Have you ever met a stranger, who you never saw again, that you still think about?

[Backinthe1960s]

It was at my local stamp club. We didn't get many new members turning up so when one did we all to used to make a big effort to make them feel welcome. It was the night of our annual quiz and he and I were in the same team. He seemed a really nice bloke with a vast knowledge of stamps and postal history and I thought he would be a good recruit for the club. Afterwards we went for a quick drink at the local pub, he paid for a drink for the two of us, then he went off towards the gents toilet.

I never saw him again and he never came back to the stamp club. For ages I wondered what happened to him.

When I was a student, I went abroad with a friend and sadly she died while we were away. On the flight home, I was very shell shocked and lost and completely shut down, but the couple next to me, who must have been my parents' age, kept smiling kindly at me. They never spoke, I wasn't very receptive, but they didn't have to and to be honest I didn't want them to. But I'll never forget them just being there

When I landed in the UK, I had to collect my car, but my friend had kept the parking details, so I had no idea where my car was. I completely lost the plot in the middle of the night in the freezing dark, then a really kind employee scooped me up and drove me around the airport car park until we spotted my car

It was a horrible time, but, kind people

Years ago I was on holiday in Spain with my mum. We went to look round some old church, and as we were walking round this old woman came up to me with her arms outstretched and hugged me. It was so odd as I'm the least tactile person in the world and quite reserved, I hate people I don't know touching me, and I should have frozen up and freaked out at some complete stranger hugging me out of the blue - but it felt so familiar and natural to hug her back. She pulled away, smiled at me and walked off, and I never saw her again.

It's some one who spoke to me, not who I met.

Years ago, my friend & I were volunteering to take calls for Children in Need as her employers had a call centre they could offer the lines to be used.

It's a brilliant event, really good atmosphere and people often stay later /start earlier than they need to as it's so much fun.

This was going back before dc so at least 12 or 13yearsago. We were all sat logged on to the phones with the screens showing children in need and Terry Wogan was announcing that the phone lines were about to open to start taking donations. We knew then calls were going to start coming through and I got the first beep in my headset.

The caller was a male, poss in his 30s, and wanted to donate £3. He apologised that he couldn't donate more,, he'd worked out what he could afford and apologised and sounded really down about it, and I remember thanking him profusely and saying if all the people who didn't donate rang up to donate £3 it would make a huge difference.

So, if anyone knows a man who was in a tight financial situation about 12 13 years ago, London based, and rang up to donate £3 when the lines opened at 7pm, tell him the person who answered the phone and spoke to him remembers him and his heartfelt donation years later

So, if any one knows

This is such an interesting thread! The stranger who plays on my mind isn't even someone I met, I just heard about her. I was on a late evening train from Edinburgh to Peterborough and the carriage slowly emptied out over the course of the journey until the only other person with me was a man sitting a few rows ahead of me across the aisle. He was talking on his mobile, furious, swearing and shouting, for at least an hour. I gathered that he was speaking to his parents (mostly his mum, occasionally demanding that she give the phone to his dad), and he was telling them that he'd been arrested after his girlfriend/partner had made some kind of allegation against him (something to do with him threatening her) and he had spent the weekend in prison and had just been released on bail to await his trial.

He was clearly fuming about the whole situation, stropping and huffing like a teenager (he must have been in his 30s), stamping and thumping the seat in front, and at one point his mum apparently said something he didn't like so he slammed his phone against the wall. The way he spoke to his parents, especially his mum, was absolutely vile - he spoke as if she was completely stupid, and with real venom, really hateful.

I couldn't care less what happened to him, but I thought a lot about the partner who'd made the allegation and I hope she's ok and he is a long way away from her now. He never actually said whether or not he'd done what he was accused of, although he clearly didn't think anything he'd done was wrong, but from the sheer aggression and his vicious tone with his mum I can't see him being innocent.

