People do love to listen to and tell stories. It's probably in our blood - from those ancient and beyond times when prehistoric people, gathered around a fire in a dimly lit cave, listened to the elderly and their tales of mammoth hunts, heroic adventures, and journeys to distant magical lands.
And even though most of these stories were, in fact fictitious, who actually cares? Especially since, as we now know, reality sometimes brings completely unbelievable plot twists into our lives. Unbelievable - but still completely true. So here are around four dozen such stories for your attention!
More info: Reddit
#1
I received a car as a tip while working as a cocktail waitress. Without extra service.
I found out he had overheard me talking to coworkers about not having a car and lining up rides. Also, I was trying to save money to go back to college, since I did poorly the quarter before (yes, still on the quarter system and my parents stopped footing the bill)
He paid his tab with his two friends and left me a $50 tip. Note: this was over 15 years ago and the tip was almost the cost of the bill.
The car was delivered to me at work the next day by his lawyer and I never saw the man again. At first I wouldn't accept it because I wondered his motives and what strings would be attached. The lawyer assured me it was just a kind gesture and his client wanted nothing in return other than that I return to school and finish my degree.
Now it wasn't a fancy, flashy, brand new car, but it was still a car, only couple years old. Come to find out the man owned quite a few car dealerships as well as all of the "company I will not name" the area.
I never tell this to people, because hell, I probably wouldn't believe it either.
I found out he had overheard me talking to coworkers about not having a car and lining up rides. Also, I was trying to save money to go back to college, since I did poorly the quarter before (yes, still on the quarter system and my parents stopped footing the bill)
He paid his tab with his two friends and left me a $50 tip. Note: this was over 15 years ago and the tip was almost the cost of the bill.
The car was delivered to me at work the next day by his lawyer and I never saw the man again. At first I wouldn't accept it because I wondered his motives and what strings would be attached. The lawyer assured me it was just a kind gesture and his client wanted nothing in return other than that I return to school and finish my degree.
Now it wasn't a fancy, flashy, brand new car, but it was still a car, only couple years old. Come to find out the man owned quite a few car dealerships as well as all of the "company I will not name" the area.
I never tell this to people, because hell, I probably wouldn't believe it either.
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51points
#2
Moving interstate, all our belongings on the little trailer. Pulled over the side of the road so my SO could pee. Too close to the side of the road, and the trailer slid down a small ditch. Not enough to wreck the car but too steep for our little car to pull out. Next thing you know, a white mini bus pulls up, and out jumps a half dozen guys who were a weightlifting team from I think Argentina (it was 25 years ago, not sure now). They LIFTED our trailer up on to the road, climbed back in their van, and drove off.
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48points
#3
My mom was annoying me and being nasty and childish to my step dad. I was in the field with my horse later and she came in and I whispered, "give her hell". He promptly went up to her and bit her. And then again. He kept being super menacing to her, following her around with his ears flat against his head etc, even though usually he was the most laid-back animal ever. Eventually I went over to him, patted him and said, "leave it" and he stopped.
A year or so later he kicked a pony who slammed into me in the field and knocked me over. I was fine, just covered in mud, but once again he didn't stop menacing this pony until I went up to him and said, "that's enough now, stop."
Even typing that sounds like total bs but I swear it's totally true.
EDIT: the horse was doing the biting/menacing, not my step-dad!!
A year or so later he kicked a pony who slammed into me in the field and knocked me over. I was fine, just covered in mud, but once again he didn't stop menacing this pony until I went up to him and said, "that's enough now, stop."
Even typing that sounds like total bs but I swear it's totally true.
EDIT: the horse was doing the biting/menacing, not my step-dad!!
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45points
There's a long-standing but very interesting thread on AskReddit. Its author, the user u/llorgge, one day had the brilliant idea of asking netizens: "What perfectly true story of yours sounds like an outrageous lie?"
Today, the thread has over 15K upvotes, and the vast majority of its 12K comments were actually written way before the invention of artificial intelligence, so you can rest assured that all the stories told in today’s collection were definitely told by real people.
#4
Came home late one night to find David Bowie laying on my bed watching Mary Tyler Moore on my small black and white TV. (owned an after-hours club in NYC, and my boyfriend met him and brought him home to hang out).
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41points
#5
Just up the street from my apartment in San Francisco, there was one of those fast food restaurants that was either a KFC or a Taco Bell, depending on the angle from which it was viewed. The establishment was a frequent stopping point for students coming from the nearby college... and those students were a frequent target for a remarkably bright crow.
