Sometimes, the choices we make on a whim end up saving us big time. A split second, a last-minute decision, an unexpected stroke of luck—in many cases, that's all that separates the best-case scenario from the worst-case scenario. People from around the world took the internet to share a disaster they are very glad they averted, and their stories will make you realize just how unpredictable life really is. Keep reading for some eye-opening tales:
#1 Close Call
I dated a guy for almost a year, but he was abusive. I found out he cheated on me and he went to live with the other girl (much to my elation! I helped him pack). A few years later, I saw him on the news. His wife had disappeared, without a trace and he fled authorities. They had a month old baby together too. It was disturbing.
#2 Money, Money, Money
I didn't lend money to a "friend" because I was broke. Then, a few months later, he disappeared with several thousands of dollars he had stolen from my other friends. You should never lend money to family or friends. You give it to them with no expectation of it being returned. If you aren't comfortable or can't afford to then you probably shouldn't. Once money leaves your hand, consider it gone.
#3 You've Been Framed
My college girlfriend was my near miss. Everyone thought we would get married, but I never felt like I could trust her. She never cheated on me, it was just intuition. I broke up with her when I graduated and everyone thought I was crazy. She ended up marrying a guy who was rich. They went on vacation in a foreign country (which shall be nameless) and she put illegal items in his luggage.
He got busted at customs and spent a couple of months in jail. While he was in jail, she liquidated everything and took every freaking penny he had. Eventually, the police got involved and they got her on tape admitting the frame and other things. She spent some time in jail. He rebuilt his life and he's doing OK now, but it took years to get back on his feet. I'm keeping it vague because the news reports are still out there.
#4 Never Rush
We were all set and ready to put an offer on a house. We did the paperwork with the realtor, signed the check, and put down the offer. The realtor was super pushy but the room was 90 degrees and we weren’t thinking straight. After signing the papers, we went to see the house again with my in-laws and noticed a TON of issues we hadn’t seen before.
We got really anxious because they were big issues like plumbing, a huge wrap around deck that needed work, etc. We were stuck now. I got a call the next day from the realtor saying that we never signed the bottom of the offer paperwork. We decided not to. Don’t rush when buying your first home folks.
#5 The Choice
The choices: 1) Stay in a remote town of 600 people because I liked (but did not truly love) the woman I was with, even after the shop I worked at closed down. She had a good income as a nurse so she did not want to move, and she was fine with me earning less developing my own business interests. 2) Break it off, move to a huge city and roll the dice. I chose #2, and my girlfriend ended up getting fired from her work. I never suspected she was doing this, but she was making bank on selling what she stole from her company. I had an awesome time in Montreal.
#6 Dodging A Tragedy
I was in Vegas during the massive concert attack. We arrived a couple of days prior and the stage where thee incident happened was already set up. Every time we passed by the stage, my dad would tell me, "We should go there, it looks fun." We went to a Golden Knights game that night and planned to see what that stage was all about afterward. I was so tired during the game that I could barely keep my eyes open. My dad noticed and told me we would go to the hotel to sleep instead of the concert.
#7 Survivor's Guilt
My brother-in-law‘s company tried to reserve "Windows of the World" for September 11, 2001, for an event. They couldn’t get it, and so they had it reserved for the next day. He was in NYC on that day. He was in his late 30s and married with three kids. My sister said he was not the same after that for a long time, if ever. I do think he had some survivor's guilt after that...
#8 Full Refund
I was going to buy my first house and the market was getting ridiculous. I was hearing about a new listing and it would be gone by the end of the day, so we had to start moving fast. Finally, I saw this one place in my price range; it looked good, so we put an offer on it.
The offer got accepted and we went under contract. I arrived on the day of the inspection and the inspector was pretty much like, "Look, there's pretty much no good news." Critters in the attic had destroyed the electrical, caused a bunch of damage, and tore up the insulation (around $6000 to fix). The porch wasn't built to code and would make selling this place difficult. A ton of outlets didn't work (probably due to the bad wires in the attic).
Luckily, thanks to the owner being incompetent on his paperwork, I was able to get all of my money back (even the deposits that weren't refundable) because he basically admitted to selling the house without disclosing these problems that he knew about.
My wife and I were pretty bummed, but literally the day after we finished that ordeal, a new house hit the market. It was great, so we put in an offer and went under contract again. The inspection was almost perfect so now we live it. I'm so glad I didn't live in the other place that could have burned down while I slept.
