The barman's mistake
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understandinguncertainty.org was produced by the Winton programme for the public understanding of risk based in the Statistical Laboratory in the University of Cambridge. The aim was to help improve the way that uncertainty and risk are discussed in society, and show how probability and statistics can be both useful and entertaining.
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My son was returning from a three month holiday in Greece before going to University. He was with his then girlfriend and on their way from Gatwick Airport they stopped at a pub somewhere near the airport. My son approached the bar and the barman said "Hello Rob, how are you". My son replied "Do I know you". The barman then said "I know you because you look so much like your dad" My son replied "I look nothing like my dad at all". the barman then said "but you are Ron Green's son from down the road, the farmer. "My name is Rob Green and my dad is Ron Green, but he isn't a farmer, he's bus driver" and we don't live down the road. The barman replied "are you trying to have me on sonny".
Having just flown in from Greece my son pulls out his passport. Shows him his name and the back page of next of kin showing his dad. By this time there was silence around the bar. His girlfriend also related the story, which is so bizarre, it doesn't appear to have any meaning. My son did dine out on this one for a while.
Date submitted:Fri, 24 Aug 2012 11:51:04 +0000Coincidence ID:6468
