He Was Rude to a Stranger on Way to Job Interview. Oops, Bad Idea

A rather grumpy commuter travelling by the tube during rush hour shoved past and swore at a stranger while trying to get off at the busy Monument Station in London. Nothing unusual in that, you may think. Happens every second on crowded trains. While that's true enough, in this particular case, the two strangers met again a few hours later.

Only this time, the rude commuter arrived for a job interview and his interviewer turned out to be the man he had 'tube-raged' that very morning. Matt Buckland, who handles recruitment at Forward Partners - The Startup Catalyst and goes by the handle @ElSatanico, described the crossing of paths as 'karma' on Twitter.

His tweet has been re-tweeted over 17,000 times since February 16. Many sympathised with the interviewee, because well...the stifling, crowded tube!

@ElSatanico brilliant. Although to be fair otherwise competent and normal people can turn into crazy people when dealing with the tube.

- Anna (@Anna_Seligman) February 16, 2015

Interestingly, the interviewee did not remember Mr Buckland and it was only after several hints were dropped and tube-related questions asked that he remembered.

@jimwebber yep... I asked lots of questions about the tube until it slowly started to dawn on him...

- Matt Buckland (@ElSatanico) February 16, 2015

There are now several hilarious tales of karma biting back on Mr Buckland's timeline; with a user who goes by the handle @Alconcalcia said that a Creative Director was once told he would 'never make it' and later interviewed the man who had pronounced the damning verdict.

Another user had a happy story in which his dad bumped into a man's car on his way to an interview, and stopped to leave his details. As it turned out, it was the interviewer's car and his dad got the job. You only have to sift through some of the tweets to believe that strange things do happen all the time:

@ElSatanico @FinWycherley Better still, a guy I know was waiting outside interview room; previous interviewee came out and it was his boss!

- Deirdre (@deirdrenotes) February 19, 2015

 

@ElSatanico @Julie_at_Spring love it! A while ago a fella in a BMW "road raged" me on my way to work - any yes I was interviewing him too

- Ella Young (@banburycrossnan) February 18, 2015

 

@ElSatanico @JuliaRampenMM I was once knocked off bike by van driver. Police prosecuted. He lost job & home. Then needed rehousing - by me.

- Lucy Ferman (@LucyFerman) February 18, 2015

While the interviewee did not get the job, Mr Buckland insists it wasn't because of the morning's incident. In a reply to one of the tweets, he agreed that 'the tube makes everyone angry'. "I want to hire humans, emotions are good!", wrote the head hunter.

Okaythen. But might we still suggest expletive-free train rides. You never know when karma's lying in wait around the corner.