#9 Bangkok Fire
I was in Bangkok on New Years' Eve 2009. My brothers and a friend of ours were bar hopping (probably 10 places total). We went to one club for about 30-45 minutes, but eventually left to go check out more places. Later that night, that club caught fire and ended about 70 people. It was crazy... we just narrowly missed it.
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#10 A Near Miss
When my mom was a senior in high school, a bunch of seniors went up to the mountains to drink a week before graduation. Someone's dad worked as a ranger, so they were able to secure the keys to everyone's cars. My mom's best friends showed up late in their topless jeep. They drank and then decided to go stump jumping in the jeep. They drove up the path a bit, messed out of their minds.
My mom begged them to stop and wait for her while she went #1 in the bushes. She hopped out, went to do her thing, and her friends left her. She hiked back to camp and told everyone, so they all went out looking for her three friends. They found them the next morning, in the jeep that was completely turned over. completely lifeless. If my mom went with them, she would have been too.
#11 Almost A Freefall
I was walking outside, thinking about how my class just went. I looked down and another step in front of me was a completely uncovered, open, unprotected manhole. I’m certain if I’d have maintained my path, I’d have fallen into it. I'd say te contractor or utility owner who opened the manhole and left it is the real one who got lucky... He dodged a potential lawsuit from me.
#12 Guilt-Trippers
I nearly got my wallet stolen while at Berlin. I had no clue about the number of guilt-trippers who try to trick people into pulling out their wallets. However, my friends who travel way more than me were there to yank me out of this situation and explain it to me. I didn't realize the level of planning that goes into wallet theft.
#13 Good Lawyer
I dated a girl for about three years. I decided to leave because I thought she was going to get me in trouble. Turns out, I was right. We were teenagers and experimenting with a lot of illegal stuff. Anyways she wasn't happy about me leaving and ratted us out to the police. A good lawyer and 18 months of probation saved me from prison time.
#14 A Lucky Break
I didn’t understand how tickets worked. There was a fee and a court date, so I assumed I had to go to court that day and pay it there.
I missed the court date, then went to the district attorney’s office. She looked at me and said, “Here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to reduce your speed, I’m going to completely ignore the fact that you were out after your curfew, I won’t have a warrant out for your arrest, and you’ll just have to pay a large fine. This is an almost literal get out of jail free card, don’t waste it.”
I wanted to hug her through the glass, and I don’t think I said thank you enough.
#15 A Second Opinion
My appendix exploded. One hospital rejected me and told me to go home and use some low key painkillers. I got driven to another hospital and was immediately rushed for an operation. If I spent another day at home, I would have lost my life. I could have also ended up with a major scar from my ribs to the lady parts. So lucky, but so shook.
#16 A Bad Tie
It's a tie between leaving Barcelona a few days before the van attack (given the location of the attack I most likely would have been there had I agreed to my parents' suggestion that I stay a few more days in the city post-summer school), or the Tinder date I almost went on in Shanghai. I got to the metro station and was met by a guy who asked me if I was "here to see the girl." I said something hurriedly to him in Russian, shrugged my shoulders, and walked away from him as if I had somewhere to go.
#17 Strung Along
I almost got into a relationship with a lady who was divorcing her husband. They had two children. The kids were fine, but she never really wanted to leave him, despite everything that she said. She just wanted to get from me what she wasn't getting from her marriage. And me, I was just being strung along... Thank God I got out of all of that.
#18 Ten Meters Away
Bologna, Italy. August 2, 1980. I was four years old and was with my dad at the train station, looking at the train timetables. We were planning our trip to the seaside the following week. I was literally 10 meters tops away from the explosion. It had gone off while we were entering the car to get back home. I didn't realize what had happened at the time because I was too young. I just remember my father being really scared while driving home.
#19 Sloppy Error
I got divorced after nearly 18 years of marriage. Under our state alimony laws, I would have needed to pay her 30% of my before-tax income for nearly 15 years. There was an exception, however—if she remarried or lived with a partner, then she'd get no alimony. While the divorce proceedings were going on, I learned that my ex was A) living with a partner, B) posting about it on Facebook, and C) had not made her Facebook private. Thank God, because that enabled me to very quickly and easily prove that my divorce should involve no alimony.
#20 Better-Case Scenario
I had a job I hated. It paid alright, the commute was reasonable, I was good at it, and the work itself was great—but the people in management were complete jerks. With so many positives, I was scared of leaving. I did not know if whatever I ended up finding next would actually be better or just different problems. I realized that I was a miserable person at home too. That's when I realized that I had to leave. Luckily, I took the leap. My current job certainly has problems and bad days, but nothing like that last one.
