New York University Redditors recently came to the rescue of a user named atrap who posted "help me out" on the university's subreddit. NYU Local reports atrap, who goes by Tom in real life, knew precious little about a "missed connection" with another student other than the student's name, how much he liked her and that he felt an impulse to find her. The NYU Reddit community obliged.
If you're like user TTTuma and think, "This sounds way creepy," read on, Cynical Susan.
Tom met the young woman in question under a shared umbrella. Last week's Nor'easter was blowing at full force, soaking the poor girl, and he offered shelter like the kind guy he says he is. The "really cute" 5'4" brunette was walking north, like Tom, and told him she, too, was a sophomore.
Though they only made small talk, the effect was significant enough to compel him to post about her. Tom was obviously smitten -- and perhaps a little lonely. The subreddit thread lit up.
The girl was probably headed to the SCPS building, which is on 12th Street, one user said. Search the sophomore class' Facebook page and look for her, said others.
Many helped in those first two days but to no avail; the Reddit community was coming up empty.
A sympathizer, wasnt_a_lurker, wrote:
I mean, don't get me wrong, [I] think it's great that you found someone great, but just don't take the searching overboard. Know when to let it go. There are going to be a lot of missed connections like those. It's just a fact of life.
Just keep taking a stroll on University then along 12th every Wednesday if you can. Maybe, just maybe, you'll meet up with her by chance...and if you play your cards right, and don't slip up in what you say, she may not even be creeped out that you looked so much for her.
"Hope is a waking dream," Aristotle once said, and the search crew was tired. It had come to just "maybe."
Tom wrote to his fellow Redditors on Sunday: "I've all but given up using facebook, it's just too hard without an efficiency script. I guess Wednesdays are the way to go," adding a "..." in self pity.
nyuncat replied: "Goddamn, man, seal the deal and get her number next time!"
Then, "I FOUND HER!" declared a user named spiceupyourlife.
NYU Local put it nicely:
...in an age when we put our lives on display for all to see, when we not only enjoy but expect the ability to locate and contact anyone online (“You don’t have Facebook? What do you mean you don’t have Facebook?!”), Tom did nothing too different than what most do every day. Like a modern Meg Ryan from Sleepless in Seattle, he used the tools at his disposal to track down someone with whom he’d made a connection; in a rare occurrence, he brought the NYU community together to work towards a common good.
Tom sent the girl a Facebook message, which she read but has not returned, according to the thread's latest post.
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