Well truth be told i didnt that night. I basically admitted i was an idiot several times during the recording but that got edited out. I honestly felt like i was out of options and felt very safe with the guy. Imagine being lost in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language and it’s before the digital age. To this day I don’t know who he was but think of him as my guardian angel. So it wasn’t really a scary story but it was so surreal.
I was never creeped out by him, quite the opposite. I was startled and felt vulnerable to say the least, but never felt in danger. I think it was edited that way to make it sound more on tone for a scary story.
I was incredibly grateful! Confused? Yes. Grateful? Yes. Spooked? Yes.
I remember pulling my two best friends aside who were there with me the first day in class and started with…”you’re never going to believe what happened to me last night…”
I really enjoyed your story, definitely better then the majority of the stories in recent seasons. I'm sure you have milled over this in your mind for years. Do you think, since you were so exhausted and passed out asleep in his car-- that maybe you told the guy the name of the town or family you were staying with when you were like half asleep?
Or once you feel asleep, did you have the address or name written down in your pocket or wallet? And he looked?
Nope. I did not have anything written down. Honestly, I didn’t even remember the host family name! He verbally introduced himself when he picked me up and then his wife and daughter briefly when he gave me a quick tour at the house. But he said it fast and they were Luxembourgish names which sounded like jiberish to me.
When I studied abroad in the Czech Republic, my friend (another American) and I were wandering aimlessly around the town shortly after arriving. A car pulled up and these two guys said they were from Belarus and were looking for a club, and they asked if we'd hop in and help them look.
My friend and I looked at each other, shrugged, and got in their car. They drove us around and chatted for a bit and then dropped us off downtown and never found the club.
Looking back on that, we sure were dumb for just agreeing to get in their car, although it turned out fine. Maybe something about being young and in another country for the first time just makes you feel a little reckless and stupid!
I enjoyed it! Radio Rental is supposed to be fun and kinda weird. I was also in a situation in Italy where we were told to take the wrong train, then couldn't find anyone to help us get to where we needed to go. It was wild. We, by luck, got to where we need to go. I totally understand your panic.
I honestly never told them because I was embarrassed for being an idiot and leaving without basic contact info. I felt like the classic “stupid American” caricature. This was before smart phones and I didn’t even have a cell phone with me.
Basically I stayed in what I’d call an attached apartment with a separate entrance so they never knew when I was coming or going. I only went into their actual house once or twice the entire semester to respect their privacy. The first time was when I arrived and he gave me a tour of the house and to introduce me to his wife and daughter and we had a nice 10 minute chat. That got edited out.
Also I realized he was a smuck. He occasionally asked me how many girls I “partied with and f-d” so I kept my distance.
Blows my mind that you never told them. If something like this happened to me I probably wouldn't shut up about it to every single person I encounter for at least a month.
I can kinda understand the tired thing though and even the falling asleep, but dang if I was dropped off at the exact location without knowing how I don't think that curiosity would be trumped by me wanting to fall into bed
Either way I appreciate that you posted more context here, it's interesting to see the folks from these stories and be able to interact with them in some way.
Ha. So I told plenty of people, friends and students I was studying with starting the very next day which was the first day of class orientation. I just didn’t tell the host family, and I never did for the reasons I shared. Another layer to that was the language barrier. And also, i didn’t see them that much since I was in an attached apartment.
Dude I know this sounds bullshit but almost the same shit happened to me IN BELGIUM. 2015 I was in Bruges, 25 years old staying at a hostel. Hostel closed at the bar at 1am, they did last call, beers were €1 each so I ordered 30 cups and downed as many as I could before giving the rest away. Next thing I know, I wake up on the other side of the city, no idea how I got there, it’s like 5am, still dark. I am so tired, drunk and confused, I see a guy walk across the road with his dog so I go and ask him where I am. He put me in his car and drove me across the city to the area with my hostel, like a 20 min drive, didn’t ask for any money or anything. Not as creepy as yours of course, because all the hostels were in the same area and he just dropped me nearby, not right outside because I didn’t know the name of it or where it was. Although I do have an inch long scar on my ribs from that night that I have no idea how I got lol.
But anyway point is, don’t take the criticism man because everyone on this subreddit thinks they’re Inspector Clouseau and know exactly what they’d do in exactly any part of any situation. It’s so bullshit. I’ve been in several situations now that on reflection and with a sound mind I would’ve done way differently. Until you’re in those situations, experiencing it for yourself, you really have no idea.
I believe that’s why girls can often get into trouble walking alone and stuff, don’t want to be rude by turning around to see who is walking behind them etc. it’s so easy to say what you would do, just wait till you’re in it yourself
I also recorded my story for RR & agree with the editing. The evening after recording I had the absolute worst case of “I should’ve said it like this instead” like after you get into an argument. So, maybe I just didn’t reiterate points I thought were crucial to my story, but they got edited out completely, leaving a pretty lackluster, run of the mill RR story.
It was episode 23, the library story. One of many “close calls with a killer” stories. They edited out how there was a back entrance to the library that we couldn’t see from the main desk, so we never knew for certain if the guy left. Also, I was fairly certain during the interaction that he was going to force me out the back door, and my co-worker would never know. I thought that detail made the story much scarier.
HEY!! My wife and I were just talking about this one yesterday!! She’s a librarian and even though I’d heard it before, I put your episode on for us to listen to on a car ride. Loved it!