#21 Instant Click
I instantly "clicked" with this girl on a dating app. We'd chat every day for almost two months. I finally met her in real life and it turns out, she was a single mother of more than six kids. Plus, she drove the nastiest car I'd ever seen (I gave up on counting how many empty soda cans and filled Starbucks cups were in the backseat).
#22 A Big Life Lesson
I was dating a guy who wanted to be with me forever. He wanted to get me pregnant and then marry me. NOPE! I came to find out he lied about who he was, was dating other women at the same time, and got arrested for avoiding child support. I'm glad I walked away when I did. I had put some of my dreams on hold for him. How could I have been so foolish? Sometimes, life's best lessons are learned the hard way.
#23 Zero Chance
My family on my father's side had Huntington's disease. It's a very terrible degenerative disease. It's supposed to be a 50/50 chance of getting it at conception but my outlook wasn't good considering the 100% rate in my family. After my son was born, I got tested and it came out negative. There is now zero chance that my kids will get it since I don't have the gene. This fact and seeing what HD does to a person has shaped who I am. Unfortunately, three out of four of my siblings have it. Screw that disease. It's a terrible way to go.
#24 The Predatory Ex
My ex got really good at coming out ahead in relationships. She wouldn't move on until she knew about all the assets and had a legal claim. We lived together while in college and I was tapped out. Her other exes got child support (one of them should have gotten a genetics test) but the rest lost everything from the house and cars to investments and accounts put in their name. She got half of their retirement plans for the time they were together. She got divorced a lot and did it well. Every time she would go through a major divorce, she'd get in touch again and I'd get reminded all over again about how predatory she was.
#25 Ghosted For The Better
I fell madly in love with a guy who swept me off my feet. We made all kinds of commitments and plans. Then, I found out he was a JW. I told him I wasn't going to convert and he full-stop ghosted me. He completely vanished from my life. I was devastated, but once I got over the heartbreak, I was oh so very relieved.
#26 A Total Meat Grinder
Declining a job offer at a brand-name management consulting firm in the US. They offered a huge salary and a nice bonus range. I declined and instead recommended another guy, who they hired. He left after a year, saying it was a total meat-grinder... as much as 10 people fought for the one promotion available in an up-or-out battle royale. He's not mad though, as he landed in a good spot afterwards. They also hid their corporate culture during the interview and put a fluffer in front of me. Sad.
#27 Returning The Ring
I bought a ring to propose to this girl I had been dating for two years. I hesitated to ask her for about a month and then found out that she had been sleeping with her ex-boss for almost a year. When I found out, I laughed so hard. I walked right back to the jeweler, returned the ring and broke up with her for good.
#28 Almost Lost An Eye
When I was really young, I was pressure washing my driveway with my dad. My dad was watching the whole time but he had to go do something else, so he turned off the washer and said not to touch it. Stupid me didn't listen to him—I turned it back on when he left and ignored his instructions. It suddenly cut out. I had no idea why, and I was freaking out as to why it was only pushing out a tiny trickle of water. I was trying to fix it, and I remember looking down at the nozzle. I remembered these years later and how dangerous it was. I am so, so, SO lucky that thing didn't go off for whatever reason. So lucky.
#29 Beyond The Comfort Zone
I was working a job I didn’t like, but I was making decent money as a manager. I got an offer for a great job but it was across the country. My wife and I picked up and moved three time zones away from our families and friends, all for me to better my career. The company I had been working for went out of business less than six months later. It was the first job offer I had received in two years of searching. I’m glad I didn’t pass up that opportunity.
#30 Level-Headed
In my post-college desperation, I nearly accepted a job offer that, upon reading further with my mom, turned out to be a pyramid scheme where I’d be selling my soul to companies I have no choice over for like, two years across the country just to get some experience. The real kicker though is that I got the offer for my current job the same day as the first one.
Luckily, in all my excitement about finally getting a job offer, I still had the foresight and level-headedness to keep the second offer on the table by asking them to send the description. Once I understood what both jobs were REALLY about I took the second offer and could not be more glad I did.
#31 Avoiding Algate
Back in 2005, I got a new job in East London working near Aldgate. On a whim, I asked to delay my start for the week. My wife was expecting our first and I thought a holiday would be good. I was sat in a cafe in Italy on the morning of July 7th rather than on a circle line train heading to Aldgate.