He got off at Peterborough same as me, out onto a deserted platform at 11pm, and I've never tried so hard to make myself invisible! Very glad to get inside the station where there were people and lights. I tried googling for court records with the info I'd picked up but never found anything.

in 1993 my family and I were at Disneyworld in Florida. My sister and I were waiting to go on Splash Mountain and there was a big queue, as there always is. I think we were in the queue for at least 45 minutes if not an hour.

Anyway in front of us were a young couple, I'd say early-mid 20's who had obviously just got married. the whole time we waiting in line the wife wittered on about the wedding, the food, the family how the mum and one of the bridesmaids had put on the wrong dresses etc. then she went on to bash the wedding that had been in the place before them as their flowers, I think she was referring to the centre pieces, had been left behind and she saw them and they were African Violets and they weren't as nice as her flowers were, they have small fuzzy leaves and she didn't think they were appropriate etc. the whole time the husband just kept going aha, Mhmm, aha, mhmm.

I sometimes find myself wondering how they are and if they are still married.

I love this! This is why I wish I could be more social and open as I'm rubbish socially but would love some of these wonderful moments.

I had a Saturday job in Boots in my late teens and I was based in the cookshop. One day I turned a corner and saw the most attractive man I have ever seen. I can't actually remember what he looked like, beyond the fact that he was black and had a lovely smile which came from his eyes. He paid with a Co-op credit card with a picture of Robert Owen on the front, and I commented that he was a great hero of mine. He smiled and said "Mine too". I never saw him again, but I so rarely feel attracted to anyone, particularly these days, that he pops into my mind occasionally.

In London, a twat pushed me off the bus and ran. I twisted my ankle and it was swollen and My DH led me to the bus stop and went to get a taxi. I have no idea why, I just started crying and was feeling horrible. A very kind old lady walked up to me, held my hand, said kind things and gave me some tissues. I always think of her and it felt like I had my mum with me. I will never forget her or her kindness.

A woman insisted on talking to me on a train. She had some unusual theories about a master-race running the world from caverns in Swiss mountains. Then, she started telling me about how, as a mature student, she was raped vaginally and anally by a university lecturer. I knew him. I knew that some of the women I'd studied with had 'lost' hours when they had meetings with him, and that some had flashbacks suggesting they'd been drug-raped. I knew that when I went to see him he was upset that I wouldn't drink the coffee. Women on the course asked what happened and thought 'not drinking the coffee' was significant in my getting away on time.He's still working, or was until recently. I did pass on the little information I had to the relevant authorities but nothing came of it. It was a long time ago.

Dfs far. ZtgC

What a great thread this is, some amazing stories.

One I always remember is a guy who was taking the same train to the London with me. He looked like he wanted to talk to me as soon as I saw him, and it wasn't long before he came and sat next to me. I could tell he had something on his mind.

It turned out he had been visiting my hometown to see his girlfriends father, as he wanted to ask for his blessing to propose to her. Her father had readily given his blessing, and his girlfriend had no idea he had been to see him that day.
He showed me the ring, and talked through his various proposal ideas. He was incredibly nervous about whether she would accept.

I was the only person (bar her father) who he had told about his plan. I honestly felt honoured that he shared so much with me.

This was a few years ago now, and I like to think they are now happily married. He really made my day, and having recently suffered a huge betrayal by an ex boyfriend actually restored my faith in men, and love. Huge turning point for me actually.

I'm sure I had a couple of these but one of them was fairly recent:

It was the Dad of the baby at the incubator next to my daughter's in SCBU. For some very difficult reasons his wife wasn't there and he looked so lost at first. We chatted a few times and would say hi when we saw each other. We basically watched him evolve into this confident Dad and you could see the bond developing between him and his son, it was really lovely. When they left SCBU I thought "I'll never see you again" and it was kind of sad after sharing such personal and precious moments in silent parallel with each other, but at the same time it seemed strange to suggest we should keep in touch.