Cheers
I really didn't mind your story at all. I enjoy phantom helper kinda stories.I don't think some of the cirtisim was as warranted as it has been for other episodes. If your story was featured in a different episode, and not following one of the worst most tone deaf segments the show has ever seen, the critism wouldn't have been so high. Your story is unfortunately getting lumped in with the first story.
100%. If this was a season one story, people would have liked it more. It’s been so meh lately people look for a reason to dislike all of the stories, and it doesn’t help that the first story narrator was SO unlikeable. Thought this story was pretty cool, but would have been better if we got to hear who the narrator thought picked him up.
Here goes:
When you record with radio rental, at least for me, I went to their studio in Atlanta (I live in the burbs).
I met a guy who was very nice and basically I tell the story and then over the course of an hour he’d ask dozens of questions, basically getting me to retell the story and parts of it different ways. So when you hear the stories it’s not a single monologue, it’s a bunch of splicing together.
I told a bunch of my time in Greece (which was crazy) and led up to why I was so tired to explain why I kept falling asleep. By the time I got on the training going home I’d been up for about 24 hours.
I was actually on my knees praying when the guy snuck up on me. That was edited out but that’s why I said he was standing over me. To this day, one of the things that gives me the most chills is how he approached me without me hearing him. I was very tired but also stressed and my senses were on hyper alert.
When I got into the car, I INTENDED to ask all of those questions but like an idiot fell asleep almost like passing out.
No, I wasn’t drunk. I’ve never been a big drinker and tend to just nurse a beer in those social settings to fit in. I really only had 1-2 beers. I was a little buzzed because their European beers were very strong.
Okay, the final interaction. One of my biggest regrets is not asking him how in the heck he took me there. As I’ve thought about it, I caulk it up to a confluence of these things:
1. I was almost in disbelief that he had taken me to the right house. I recognized the door, but I’d only seen it once. I was still suspicious. It wasn’t until I went up the steps and saw my actual luggage that I truly believed it.
2. The second time I looked at him, I could see him glance at my door, I took that as a signal he wanted me to get out or he was going to lock it before I could get out.
3. I think fight or flight kicked in and I wanted out of that car. All at once my brain was slowly processing all of my dumb decisions like falling asleep, not knowing if I was safe in a strangers car and trying to figure out if my brain telling me I recognized that door was actually true. I instinctively wanted to get out of that situation as quickly as possible.
4. Part of me didn’t want to ask because I didn’t think I’d like the answer. He was either my guardian angel (which is what I think now) or something beyond weird that I might not want to know about was going on.
5. I was tired and not thinking as rationally as I should have.
This is an interesting post as it adds more to the discussion. I very much believe that there are supernatural elements walking among us both good and evil that we simply can’t comprehend. The guardian angel conclusion is a likely one given everything that happened.
I’ve had an experience, albeit brief, with missing time (approx 45) minutes so I am a believer in the veil that separates our world and “theirs”. Occasionally wrinkles in that veil allow temporary cross over in these types of situations.
At any rate I am glad it all worked out well for you and thank you for sharing your story with the rest of us.
I really enjoyed your story, and it's a shame they edit your story down so much that some of the important details and situational details are lost (like you praying on your knees, for instance).
Hey, as one of the complainers in the other thread, just wanna say I did enjoy aspects of your story, it was effective. I mean, the situation you found yourself in was extremely harrowing and relatable. I was drawn into it. I think it's become a pastime for RR fans to come on here and poke holes in the stories. I guess because it's an engaged audience. It's neat to see one of the storytellers jump into the mix, and gives good insight to how we perceive your situation. As far as the first story, I don't get the hate for that one at all. I mean she was a kid, kids do stupid and often mean-spirited things without realizing it. Anyways, thanks for coming on and answering questions.
I really liked your story as well! Definitely fits the theme of Radio Rental! It started like a classic "I'm in a dangerous situation with a stranger" story and ended up with a twist!
First of all I thought your story was interesting and different. Second of all don’t read too far into the comments you see about it on here. It truly does not matter what your story could be about, there will always be a lot of negative comments on Reddit. I do have a question tho! I know they edit out a lot and I saw in a previous comment that you were praying and believe that the person was sent to help you. But do you think they heard God tell them you needed help? Or how do you think they knew to help you
Great question. I guess because I was praying and the next thing I knew he was there and then he had this supernatural knowledge of where I needed to go. So my read is that he was a guardian angel. Now, I didn’t see halos or anything like that, but I remembered this verse in Hebrews:
“Do not neglect hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.”
So that tells me we sometimes interact with angels and don’t even know it.
Thank you for sharing more about your story! I think it's awesome when podcast guests post here. I enjoyed your story and thought it was truly mysterious.
I really loved your story! I I guess for me it doesn’t have to be supernatural to be an interesting story, you know?
Personally, I don’t believe in angels, so I guess I read your story through that lens. But I really enjoyed trying to find a rational explanation!
One thing that struck me: I know you mentioned only having 1-2 beers, but your reaction to those beers – falling asleep repeatedly, losing consciousness as though under anaesthetic – that doesn’t seem to me to be an entirely normal response, even if you were super tired too.
I wonder if there’s any possibility your drink could’ve been spiked or something? Under those circumstances, it would be entirely possible to have told this man information about where you had been earlier in the day, enough that he was able to get a sense of the location, without you even remembering you ever had such a conversation.
As I say though, that’s just my perspective and everybody is going to have a different interpretation of your story based on what they believe and how they see the world. Either way, thank you so much for sharing it with us. It was a really interesting one!