Now, on most days, the bird in question would just hang around the restaurant (as well as other ones nearby) and scavenge for scraps. Every once in a while, though – I saw this happen twice, and had it happen to me once – it would enact a much more complex scheme than simply going through the gutter: The crow had apparently discovered that money could be exchanged for food, so it would wait until it saw a likely mark, squawk at them to get their attention, then pick up and drop a coin. Anyone who responded would witness the bird hopping a few feet away, then following its "victim" toward the source of its next snack.
When the crow approached me, it dropped a nickel on the ground. I stooped, picked up the coin, and then jumped slightly when the bird made a noise that sounded not unlike "Taco!"
Needless to say, I bought that crow a taco.
The final out-of-pocket cost for me, minus the nickel, was something like $1.15. Even so, I figured a bird that smart deserved a reward simply for existing.
Of course, that was probably exactly what I was *supposed* to think.
**TL;DR: A crow paid me five cents to buy it a taco.**.
Now, on most days, the bird in question would just hang around the restaurant (as well as other ones nearby) and scavenge for scraps. Every once in a while, though – I saw this happen twice, and had it happen to me once – it would enact a much more complex scheme than simply going through the gutter: The crow had apparently discovered that money could be exchanged for food, so it would wait until it saw a likely mark, squawk at them to get their attention, then pick up and drop a coin. Anyone who responded would witness the bird hopping a few feet away, then following its "victim" toward the source of its next snack.
When the crow approached me, it dropped a nickel on the ground. I stooped, picked up the coin, and then jumped slightly when the bird made a noise that sounded not unlike "Taco!"
Needless to say, I bought that crow a taco.
The final out-of-pocket cost for me, minus the nickel, was something like $1.15. Even so, I figured a bird that smart deserved a reward simply for existing.
Of course, that was probably exactly what I was *supposed* to think.
**TL;DR: A crow paid me five cents to buy it a taco.**.
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35points
#6
Almost 20 years ago, my father sold his photo camera to buy some booze. He was an alcoholic and a terrible person, among other equally funny things. Inside the camera bag there was a piece of paper with a hand made aperture and shutter speed chart. I had drawn little circles in that paper when I was a child.
Fast forward 15 years.
There's a pawn shop near the place where I work, and from time to time I go there to see what hidden gems I can find. One day there was a camera that looked quite similar to the one my father sold. I bought it on a whim, without even checking if it worked properly. Just because it looked like the one he undersold.
Once at home, I took a closer look, cleaned it properly and searched the bag.
Yes, you know where this is going.
There it was the paper with the chart and my little circles in blue biro.
I sat on the sofa for a moment just to let that WHAT moment sink in.
That camera is now in a place of honor among my other cameras.
EDIT: Wow, this is my highest rated comment ever! That you very much!
EDIT 2: Some of you asked for a pic of the camera. [Here it is](http://imgur.com/a/TyEZ6)
EDIT 3: English is not my 1st language, please don't look too close at my grammar and writing skills. I'm working on it.
Fast forward 15 years.
There's a pawn shop near the place where I work, and from time to time I go there to see what hidden gems I can find. One day there was a camera that looked quite similar to the one my father sold. I bought it on a whim, without even checking if it worked properly. Just because it looked like the one he undersold.
Once at home, I took a closer look, cleaned it properly and searched the bag.
Yes, you know where this is going.
There it was the paper with the chart and my little circles in blue biro.
I sat on the sofa for a moment just to let that WHAT moment sink in.
That camera is now in a place of honor among my other cameras.
EDIT: Wow, this is my highest rated comment ever! That you very much!
EDIT 2: Some of you asked for a pic of the camera. [Here it is](http://imgur.com/a/TyEZ6)
EDIT 3: English is not my 1st language, please don't look too close at my grammar and writing skills. I'm working on it.
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35points
Yes, some of the stories you'll read in this collection, made for you by Bored Panda, seem completely implausible. And some - especially since we can't verify them - are actually lies. On the other hand, real life often presents us with such incredible plots that no fantasy writer could possibly come up with something similar.
For example, stories about unexpected close encounters with celebrities. After all, many of them date back to the second half of the last century, when even rock stars or famous actors and actresses behaved not like celestial beings but like ordinary folks, without their own special security services or arrogant behavior.
So, situations where David Bowie could simply drop by a friend's house, lie down on the couch, and turn on the TV were actually quite real back then. Any modern celebs? Well, I'm not sure they would behave that way, to be honest...
#7
I beat an Olympic medalist at volleyball.