When my first DD was 18 months my then H and I took her to London Zoo. We were quite poor at the time, I'd been on maternity leave and money was tight. Just as we got to the gate to pay the quite considerable entrance fee, a man in his sixties asked us to follow him through the barrier as he had some sort of membership that meant we could get in for free. I hesitated at first, not quite believing a stranger would do that for us. Once we were inside we thanked him profusely. He just waved goodbye and wished us a nice day. I'll always remember that!

I met someone in a work meeting 20 years ago, he was so confident and knowledgeable but so humble, I think about him almost every day and I am on H no.2

I know how to find this guy but I keep telling myself not to dig, it is just a fantasy.

I was in my last year at school and went on a biology study course at a uni

They had breakfast in one of the residential colleges & somehow I sat next to someone (who on reflection was probably a student) and we had a really intense conversation. I don't think he introduced himself, or have forgotten his name as this was more than ten years ago - was just strange to fall into such a long conversation with a total stranger

• was coming back from the imperial war museum & got into a chat with an older woman on the bus, we somehow got on the topic of how hard it is to make friends in the city. I think she lived in Peckham. Anyway I got off at Westminster Tube. I hope she's doing well

• another time I was with my boyfriend on the overground, there was a really well dressed woman between us who got up so we could sit together. Didn't pay much more attention as we spent the rest of the journey having a snog

Very ill (dysentry in India). I was collapsed on the ground between the dorms of a monastery and the loo block. People were stepping over me - I think they thought I was a drug addict.

One person didn't. He crouched down and talked to me, realised what was happening. He then arranged and paid for a private room in a local house, picked me up and loaded me onto a rickshaw to get there, found a local GP to diagnose and give meds. He then visited every day for a week bringing oranges and water until I was well enough to fend for myself, and spent hours chatting to me keeping company.

He was an American student (philosophy - think studying Hinduism) called Dwight. I had his address and wrote, but never heard back. He was just a kind samaritan who looked after me then disappeared.

I have never forgotten his kindness to a complete stranger. Strangely apt too (Bodh Gaya was where the Buddha gained enlightenment).

Also, another kind American. A dark haired girl (Ashley?) who adopted me on my first big trip away from home, in Austria. I was horribly homesick, and knew no-one. Staying in a youth hostel alone before beginning at a university. She took me out to a Chinese restaurant and I had jasmine tea for the first time. Always when I drink it now, I am reminded of her brief but heartfelt friendship. It helped me through a tough week.

Back in the 90s I used to travel on the overnight National Express buses, generally to and from university. Once, I was travelling overnight to Glasgow from Bristol. At Stoke-on-Trent a girl got on, sat down next to me, and we got chatting. She said she'd been visting her boyfriend in Stoke. I told her that I'd just been visting my girlfriend in Bristol.

...which was a big lie. The truth was that I'd just broken up with my first love, who I'd briefly got together with after a crush that lasted years. I wasn't a particularly good-looking boy, and had hoped this was a change in my luck. I was heartbroken, distraught, and I felt so utterly stupid that I'd got there was simply no way I could admit the truth to a stranger.

I've been married for nearly two decades, live overseas, have kids, and I still regularly dream about my first love, who I haven't seen for years and years.

Back to the coach.. we cuddled up and slept against each other's shoulders all the rest of the journey. I've no idea what she guessed, although I expect she could tell I was upset. Perhaps I'd cried in my sleep. We said goodbye to each other at the bus station in Glasgow and I never saw her again.

I will never forget that act of kindness to me, at a time when I felt the worst I've ever felt in my entire life.

On the Roman walls at York a man with a beard came up to me and asked me to be with him, he was really serious and even though I had my son and partner with me he kept saying we should be together. Never forgotten him or the urgency in his voice.

When I was a little girl, driving across Europe with my parents, I met another little girl in the playground of a motorway service station. I think she was German but I can't remember - we had no common language anyway. We managed to play together just fine - pointing at things and laughing and climbing in a big barrel shaped wooden climbing frame. She was lovely and I haven't forgotten her.