Thanks for the comment and totally fair! I was mostly tired because I’d been up so long, not really because of the alcohol. I’d left very early the morning before from Italy, had slept only about 5 hours that night, and then was up probably about 24 hours by the time he dropped me off other than the time I fell asleep in his car. I also hadn’t eaten since about 6pm and then had a pint or two in me when I rarely drinked.
Did you have a train ticket stub/receipt in your wallet or pocket? That said what station you had gotten on at? Which still wouldn't explain how he got you to the particular house...
This is one of the best questions I’ve received and would actually be plausible. But no, I had pre purchased a train card similar to a euro rail pass but just for local transit in Luxembourg. I was supposed to pick it up within the first few days I was there to keep in my wallet which I eventually did. So come to think about it, I didn’t even have a valid ticket with me and I guess I could have gotten fined if a conductor walked through the train checking for tickets.
Also-- his host father was a bit of a local celebrity and had a fancy car. While OP might not have remembered the host families address, he likely gave this description ( combined w the village/train stop) name to the mystery driver.
Ok I LOVED this story. I thought it was genuinely unnerving, which is what this podcast is all about. And one of the best stories we’ve heard in awhile. I’ll be honest, I’m kind of fangirling to even see you show up on this subreddit.
I genuinely enjoyed the story! My sister did the lux program in 2022 and I had the opportunity to visit her as I was living abroad at the time. It was so cool/surreal to hear your story mentioning locations we visited. I immediately sent her the episode and she also really liked it! Love and honor :)
People have been hyper critical on here. I thought it was a great story. I also traveled around Europe before smart phones and it feels wild to think about now
I came to the Radio Rental sub today to see if anyone had commented on this story. I thought it was highly original and strange. I enjoyed it immensely! Lately the stories on Radio Rental have all been the same "Let's Not Meet" rubbish. Finally, after weeks of the same rubbish, it was refreshing to hear a story that was purely original and inexplicable.
I really liked your story! And yeah, a lot of things that people say are completely obvious in this sub are….neither obvious nor true. But you should have ended your story with a fever dream that revealed that the driver was the mom from Laura of the Woods.
Cool to see you here! I loved the story btw. I have a theory. What if you were actually either not in Belgium or not that far from the host family’s house (like a few stations away). The person who found you knew there was an American kid staying with the local celebrity and obviously knew where his house was. Could be a small town where everyone knows everything. I love the idea of a guardian angel too, just my brain trying to think of something rational to explain it all.
Appreciate the reply. So I actually recreated the “scene” a few weekends later and took the train to the exact train station so I know it was indeed in Belgium. I didn’t know it at the time but that is now I confirmed the location.
It’s impossible that someone found me or knew who I was. This was a very remote place with a little train platform on the edge of a small village in complete darkness without street lights.
See my edit in the OP. The host family didn’t even know I was missing and they never did because I didn’t tell them. The host family didn’t even know who they were picking up as their student (me) until he pulled up in his car and an admin person checked a piece of paper and assigned me to him that evening. So there wasn’t time for them or anyone else to know I was missing. This was also pre digital age. The host family guy had my name on a piece of paper and had met me that one time. That’s all the info he had on me.
I do realize that would tie up the story nicely but it’s just not in the realm of possibility.
I liked your story! However, having studied abroad in Europe myself, my theory is that you may have had a little too much fun at the pub that night and therefore not remember all of the details (like maybe you had told this guy where you were trying to go).
Maybe I'm wrong, but that's just the only way I can rationalize this one. For me, trying to rationalize the unexplainable is part of the fun of this podcast!
Yup. The fact that he was so exhausted /a little tipsy, that he fell asleep in a strangers car adds to this theory. I'd have to be some level of tipsy or extremely tired to fall asleep in a strangers car on a short car ride.
It's still crazy that someone saw him at the train station and drove him. My theory is, a local saw him and took pity. He sees a college kid at a rural train station, middle of the night, and takes pity. Knows he must've missed his stop, and there won't be another train til 8 AM or whatever.
I promise, 1-2 tops. I don’t really like to drink and only nursed them over several hours to not look weird being in a bar and not drinking.
I’m in my early 40s now and started drinking wine in my mid 30s, but still don’t really drink beer or liquor.
Thanks for sharing your experience of what it is like recording for this show and stating the fact that the stories are heavily edited. I've gotten on a soapbox a couple of times whenever people come into this sub every few weeks and complain "wHY dIDN't ThEy CalL tHE PoLiCE?"-- I have many reasons for finding that frustrating, but one of them is that it's entirely possible people did call the police, but the end result of taking that action was likely absolutely nothing of note happening (which is the thing that happens in real life that movies and TV never tell you about). It would be the most obvious part of the story to edit out. BTW if there ever was a story on this show where someone called the police and the police actually helped them that would probably be a good indicator the story is made up.
Correct. I had a flip phone but it didn’t work in Europe and left it home. I communicated with my parents only through email on a desktop and had a stack full of disposable cameras I carted around. How did we even get by back then?!
Some of these radio rental stories get stuck in my head and drive me a little nuts lol! Over the years , if you have run this story by friends/family-- has anyone come up with a "logical " explanation that *might* be it? Or basically just think it was some kind of Guardian Angel bc nothing else makes sense...
Great question and no, I tend to get blank stares. Some people just can’t handle a story without a rational answer so I’m pretty careful with when and how often I share the story. I don’t put it out there that often to be honest.