I usually leave out the fact that she wasn't an Olympian for volleyball.
I usually leave out the fact that she wasn't an Olympian for volleyball.
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34points
#8
* When I was a kid we live about a mile from a huge world famous zoo.
* Being so close I eventually figured out a way to get in for free.
* This being long enough ago the were no security cameras so I started going in after it was closed.
* Doing it so often I figured out the guards schedule and knew when it was safe to be there and not get caught.
* Me being a kid I took my bike in there in case I needed a fast get away.
* Me being a very bad kid I stole beers from my brothers hiding place to stick in a backpack for private picnics in the zoo.
**PETA will down vote me for this but I shared beers and peanut butter sandwiches with a large female African elephant so often that she welcomed me with a hug when I showed up on my bike.**.
* Being so close I eventually figured out a way to get in for free.
* This being long enough ago the were no security cameras so I started going in after it was closed.
* Doing it so often I figured out the guards schedule and knew when it was safe to be there and not get caught.
* Me being a kid I took my bike in there in case I needed a fast get away.
* Me being a very bad kid I stole beers from my brothers hiding place to stick in a backpack for private picnics in the zoo.
**PETA will down vote me for this but I shared beers and peanut butter sandwiches with a large female African elephant so often that she welcomed me with a hug when I showed up on my bike.**.
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32points
#9
I was out clubbing with friends one night, and as we were leaving the first bar we walked down an alleyway. I all of a sudden stopped and walked back to where there was a little old Italian man, because I could smell fresh chillies. In the back tray of his ute, there were mounds of these fresh chillies.
I told him they were beautiful chillies, asked if he grew them himself etc, while my friends begged me to keep walking. He asked if I wanted some. I love chilli so I said yes, expecting he'd give me a couple. He grabs this plastic bag and fills it with about 50 chillies - I ask him how much money he wants for them but he refuses, and with a hug sends me on my way.
I only had a small purse on me, so I just carried the bag with me as we went about our night. We ended up going into 2 nightclubs. The bouncers at both asked to check in my bag, then laughed when I just said to them - it's a long story. They let me keep them, so I just held them as I danced and drank the night away.
I told him they were beautiful chillies, asked if he grew them himself etc, while my friends begged me to keep walking. He asked if I wanted some. I love chilli so I said yes, expecting he'd give me a couple. He grabs this plastic bag and fills it with about 50 chillies - I ask him how much money he wants for them but he refuses, and with a hug sends me on my way.
I only had a small purse on me, so I just carried the bag with me as we went about our night. We ended up going into 2 nightclubs. The bouncers at both asked to check in my bag, then laughed when I just said to them - it's a long story. They let me keep them, so I just held them as I danced and drank the night away.
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31points
But how is it that some of us experience completely unbelievable events, while others live their entire lives in complete calm and ordinariness? Perhaps it all lies in how we perceive the surrounding reality. Awkward or mundane, awesome or obvious. After all, in any case, we remain social creatures.
"Awkwardness is really a collective failure - people aren't awkward, situations are. And they become awkward because you don't have the resources to navigate your way through tricky social situations," this dedicated article at The Conversation says. So, depending on how broad a person's social framework is, that’s how strange or awkward they perceive any given situation.
Moreover, many narrators actually tend to embellish the truth, often adding details and particulars that are nonexistent. And no, this doesn't happen because they're inveterate liars.
#10
My rabbit jumped over our cat once.
He used to get out all the time so eventually we just let him roam free. He wasn't afraid of the cat so the cat left him alone, thinking he was a f***k of nature that smelt like a rabbit and looked like a rabbit but wasn't.
One day the cat decided 'what the hell, that *must* be a rabbit' so he goes in for the pounce. Rabbit sails straight over his head and nonchalantly goes back to eating grass. The cat checked to see if anyone was looking then slunk away in shame.
He used to get out all the time so eventually we just let him roam free. He wasn't afraid of the cat so the cat left him alone, thinking he was a f***k of nature that smelt like a rabbit and looked like a rabbit but wasn't.
One day the cat decided 'what the hell, that *must* be a rabbit' so he goes in for the pounce. Rabbit sails straight over his head and nonchalantly goes back to eating grass. The cat checked to see if anyone was looking then slunk away in shame.
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30points
#11
I located a multi-million dollar jade deposit two years ago and have no plans to tell anyone where it is because it is on sacred land.
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30points
#12
This will get buried but here goes.....
