army. Contacts him, sends him the letter, his (Col's) wife does the investigate thing and matches my grandfathers signature with his signature on his enlistment documentation. Colonel contacts Uncle. Chauffer driven to Puckapunyal for presentation of original letter from his father.

The whole thing is being donated to the Australian War Museum.

We will be taking Uncle to Ceduna in a couple of months to meet the woman who found the bottle.

That's a small world!

Just had to share that.

John

 

[coco50]

Eight years ago my wife and I were on the Super Shuttle in Washington DC doing the rounds before going to IAD. As we waited outside a really swish hotel this power dressed woman and her luggage embarked. My wife and I were talking and the woman said: "Do I detect an Australian accent?" When we replied in the affirmative she asked "Where from?" We replied Ballina. What street was the next question. It turns out that her mother lived 5 doors up on the same side! I reckon that is random.

 

[brissyflyer]

On my recent trip I did a day trip from Paris to Mont St Michel and there were 4 other people (2 couples) also from Brisbane on the same trip. One couple even have friends in the same suburb I live in.

Peter

 

[importantflyer]

It's incredible how big our world is... well, generally speaking. Though you are right, the amount of people you think you couldn't meet, somehow end up right next to you.

p.s. back of the bus is the best, well i prefer a limo but when given no option you need to sit better then the rest!

-iF

 

[UP4014]

Not a plane story, but ran into someone I knew in Sacramento Ca while on vacation, ok that was odd as he lives in South Africa these days, but then 3 weeks later ran into him again on a windswept street in Laramie Wyoming.

 

[mm472]

Did you consider that he was stalking you ?? :shock:

 

[trooper]

My usual travelling companion cracks me up once per trip - when gazing around a busy airport somewhere a long way from home he will look at me and say in all seriousness.. "You know, I haven't seen anyone I know"..:mrgreen:

That came undone for me in NRT this year (travelling SYD-SIN-BKK-HKG-NRT-ICN-YVR-PDX-PHX!)

Buddy was buying a camera.. I was standing in the concourse (vacantly) waiting for him... Voice said "G'day Trooper".. turned around and saw a guy from work and said "Oh, G'day Richard"..... only THEN did the strangeness hit me... WE do NOT travel for work!!

(Turned out he had to go back to the US at short notice - ill relative - and ended up on QF to NRT, NW to USA.....)

I still chuckle about that....

 

[JohnK]

OK nothing to do with flying and it happened in Australia.

I was driving up to Coffs Harbour on a one week golf trip when I stopped over at Macksville to have a quick break and get some petrol. I see another car and I recognise the number plates and a few minutes I spot a person who was working for me having a quick break. He was going to a resort in Coffs Harbour, last minute decision, and left Sydney over 1 hour after me but easily caught up to me and got there a lot faster.

Before the trip he had no idea where I was going for the golf trip and I did not know he was going away. His was a last minute decision to take some time off work to help a friend....

 

[TonyD]

OK nothing to do with flying and it happened in Australia. I was driving up to Coffs Harbour ...

I'm shattered... JohnK -I thought you flew everywhere!

 

[TonyD]

We went out to BNE last year to meet some people who had mutual family connections-long story) we had cyber chatted with them but had never actually met. They were enroute from MAN-SYD-OOL (road) - BNE-bundy (an even longer story).
Anyway workplaces came up and my friend said he worked in the same organisation 15 years ago! He then asked about another guy "Fred" who doesnt live in BNE, so I rang him on the mobile - He was in the terminal at the same time!

 

[JohnK]

I'm shattered... JohnK -I thought you flew everywhere!

Not really Tony, I gave up long distance driving around 1999 when my eyes could not handle anymore. I would give up flying up now if I was still able to drive anywhere in NSW, VIC and QLD for a week of golf. They were the days....