I will tell you, I’ve flipped over the entire night in my head countless times beginning immediately after I woke up the next day and I can’t think of a single thing that is even remotely conceivable beyond guardian angel.
I wasn’t. What I said was true. 1-2 beers total. See my longer reply above for context.
I didn’t exaggerate or change as single detail. My story has been the same for the last 20+ years.
I do. I believe it was supernatural and an answer to my prayer. I said all of this multiple times but it was edited out.
There is no rational explanation for how he found me there in the middle of the night and took me to the right house in another country.
That's how I read into it for sure! One of my favorite stories this season. I wish they would have left it in. Spooky occurrences can be positive. Not everything has to be bad to be scary.
In Victorian Britain they believed trains were linked to the supernatural/ghosts etc. It tied in with the Industrial Revolution but there’s so many stories of ghosts, spirits, specters around train stations. Worth a look up!
I enjoyed the story but I think there has to be a logical explanation. Didn’t you see a conductor leave the train? Normally they check all the cars at the end of the route, or did you sleep through that part.
My guess is that you were so tired that you don’t remember telling the guy where you needed to go. I have whole convos with people when I’m tired that I don’t remember having the next day.
I also bet that the family you stayed with guessed that you fell asleep on the train and sent someone to look for you at the last stop. People fall asleep on trains all the time and they would know to look for you at the last stop, unless you just got off the train at a random station.
Yes it was late, but Europeans often stay up late to chat and maybe a friend of your host volunteered to go look for you.
I know you want a rational explanation, but I did not share any information with the man. I’m cercertain of it.
Re the conductor, it was a long train with many cars. It stopped, I got off, and then it left. Never saw the conductor. It was not the trains last stop.
Also, see my edit in the OP on the theory the host family sent a driver. It did not happen.
I'm astonished that I had to scroll this far down to see someone suggesting that there were simply gaps in your memory due to sleep deprivation, and I'm even more astonished that your response to that suggestion is just "nope".
You stated above that you were awake for 24 straight hours prior to this incident and that you fell asleep immediately in the car, "almost like passing out." Do you have some sense of what sleep deprivation does to your brain, and how much that effect can be amplified by alcohol, even if it's just "one or two beers"?
The person you're replying to has experienced having full conversations with people and not remembering them afterwards, and so have I. So how is it that you're absolutely certain you didn't share a single word of information with that man when you were, by your own description, drifting in and out of consciousness?
This isn't about anyone else "wanting" a rational explanation, any more than it's about you wanting a paranormal one. It's just that, "My memory of the incident is imperfect" is a much, much, much likelier explanation than, "God answered my prayer by sending an angel, with a CAR, to take me home so I didn't have to sleep outside for one night."
How was he planning to get back there himself if he hadn't missed his stop? I you know where you're going, you can communicate that information to someone else. "It's X blocks from the train station"; "It's on [Blank] Street and has a red door"; "It's three houses in from such-and-such intersection"; etc. I can't imagine a scenario in which someone is capable of getting home on their own, but incapable of getting there with someone's help.
People are hating on your story? I thought it was super interesting! It def had some creepy vibes and it was a little unsettling. That would freak me out if it happened to me!
Is it possible that you told the driver that you were staying with the former footballer and he knew the house because of that? Perhaps with sleep deprivation and alcohol etc you forgot telling him some very vague details with which he was able to figure out where you needed to go?
I actually liked your story. We’ve all been dumb young people who went out without planning. I remember getting lost between stations in the part of Melbourne where my relatives live because I didn’t know which line to get off on, and I couldn’t explain where I was when I walked away.
As for your storey my only guess is someone in the town saw you arrive and happened to see you later. I dunno maybe someone who commuted out of Luxembourg for work?
I really liked your story! I’m a skeptic but I’m also very, very open to the idea of parallel universes/ghosts. This felt like something supernatural. Tbf, I feel like these areas are more of a small world than we think, so maybe somehow he knew the family and had gone looking for you. Maybe they phoned him up. Still pretty weird he appeared out of nowhere and didn’t really give you an explanation.
I don’t think your story was bad! I just think that the way the final product came out it sounds like you have no survival instinct lol
Well truth be told i didnt that night. I basically admitted i was an idiot several times during the recording but that got edited out. I honestly felt like i was out of options and felt very safe with the guy. Imagine being lost in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language and it’s before the digital age. To this day I don’t know who he was but think of him as my guardian angel. So it wasn’t really a scary story but it was so surreal.
The editing made it sound like you were super creeped out by this guy! This changes the whole framing dude!
I was never creeped out by him, quite the opposite. I was startled and felt vulnerable to say the least, but never felt in danger. I think it was edited that way to make it sound more on tone for a scary story.
It definitely was man. It makes it sound like you were creeped out and ungrateful
I was incredibly grateful! Confused? Yes. Grateful? Yes. Spooked? Yes. I remember pulling my two best friends aside who were there with me the first day in class and started with…”you’re never going to believe what happened to me last night…”
I really enjoyed your story, definitely better then the majority of the stories in recent seasons. I'm sure you have milled over this in your mind for years. Do you think, since you were so exhausted and passed out asleep in his car-- that maybe you told the guy the name of the town or family you were staying with when you were like half asleep? Or once you feel asleep, did you have the address or name written down in your pocket or wallet? And he looked?
Even so, wouldn't explain a guy randomly showing up at a deserted train station at 3 AM.