This happened a couple years ago, I'm from Scotland but I was staying at a hostel in Korea while travelling, one night I headed down to the common area to chill out, at the time I was friends with an Aussie girl and we used to Skype chat a lot. I say myself in the corner and tried to get a wi-fi signal to call her but no such luck, I was texting back and forward with her on Facebook messenger telling her that I couldn't get a signal and decided to move over to the large table in the centre of the room to see if if was any better there.
On sitting at the table I finally got a wi-fi and mentioned it to the guy next to me who was busy typing away on his phone, he laughed and said he was also talking to a friend. I noticed he had an Aussie accent and asked where he was from, he said "Melbourne" and I was like "Wow, the girl I am trying to call is from there", he then asked her name and where she stayed. As they seemed about the same age I was reluctant to tell him her name but I said she stayed in "Mornington", he then looked shocked and said that was where he was also from and pressed me for her name, I finally told him her name and he showed me his phone, would you believe it? Of all the people in the world this dude was talking to the exact same girl as I was about to call and was also messaging. Turns out that they has been best friends since primary school.
We were both pretty freaked out at first and then we decided that he would send her a photo of the two of us together. As you can imagine she was also mega freaked out.
This happened a couple years ago, I'm from Scotland but I was staying at a hostel in Korea while travelling, one night I headed down to the common area to chill out, at the time I was friends with an Aussie girl and we used to Skype chat a lot. I say myself in the corner and tried to get a wi-fi signal to call her but no such luck, I was texting back and forward with her on Facebook messenger telling her that I couldn't get a signal and decided to move over to the large table in the centre of the room to see if if was any better there.
On sitting at the table I finally got a wi-fi and mentioned it to the guy next to me who was busy typing away on his phone, he laughed and said he was also talking to a friend. I noticed he had an Aussie accent and asked where he was from, he said "Melbourne" and I was like "Wow, the girl I am trying to call is from there", he then asked her name and where she stayed. As they seemed about the same age I was reluctant to tell him her name but I said she stayed in "Mornington", he then looked shocked and said that was where he was also from and pressed me for her name, I finally told him her name and he showed me his phone, would you believe it? Of all the people in the world this dude was talking to the exact same girl as I was about to call and was also messaging. Turns out that they has been best friends since primary school.
We were both pretty freaked out at first and then we decided that he would send her a photo of the two of us together. As you can imagine she was also mega freaked out.
29points
On the contrary, people subconsciously aren't sure they'll be believed. So, they begin to lie, trying to appear more credible. Sometimes this also happens because the narrator has poor social skills and is trying to add credibility to their story.
However, people don't realize that they're ultimately harming their tale. The authors of this study on social communication, published by the National Library of Medicine, prove that even the slightest misunderstanding in tone and wording can develop into more serious problems over time.
Well, this is precisely why many strange and implausible stories often remain untold forever - people simply don't want to be known as liars and prefer to keep silent about what happened.
#13
One time, someone accidentally shipped me $20,000 worth of boa constrictors. That was a very surprising day lol.
Edit: Since so many people are asking, I figured I'd tell the story! I did buy a *single* boa (worth way less than $20k) from this breeder, but he mixed up the shipping label with that of a gentleman who purchased a high-end breeding colony. There were 11 designer boas in the box, and they all made it safely to their intended recipient in the end :)
Now the boa **I** bought was almost k****d by an idiot FedEx driver during the mix up, but that's a different story...
Edit 2: Okay the gist of the second story is that despite having a guaranteed delivery time of before 10 am, the delivery guy left her in the back of his truck until near 6 pm *on a 95 degree day*. By the time we tracked him down (actually had to call them and intercept the driver), she was in bad shape: ataxic, severely dehydrated. She couldn't hold her body up. The stress caused her to develop a respiratory infection, which took 2 months of injectable antibiotics to treat. Happily, she recovered fully and is doing well today!
Edit: Since so many people are asking, I figured I'd tell the story! I did buy a *single* boa (worth way less than $20k) from this breeder, but he mixed up the shipping label with that of a gentleman who purchased a high-end breeding colony. There were 11 designer boas in the box, and they all made it safely to their intended recipient in the end :)
Now the boa **I** bought was almost k****d by an idiot FedEx driver during the mix up, but that's a different story...
Edit 2: Okay the gist of the second story is that despite having a guaranteed delivery time of before 10 am, the delivery guy left her in the back of his truck until near 6 pm *on a 95 degree day*. By the time we tracked him down (actually had to call them and intercept the driver), she was in bad shape: ataxic, severely dehydrated. She couldn't hold her body up. The stress caused her to develop a respiratory infection, which took 2 months of injectable antibiotics to treat. Happily, she recovered fully and is doing well today!
