One in a Million Chance

Some coincidences are beyond belief.

A friend, Mr Q, was holidaying in the US last week, and we knew roughly where he'd be staying. Mr X had set up a free internet telephone system and was ready to dial a hotel to track him down, if only he knew where he was. Well Mr Q emailed and mentioned staying at a Howard Johnson hotel and this was enough info for Mr X to get started. Despite the time being nearly midnight in the US, he started ringing reception in various hotels in Los Angeles, searching for a guest by the name of Mr Q. None of them could help and so he switched to San Francisco hotels, again with no luck.

Disheartened he paused then tried again, this time ringing back the final hotel, asking for Mr Q by his seldom-used official first name. Our persistent Mr X was now spelling out Mr Q's name, and this time hit the jackpot. Although the clerk still had no record of him, Mr Q had amazingly been walking past reception at the very moment when the clerk had been spelling out his name letter by letter, and heard it and was able to answer our call.

Let's consider how freakishly lucky he was to find Mr Q :

1. We didn't know which hotel he was staying in.

2. Mr Q was part of a tour party and was not even booked in under his own name.

3.  It required Mr Q to be in reception at nearly midnight after a long day of touring

4. Even being in reception, Mr Q had to be close enough to hear the clerk spell out his name.

Unbelievable.