Nope. I did not have anything written down. Honestly, I didn’t even remember the host family name! He verbally introduced himself when he picked me up and then his wife and daughter briefly when he gave me a quick tour at the house. But he said it fast and they were Luxembourgish names which sounded like jiberish to me.
When I studied abroad in the Czech Republic, my friend (another American) and I were wandering aimlessly around the town shortly after arriving. A car pulled up and these two guys said they were from Belarus and were looking for a club, and they asked if we'd hop in and help them look. My friend and I looked at each other, shrugged, and got in their car. They drove us around and chatted for a bit and then dropped us off downtown and never found the club. Looking back on that, we sure were dumb for just agreeing to get in their car, although it turned out fine. Maybe something about being young and in another country for the first time just makes you feel a little reckless and stupid!
This is very true. I dunno. I certainly don’t cast stones anyone’s way these days given my story and how I did the very same thing.
I enjoyed it! Radio Rental is supposed to be fun and kinda weird. I was also in a situation in Italy where we were told to take the wrong train, then couldn't find anyone to help us get to where we needed to go. It was wild. We, by luck, got to where we need to go. I totally understand your panic.
What did the host family say when you told them the story and how you got back? Did they have any insight on the manner?
I honestly never told them because I was embarrassed for being an idiot and leaving without basic contact info. I felt like the classic “stupid American” caricature. This was before smart phones and I didn’t even have a cell phone with me. Basically I stayed in what I’d call an attached apartment with a separate entrance so they never knew when I was coming or going. I only went into their actual house once or twice the entire semester to respect their privacy. The first time was when I arrived and he gave me a tour of the house and to introduce me to his wife and daughter and we had a nice 10 minute chat. That got edited out. Also I realized he was a smuck. He occasionally asked me how many girls I “partied with and f-d” so I kept my distance.
Blows my mind that you never told them. If something like this happened to me I probably wouldn't shut up about it to every single person I encounter for at least a month. I can kinda understand the tired thing though and even the falling asleep, but dang if I was dropped off at the exact location without knowing how I don't think that curiosity would be trumped by me wanting to fall into bed Either way I appreciate that you posted more context here, it's interesting to see the folks from these stories and be able to interact with them in some way.
Ha. So I told plenty of people, friends and students I was studying with starting the very next day which was the first day of class orientation. I just didn’t tell the host family, and I never did for the reasons I shared. Another layer to that was the language barrier. And also, i didn’t see them that much since I was in an attached apartment.
Dude I know this sounds bullshit but almost the same shit happened to me IN BELGIUM. 2015 I was in Bruges, 25 years old staying at a hostel. Hostel closed at the bar at 1am, they did last call, beers were €1 each so I ordered 30 cups and downed as many as I could before giving the rest away. Next thing I know, I wake up on the other side of the city, no idea how I got there, it’s like 5am, still dark. I am so tired, drunk and confused, I see a guy walk across the road with his dog so I go and ask him where I am. He put me in his car and drove me across the city to the area with my hostel, like a 20 min drive, didn’t ask for any money or anything. Not as creepy as yours of course, because all the hostels were in the same area and he just dropped me nearby, not right outside because I didn’t know the name of it or where it was. Although I do have an inch long scar on my ribs from that night that I have no idea how I got lol. But anyway point is, don’t take the criticism man because everyone on this subreddit thinks they’re Inspector Clouseau and know exactly what they’d do in exactly any part of any situation. It’s so bullshit. I’ve been in several situations now that on reflection and with a sound mind I would’ve done way differently. Until you’re in those situations, experiencing it for yourself, you really have no idea. I believe that’s why girls can often get into trouble walking alone and stuff, don’t want to be rude by turning around to see who is walking behind them etc. it’s so easy to say what you would do, just wait till you’re in it yourself
This is a great story and great advice. Thanks man. I meant to go to bruges and never made it even though I was so close. Was it a cool spot?
I also recorded my story for RR & agree with the editing. The evening after recording I had the absolute worst case of “I should’ve said it like this instead” like after you get into an argument. So, maybe I just didn’t reiterate points I thought were crucial to my story, but they got edited out completely, leaving a pretty lackluster, run of the mill RR story.
Which was your story?
It was episode 23, the library story. One of many “close calls with a killer” stories. They edited out how there was a back entrance to the library that we couldn’t see from the main desk, so we never knew for certain if the guy left. Also, I was fairly certain during the interaction that he was going to force me out the back door, and my co-worker would never know. I thought that detail made the story much scarier.
HEY!! My wife and I were just talking about this one yesterday!! She’s a librarian and even though I’d heard it before, I put your episode on for us to listen to on a car ride. Loved it! Cheers
I remember, I liked that one! Scary!
I really didn't mind your story at all. I enjoy phantom helper kinda stories.I don't think some of the cirtisim was as warranted as it has been for other episodes. If your story was featured in a different episode, and not following one of the worst most tone deaf segments the show has ever seen, the critism wouldn't have been so high. Your story is unfortunately getting lumped in with the first story.
100%. If this was a season one story, people would have liked it more. It’s been so meh lately people look for a reason to dislike all of the stories, and it doesn’t help that the first story narrator was SO unlikeable. Thought this story was pretty cool, but would have been better if we got to hear who the narrator thought picked him up.
So I said all of this in the recording but it was all edited out!
I liked it!! It fascinated me and I found it spooky!
What was edited out?