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26points
#14
My house was broken into while I was asleep on the couch in the living room. I captured my would be burglar with a battle axe replica that my roommate had on the wall. I made him call 911 on his own phone since I couldn't hold on to him and the axe and a phone at the same time (he tried to get away a few times). A very surprised 911 dispatcher sent the police who eventually got there, arrested my prisoner, and thanked me for not hurting him.
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26points
#15
My dad tried to smuggle a diamond out of Sierra Leone but the guys helping him get it through customs ran off with the diamond.
EDIT: wow I didn't expect to get this kinda response. Here's the full story for those who want to know:
So my dad was working for a company that works in mining in Africa, he went out to inspect how the Sierra Leone operation was running. While over there he bought a diamond of off a local chief who worked with the company, he bought it for much lower than its actual worth so decided not to declare at customs and try and smuggle it through... People at the company told him what to do: pay off one guard and give him the diamond, he would then meet another guard with the diamond beyond all the checks, the second guard never showed and that's the story.
EDIT: wow I didn't expect to get this kinda response. Here's the full story for those who want to know:
So my dad was working for a company that works in mining in Africa, he went out to inspect how the Sierra Leone operation was running. While over there he bought a diamond of off a local chief who worked with the company, he bought it for much lower than its actual worth so decided not to declare at customs and try and smuggle it through... People at the company told him what to do: pay off one guard and give him the diamond, he would then meet another guard with the diamond beyond all the checks, the second guard never showed and that's the story.
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24points
Let's consider how much of a positive impact such incredible cases actually have on our lives. On the one hand, the fewer strange situations that happen in our lives, the better for our peace of mind. On the other hand, we only live once, so if we have something to remember - even if it's completely incredible stories - that's also great, right?
#16
I almost choked trying to warm up a frog I had picked up. It was early spring and I found a small frog moving slowly along my parents pond. I picked it it up and cupped it in my hands and held it up in my hands to breathe warm air on it and it jumped into my mouth. It lodged in my throat and I could feel it struggling as I horked it up.
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23points
#17
Lived alone for a year when I was 8.
Tldr- first generation Asian immigrants, mom goes back to the motherland to renew US visa, gets stuck, I'm sent back ahead of time thinking it was going to be a couple week delay, family friends helped me get settled back into a routine for school, weeks turned into months, months turned into a year, mom comes back to find me 40 pds heavier cause 8 year old me was eating 3 frozen dinners a night.
Also almost burned down the house at least on 4 separate occasions, discovered unlimited amounts of adult content, and my father was an awful human.
Tldr- first generation Asian immigrants, mom goes back to the motherland to renew US visa, gets stuck, I'm sent back ahead of time thinking it was going to be a couple week delay, family friends helped me get settled back into a routine for school, weeks turned into months, months turned into a year, mom comes back to find me 40 pds heavier cause 8 year old me was eating 3 frozen dinners a night.
Also almost burned down the house at least on 4 separate occasions, discovered unlimited amounts of adult content, and my father was an awful human.
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20points
#18
I was waiting for a client in a coffee shop, and I saw a man exit an apartment on a higher floor from the balcony. He sorta abseiled down in his undies and ran across the courtyard.
Edit: http://imgur.com/IQVbN1p I forgot I took a pic.
Edit: http://imgur.com/IQVbN1p I forgot I took a pic.
17points
Okay, you may or may not believe all the stories told here, but either way, we’re pretty much sure it could be an exciting read for all of you. So now, please feel free to read all these tales, no matter how false they seem to you, and possibly add your own story in the comments below if you have something similar under your belt as well.
#19
Spencer Horseman (the magician from America's Got Talent) lives in Baltimore and performs at a bar in the city. We went and saw him perform (he was great). After the show I had to use the bathroom and as I'm peeing, he comes in to pee as well. I go over and wash my hands and they have one of those hand blowers that is activated by hand motion.
I say "Hey Spencer, check this trick out"...I wave my hands in front of the blower and say "abracadabra" and it starts. I turn and say "See, I can do magic as well". Guy started laughing hysterically.
I say "Hey Spencer, check this trick out"...I wave my hands in front of the blower and say "abracadabra" and it starts. I turn and say "See, I can do magic as well". Guy started laughing hysterically.
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17points
#20
A friend of mine told me about how he went to KFC and they ran out of *chicken*. The Church's around the corner was flooded and the guy in the back was like "Did KFC run out of chicken again?" like this happens on some sort of regular basis.
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16points