So, at lunch I pull into the crowded Subway subs parkinglot...

[salin]

behind a car with a DU bumpersticker - in Indianapolis, Indiana.

I try to park quickly enough to spot who gets out of the car so I could greet him/her.

Not much parking - so I have to park kind of out of the way - and think that I won't figure it out - when the car pulls around still looking for parking after I am walking to the store.

So I try to calculate the time to come in - and how far behind me, in the very long line, this person might be.... figure maybe a guy two people behind me... I wait until after I pay and get my drink, and he is finished getting his order and ask ... sorta slowly (cause it is a strange question, if one doesn't know DU)... "Excuse me for asking, but does your car have a Democratic Underground sticker on it?" He looks a little surpised and rather low key-ly responds, "yes" (this is central Indiana, after all - never know what that question may mean... though I also parked behind a Kerry Edwards bumper-stickered car - so its not all red and crazy around here) - so I say - "I'm a member, too!" So to ButlerD (or ButlerR or Butler Something) ... A big shout out of Hello! Cool to run into another DUer at lunch, here in Indianapolis!

Anyone else have a story of running into or spotting a DUer - out of the blue?

[SeattleGirl]

1. I met one at a protest in downtown Seattle a couple of years ago.

Massive amounts of people, and ahead of me, I spotted a woman carrying a sign, and on the bottom of the sign was a DU sticker. So I hurried up to catch her, and she is indeed a member of DU (Hi freeplessinseattle!).

I've met other DUers around here at pre-arranged things, but this was the one time where I met someone by accident.

Cool that you have too!

[salin]

2. I met Indiana Green at a protest in Indy... but not so much a surprise

we didn't prearrange a place to meet - but did post on line that we were going to put DU bumper stickers on our signs.

In an ice storm (or so it felt) while speakers were talking, this wonderful lady asked... "are you salin?" - and we all went out for coffee and great company shortly there after! That was great.

But the - out of the blue - and someone I haven't crossed paths with on the boards - that was a real pleasure. Sort of that "there are more of us out here than any of us realize" moments.

[MorningGlow]

3. Not actually "met"

Unless you count chasing a van with a DU bumpersticker down a country road, hoping to catch up to them to at least give them a :thumbsup:. (Didn't manage it.)

No, I am not a stalker...
:yoiks:

[salin]

4. Not a stalker - clearly - and I bet the van driver would have gotten

as big of a kick out of the thumbsup as you got trying to catch up - to give the thumbsup.

[MorningGlow]

5. I was just thrilled to see another DUer in this red rural area

We are everywhere... Hee.

[BarenakedLady]

11. Was it a mini van?

:hi:

sort of light beigy gold?

[MorningGlow]

16. Howdy, BNL! Humid enough fer ya?

:hi:

Minivan, yes, but dark blue. I know GenDem lives up the road from me in LeRoy--maybe it was her. Haven't seen her on the boards lately...

[SoxFan]

6. You've got some splainin' to do

What in god's green earth were you doing at a Subway?!?

:puke:

[salin]

7. Not sure what the problem with Subway is.. but am open to listen...

do tell ... thanks...

[SoxFan]

8. I'm a sub snob

I've given Subway a chance, but they always come up short. The bread is terrible; it's Wonder Bread folded into a sub roll. The sauce in the meatball sub is watery and bland.

I live in a city (Manchester, NH) where there are dozens of good, locally owned sub shops (Annula's, Joe Kellys, Santoros, Caesario's), so I know I can find a good quality sandwich and keep some money in the local community at the same time. When I see the suits in line at the downtown Subway, I want to scream, since there are a half dozen local alternatives within walking distance.

[AllegroRondo]

9. Kind of the Olive Garden of sandwich shops

[DS1]

14. more like a lettuce wrap

if you get a subway sammich without lettuce, it'll look totally deflated compared to how they normal pack in enough to feed a colony of rabbits

[salin]

18. And sometimes the only option vs fast food...

in harder economically hit urban areas. Indy (not downtown or suburbs) isn't known for its great delis or sandwhich shops... if I had a lunch hour that allowed for more drive time - then - certainly I would opt for something better.

[Indy_Dem_Defender]

23. Hey Salin

If your ever around west 38st near 465 in the Eagle Creek area try the Jersey Mikes in front of Marsh. They actually put 3 times more meat on their subs compared to subway. I haven't found any other around town, but I know for a sub franchise they beat out the competition.

[Dragonbreathp9d]

12. yah, its not a good sub

but its not a bad sandwich


Jimmy Johns is about the closest I can get tothe real thing around here

[Patiod]

17. What is this "sub" of which you speak?

Is it something like a hoagie? Because if it is, we have some pretty damned good ones here in Philly. But I don't think that's what they sell Subway - not sure what those things are supposed to be...

[LynneSin]

10. Everytime I drive home from work - but I don't know who it is

There is someone with a DU bumpersticker on their workvan that is 2 blocks from where I live. I have no clue who it is and no one has responded to my post in the Delaware thread

[madinmaryland]

13. Maybe they don't want to admit they are living in Delaware..

:evilgrin:

[salin]

19. what a delicious mystery...

hope you end up pulling into a similar "stop" someday. Then you can corner the person and say... "Right On!"

[Roon]

15. I went to a war protest a few years back with my video camera

I went to DU and asked if anyone saw me. This one guy responded that he was the one with a sign that I filmed. I was wearing a Jim Morrison shirt. I forget his name. :-(

[salin]

20. cool way to (sorta) connect

:D

[Elidor]

21. That's one very lucky DUer

To run into one of the smartest, and most beautiful (inside and out) DUers out there! He should have bought you lunch and talked your ears off. Maybe he was just too amazed by the coincidence.

[salin]

22. That is so kind... thanks, but reality

is that when I said my DU nic - absolutely no recognition of the online name.

More interesting story is of an Indiana poster that I had come to respect greatly... (so I just blew the end line... but oh well) - in the 06 elections I ran into some serious voting problems at my precinct. I was on the way to work - and do not go online from work. I had to contact someone who I knew was in contact with organizations documenting voting problems.

Every couple of weeks during visits (at the time) I would manage my mother's email (she is clueless about deleting email, not just from the inbox but from the server, and was having a lot of problems.) She had gotten involved (and on a list serve) of a local verified voting group. During my "cleanups" I had run across a series of really interesting emails from that list serve including where to call if voting problems (that were anticipated in Indiana) occured. I couldn't remember the number - but I remembered the mailer. A great lady/prof that I had met while I still lived in that college town when we were involved in the Peace movement.

I called her as soon as I got to work - so that she could register the problem I found on my behalf (she not only did that - but someone from the NYT contacted her about voting problems - and she referred the reporter to my cell phone - so later that day I am talking to the NYT!). During our conversation - we talk a little bit about how we keep informed on election fraud/voting machine issues and she says DU. Then she goes on to admit that when we worked together with the Peace group to raise money and get Will Pitt to come speak - she was a little amused (and didn't get it) when I had also helped arrange a DU meeting (folks from the region came together to see Will speak and to get together) - but that she had remembered the site's name. Mind you the event was 2003. After the 2004 voting problems she was distraught - and came, of all places, to DU to find info. Flash back to the 2006 election day conversation - she had no idea who I was on line and I had no idea who she was on DU, let alone that she was on DU... we exchange nics - and realize we had "spoken" many, many times on threads. Now THAT was a cool moment.

Thanks for the comps - and for the opportunity to think about and share that cool moment! (That was IndyOP - to which I refer, btw.)