Accidental Encounters: The Strange Ways Men and Women Meet

I Met My Wife While ...

I think we all know about men and women meeting in the most unexpected circumstances, but this is a first formal list I've created. By accidental I mean, not meeting by introductions, dating sites, through friends, at parties, at social gatherings in particular or by meeting at work. The definition is lose but I'm looking for contrived "when Harry met Sally" scenarios. Sadly most of my examples are fictional, but where the story is true, I've sort of stated it as such. Do you know if a couple have met by having a car accident? Or how about going to your neighbour given you've run out of sugar? What about milk men falling in love with women on their rounds? I think we all love accidental and contrived encounters, I certainly wish them but they seem rare in real life. In the film Hitch starring Will Smith (2005) he's always aiming to create the perfect accident to get couples to meet, though it is a disguised accident.

In the film Notting Hill, the character played by Hugh Grant spills orange juice on the character played by Julie Walters. Eventually they marry.

In the film Rebecca and possibly the book by Daphne Du Maurier, Mr De Winter is about to jump off a cliff and is stopped by the future Mrs De Winter played by Joan Fontaine.

True story about a car mechanic working for a road rescue service. He found his wife as the victim of a breakdown.

Some people have met by dialling a wrong number and entering into a conversation.

In the film Brief Encounter written by Noel Coward, the Dr meets his brief encounter with the housewife played by Ceila Johnson, when she gets something in her eye, and he helps her to get rid of it.

A number of men have fallen for nurses while at hospital (I know this is not too unusual).

In 101 dalmations, (I can't remember the actors), a male and female dog walker meet and they get interested with each other, given their dogs are (again not too unusual) as well.