#32 The Party House
After my freshman year of college, some friends got a house off-campus and asked if I wanted to move into the fifth bedroom. I was initially on board, but then I saw my bedroom was basically a walk-in closet that had room for maybe a full mattress and a very small desk. I told them I needed more space than that and found somewhere else to live. Unfortunately for them, one of their other roommates turned into a major party guy and the house devolved into constant parties. During one party, a bunch of their stuff was stolen and broken. I'm very glad I didn't choose to live there.
#33 He's A Creep
It still makes me sad to think about it, but I'm thankful I dodged it earlier on. I dated and lived with a dude that had intense trust issues. He did some crazy stuff, but the craziest was him configuring the webcam to his computer to secretly record what I was doing while he wasn't home. It was spooky finding a folder on the computer with months worth of footage of me I didn't know existed.
#34 Downhill Scare
One time, I was walking home and I fell because it had rained a lot. It was like a part of the ground just slid away under me, and I went tumbling down a steep hill overlooking a road. I managed to dig my fingers into the ground to stop myself just in time. If I hadn’t, I would have fallen into the busy road. It all happened so suddenly that I’m sure I would have been hit by one of the cars because they wouldn’t have had time to stop. I really think I almost lost my life that day.
#35 An Important Reveleation
I didn't get my ex-wife pregnant. I married my high school sweetheart after joining the army prior to deploying. I spent a year and a half oversea while she lived with her parents. I came home worse for wear, and she had not matured at all. She started pushing for a baby and I just wasn't ready. Our marriage fell apart and now, and almost a decade later, I'm a step-parent but have no children of my own. I have matured enough to realize I'm not interested in having kids of my own.
#36 A Worthwhile Retirement
In mid-2008 I was debating retirement because my daughter had become ill with cancer. I was due for a new command and I was offered a chance to have one in a couple of months if I stayed on. I chose to retire and help with the grandkids. In February of 2009, the ship I more than likely would have been on ran aground on a coral reef off Oahu and stayed there for a couple of days. It ended the career of a good man.
#37 Just In Time, Mom
When I was about six years old, my mom and I were walking to the park. As kids do, I got excited and ran towards the park. Around the corner, just out of sight, a car pulled up and an odd-looking couple told me to get in. They said they would take me home. I said no because my mom was close by. They told me to get in again and that they had sweets... Luckily, my mom appeared around the corner. They closed the doors and sped off.
#38 Fox Danger
I was walking in the woods near my house and saw what I thought was a stray dog. I called it and it started running towards me. It wasn't a dog, it was a fox. As I was thinking, "Oh man..." Then, a couple showed up out of nowhere and the fox stopped in its tracks. It eventually ran off. Foxes carry rabies. Also, a wild animal running towards a person is never a good sign.
#39 Convenient Timing
I skipped a grade, and as a result, I was able to graduate with a Bachelor's degree in 2007. If I had waited one more year, the job prospects would have been considerably poorer then they were in 2007. Many of my friends had difficulties getting jobs out of college, while I didn't.
#40 Sister Saved
This happened to my sister, also. Back in the 70s, she dated a guy for a while. They were supposed to get married, but they ended up breaking up; for what reason, I don't know. I was very young but, I do remember the guy. He later got married and then his wife mysteriously passed away from by carbon monoxide poisoning. That could have been my sister. When the cops were looking for him, he apparently jumped into the Mississippi River. They knew right away he had something to do with the incident. They thought he drowned, but he later turned up and they caught him. He spent a lot of years in prison, but I think he's out now.
#41 Night And Day
I dated a narcissistic, emotionally abusive jerk for about a year and a half. Thank the heavens that I did not move in with him, or accidentally got pregnant or something drastic like that. I broke up with him a long time ago and have been in an amazing long term relationship with another guy that is seriously heaven compared to that jerk.
#42 On A Boat
I planned to go hiking with my parents. We decided to go for a boat ride at the last minute instead. There were torrential rains and flooding that left people stranded overnight in the place we were meant to go hiking. Guess who was on a boat at the time.
#43 My First Girlfriend
My first girlfriend. She had some pretty serious psychological problems. And looking back she was 100% trying to get knocked up to keep me around. At the time I was with her I was too naive to see it, but I lucked out and she never got pregnant anyway.
#44 Being Used
I broke up with this girl who had a history of very violent tendencies and a kid, both of which never came up. Last I saw, her new boyfriend was constantly posting about her spending money on MLMs. She wasn’t even gay either; she was just using me for money. Big surprise.
#45 A Complete 180
About five years ago, I was three days away from proposing to my ex when I caught her cheating. This Friday, I get to marry my best friend. I feel like the luckiest guy in the world.