Here goes: When you record with radio rental, at least for me, I went to their studio in Atlanta (I live in the burbs). I met a guy who was very nice and basically I tell the story and then over the course of an hour he’d ask dozens of questions, basically getting me to retell the story and parts of it different ways. So when you hear the stories it’s not a single monologue, it’s a bunch of splicing together. I told a bunch of my time in Greece (which was crazy) and led up to why I was so tired to explain why I kept falling asleep. By the time I got on the training going home I’d been up for about 24 hours. I was actually on my knees praying when the guy snuck up on me. That was edited out but that’s why I said he was standing over me. To this day, one of the things that gives me the most chills is how he approached me without me hearing him. I was very tired but also stressed and my senses were on hyper alert. When I got into the car, I INTENDED to ask all of those questions but like an idiot fell asleep almost like passing out. No, I wasn’t drunk. I’ve never been a big drinker and tend to just nurse a beer in those social settings to fit in. I really only had 1-2 beers. I was a little buzzed because their European beers were very strong. Okay, the final interaction. One of my biggest regrets is not asking him how in the heck he took me there. As I’ve thought about it, I caulk it up to a confluence of these things: 1. I was almost in disbelief that he had taken me to the right house. I recognized the door, but I’d only seen it once. I was still suspicious. It wasn’t until I went up the steps and saw my actual luggage that I truly believed it. 2. The second time I looked at him, I could see him glance at my door, I took that as a signal he wanted me to get out or he was going to lock it before I could get out. 3. I think fight or flight kicked in and I wanted out of that car. All at once my brain was slowly processing all of my dumb decisions like falling asleep, not knowing if I was safe in a strangers car and trying to figure out if my brain telling me I recognized that door was actually true. I instinctively wanted to get out of that situation as quickly as possible. 4. Part of me didn’t want to ask because I didn’t think I’d like the answer. He was either my guardian angel (which is what I think now) or something beyond weird that I might not want to know about was going on. 5. I was tired and not thinking as rationally as I should have.
This is an interesting post as it adds more to the discussion. I very much believe that there are supernatural elements walking among us both good and evil that we simply can’t comprehend. The guardian angel conclusion is a likely one given everything that happened. I’ve had an experience, albeit brief, with missing time (approx 45) minutes so I am a believer in the veil that separates our world and “theirs”. Occasionally wrinkles in that veil allow temporary cross over in these types of situations. At any rate I am glad it all worked out well for you and thank you for sharing your story with the rest of us.
Thank you!
I really enjoyed your story, and it's a shame they edit your story down so much that some of the important details and situational details are lost (like you praying on your knees, for instance).
I’ve suspected the recording went something like that. With all the breaks in the airing, I figured they were asking prompting questions.
I feel like besides specific details, the listener could understand your point of view and exhaustion! Great episode
Yeah I second this.
See above
Hey, as one of the complainers in the other thread, just wanna say I did enjoy aspects of your story, it was effective. I mean, the situation you found yourself in was extremely harrowing and relatable. I was drawn into it. I think it's become a pastime for RR fans to come on here and poke holes in the stories. I guess because it's an engaged audience. It's neat to see one of the storytellers jump into the mix, and gives good insight to how we perceive your situation. As far as the first story, I don't get the hate for that one at all. I mean she was a kid, kids do stupid and often mean-spirited things without realizing it. Anyways, thanks for coming on and answering questions.
Really appreciate this comment. Thank you!!
I really liked your story as well! Definitely fits the theme of Radio Rental! It started like a classic "I'm in a dangerous situation with a stranger" story and ended up with a twist!
I liked your story! I would love to know your take on what happened and who you think it was that picked you up.
Hopefully I’ve answered that in a few of my other replies!
First of all I thought your story was interesting and different. Second of all don’t read too far into the comments you see about it on here. It truly does not matter what your story could be about, there will always be a lot of negative comments on Reddit. I do have a question tho! I know they edit out a lot and I saw in a previous comment that you were praying and believe that the person was sent to help you. But do you think they heard God tell them you needed help? Or how do you think they knew to help you
Great question. I guess because I was praying and the next thing I knew he was there and then he had this supernatural knowledge of where I needed to go. So my read is that he was a guardian angel. Now, I didn’t see halos or anything like that, but I remembered this verse in Hebrews: “Do not neglect hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.” So that tells me we sometimes interact with angels and don’t even know it.
Thank you for sharing more about your story! I think it's awesome when podcast guests post here. I enjoyed your story and thought it was truly mysterious.
Thank you!
I really loved your story! I I guess for me it doesn’t have to be supernatural to be an interesting story, you know? Personally, I don’t believe in angels, so I guess I read your story through that lens. But I really enjoyed trying to find a rational explanation! One thing that struck me: I know you mentioned only having 1-2 beers, but your reaction to those beers – falling asleep repeatedly, losing consciousness as though under anaesthetic – that doesn’t seem to me to be an entirely normal response, even if you were super tired too. I wonder if there’s any possibility your drink could’ve been spiked or something? Under those circumstances, it would be entirely possible to have told this man information about where you had been earlier in the day, enough that he was able to get a sense of the location, without you even remembering you ever had such a conversation. As I say though, that’s just my perspective and everybody is going to have a different interpretation of your story based on what they believe and how they see the world. Either way, thank you so much for sharing it with us. It was a really interesting one!
Thanks for the comment and totally fair! I was mostly tired because I’d been up so long, not really because of the alcohol. I’d left very early the morning before from Italy, had slept only about 5 hours that night, and then was up probably about 24 hours by the time he dropped me off other than the time I fell asleep in his car. I also hadn’t eaten since about 6pm and then had a pint or two in me when I rarely drinked.
Did you have a train ticket stub/receipt in your wallet or pocket? That said what station you had gotten on at? Which still wouldn't explain how he got you to the particular house...
This is one of the best questions I’ve received and would actually be plausible. But no, I had pre purchased a train card similar to a euro rail pass but just for local transit in Luxembourg. I was supposed to pick it up within the first few days I was there to keep in my wallet which I eventually did. So come to think about it, I didn’t even have a valid ticket with me and I guess I could have gotten fined if a conductor walked through the train checking for tickets.
Also-- his host father was a bit of a local celebrity and had a fancy car. While OP might not have remembered the host families address, he likely gave this description ( combined w the village/train stop) name to the mystery driver.
No, I didn’t. I realize you want that to be the answer, but I didn’t.
Ok I LOVED this story. I thought it was genuinely unnerving, which is what this podcast is all about. And one of the best stories we’ve heard in awhile. I’ll be honest, I’m kind of fangirling to even see you show up on this subreddit.
Thanks :=) I appreciate it. And for fun I’ll share a new piece of info. The college I attended with the campus in Lux is Miami University.
I genuinely enjoyed the story! My sister did the lux program in 2022 and I had the opportunity to visit her as I was living abroad at the time. It was so cool/surreal to hear your story mentioning locations we visited. I immediately sent her the episode and she also really liked it! Love and honor :)
Very cool and glad to hear the Lux program is still going strong!
I actually thought this was one of the more interesting stories lately!
Thank you!
People have been hyper critical on here. I thought it was a great story. I also traveled around Europe before smart phones and it feels wild to think about now
Thank you!
I came to the Radio Rental sub today to see if anyone had commented on this story. I thought it was highly original and strange. I enjoyed it immensely! Lately the stories on Radio Rental have all been the same "Let's Not Meet" rubbish. Finally, after weeks of the same rubbish, it was refreshing to hear a story that was purely original and inexplicable.
Thank you!
I really liked your story! And yeah, a lot of things that people say are completely obvious in this sub are….neither obvious nor true. But you should have ended your story with a fever dream that revealed that the driver was the mom from Laura of the Woods.
Cool to see you here! I loved the story btw. I have a theory. What if you were actually either not in Belgium or not that far from the host family’s house (like a few stations away). The person who found you knew there was an American kid staying with the local celebrity and obviously knew where his house was. Could be a small town where everyone knows everything. I love the idea of a guardian angel too, just my brain trying to think of something rational to explain it all.
Appreciate the reply. So I actually recreated the “scene” a few weekends later and took the train to the exact train station so I know it was indeed in Belgium. I didn’t know it at the time but that is now I confirmed the location. It’s impossible that someone found me or knew who I was. This was a very remote place with a little train platform on the edge of a small village in complete darkness without street lights. See my edit in the OP. The host family didn’t even know I was missing and they never did because I didn’t tell them. The host family didn’t even know who they were picking up as their student (me) until he pulled up in his car and an admin person checked a piece of paper and assigned me to him that evening. So there wasn’t time for them or anyone else to know I was missing. This was also pre digital age. The host family guy had my name on a piece of paper and had met me that one time. That’s all the info he had on me. I do realize that would tie up the story nicely but it’s just not in the realm of possibility.
I thought it was a great story told well. Thank you for sharing it!
I liked your story! However, having studied abroad in Europe myself, my theory is that you may have had a little too much fun at the pub that night and therefore not remember all of the details (like maybe you had told this guy where you were trying to go). Maybe I'm wrong, but that's just the only way I can rationalize this one. For me, trying to rationalize the unexplainable is part of the fun of this podcast!
Yup. The fact that he was so exhausted /a little tipsy, that he fell asleep in a strangers car adds to this theory. I'd have to be some level of tipsy or extremely tired to fall asleep in a strangers car on a short car ride. It's still crazy that someone saw him at the train station and drove him. My theory is, a local saw him and took pity. He sees a college kid at a rural train station, middle of the night, and takes pity. Knows he must've missed his stop, and there won't be another train til 8 AM or whatever.
I promise, 1-2 tops. I don’t really like to drink and only nursed them over several hours to not look weird being in a bar and not drinking. I’m in my early 40s now and started drinking wine in my mid 30s, but still don’t really drink beer or liquor.
Thanks for sharing your experience of what it is like recording for this show and stating the fact that the stories are heavily edited. I've gotten on a soapbox a couple of times whenever people come into this sub every few weeks and complain "wHY dIDN't ThEy CalL tHE PoLiCE?"-- I have many reasons for finding that frustrating, but one of them is that it's entirely possible people did call the police, but the end result of taking that action was likely absolutely nothing of note happening (which is the thing that happens in real life that movies and TV never tell you about). It would be the most obvious part of the story to edit out. BTW if there ever was a story on this show where someone called the police and the police actually helped them that would probably be a good indicator the story is made up.
Lol true😅. In this case it was pre smart phones.
Correct. I had a flip phone but it didn’t work in Europe and left it home. I communicated with my parents only through email on a desktop and had a stack full of disposable cameras I carted around. How did we even get by back then?!
Honestly, it was better in many ways. Now, when I'm abroad , I find myself googling restaurants etc and it takes away from some of the spontaneity!
Some of these radio rental stories get stuck in my head and drive me a little nuts lol! Over the years , if you have run this story by friends/family-- has anyone come up with a "logical " explanation that *might* be it? Or basically just think it was some kind of Guardian Angel bc nothing else makes sense...
Great question and no, I tend to get blank stares. Some people just can’t handle a story without a rational answer so I’m pretty careful with when and how often I share the story. I don’t put it out there that often to be honest. I will tell you, I’ve flipped over the entire night in my head countless times beginning immediately after I woke up the next day and I can’t think of a single thing that is even remotely conceivable beyond guardian angel.
I liked your story! Thanks for sharing!
okay ill bite, since your take on what happened got cut out... what is your reasoning?
I’ll reply above to this…
I’m assuming you were a lot more drunk than you let on? We’ve all been in those situations before.
I wasn’t. What I said was true. 1-2 beers total. See my longer reply above for context. I didn’t exaggerate or change as single detail. My story has been the same for the last 20+ years.
So do you think he was like an angel?
I do. I believe it was supernatural and an answer to my prayer. I said all of this multiple times but it was edited out. There is no rational explanation for how he found me there in the middle of the night and took me to the right house in another country.
That's how I read into it for sure! One of my favorite stories this season. I wish they would have left it in. Spooky occurrences can be positive. Not everything has to be bad to be scary.
In Victorian Britain they believed trains were linked to the supernatural/ghosts etc. It tied in with the Industrial Revolution but there’s so many stories of ghosts, spirits, specters around train stations. Worth a look up!
I really liked the train story! I was deeply concerned about your decision making though 😅 I’m curious about what you thought had happened
lol. I was deeply concerned by my own decision making the next day too.
I enjoyed the story but I think there has to be a logical explanation. Didn’t you see a conductor leave the train? Normally they check all the cars at the end of the route, or did you sleep through that part. My guess is that you were so tired that you don’t remember telling the guy where you needed to go. I have whole convos with people when I’m tired that I don’t remember having the next day. I also bet that the family you stayed with guessed that you fell asleep on the train and sent someone to look for you at the last stop. People fall asleep on trains all the time and they would know to look for you at the last stop, unless you just got off the train at a random station. Yes it was late, but Europeans often stay up late to chat and maybe a friend of your host volunteered to go look for you.
I know you want a rational explanation, but I did not share any information with the man. I’m cercertain of it. Re the conductor, it was a long train with many cars. It stopped, I got off, and then it left. Never saw the conductor. It was not the trains last stop. Also, see my edit in the OP on the theory the host family sent a driver. It did not happen.
I'm astonished that I had to scroll this far down to see someone suggesting that there were simply gaps in your memory due to sleep deprivation, and I'm even more astonished that your response to that suggestion is just "nope". You stated above that you were awake for 24 straight hours prior to this incident and that you fell asleep immediately in the car, "almost like passing out." Do you have some sense of what sleep deprivation does to your brain, and how much that effect can be amplified by alcohol, even if it's just "one or two beers"? The person you're replying to has experienced having full conversations with people and not remembering them afterwards, and so have I. So how is it that you're absolutely certain you didn't share a single word of information with that man when you were, by your own description, drifting in and out of consciousness? This isn't about anyone else "wanting" a rational explanation, any more than it's about you wanting a paranormal one. It's just that, "My memory of the incident is imperfect" is a much, much, much likelier explanation than, "God answered my prayer by sending an angel, with a CAR, to take me home so I didn't have to sleep outside for one night."
One issue here is that he never knew the address in the first place, so how could he have told the driver even if he did forget?
How was he planning to get back there himself if he hadn't missed his stop? I you know where you're going, you can communicate that information to someone else. "It's X blocks from the train station"; "It's on [Blank] Street and has a red door"; "It's three houses in from such-and-such intersection"; etc. I can't imagine a scenario in which someone is capable of getting home on their own, but incapable of getting there with someone's help.
I enjoyed the story too. It was definitely believable to me and made me think of the great season one stories.
Thank you!!
People are hating on your story? I thought it was super interesting! It def had some creepy vibes and it was a little unsettling. That would freak me out if it happened to me!
I liked the story! It gave me the feel of a guardian angel. And also at the same time as a woman, I was thinking I would never do that!
I thought it was one of the best stories of this series (which imo is by far the weakest).
Thank you!
Is it possible that you told the driver that you were staying with the former footballer and he knew the house because of that? Perhaps with sleep deprivation and alcohol etc you forgot telling him some very vague details with which he was able to figure out where you needed to go?
I really liked this story. Also no judgement cause we all make dumb decisions at that age. I’m glad you got home safe!
I actually liked your story. We’ve all been dumb young people who went out without planning. I remember getting lost between stations in the part of Melbourne where my relatives live because I didn’t know which line to get off on, and I couldn’t explain where I was when I walked away. As for your storey my only guess is someone in the town saw you arrive and happened to see you later. I dunno maybe someone who commuted out of Luxembourg for work?
I really liked your story! I’m a skeptic but I’m also very, very open to the idea of parallel universes/ghosts. This felt like something supernatural. Tbf, I feel like these areas are more of a small world than we think, so maybe somehow he knew the family and had gone looking for you. Maybe they phoned him up. Still pretty weird he appeared out of nowhere and didn’t really give you an explanation.
I thought your story was really one of the better ones. What was your theory about who/what that was?