Here's a very bizarre one
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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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to protect the person I'm going to talk about please keep my identity secret!
I occasionally used to hitchhike in my younger days, back and forth between home and University. One day I was picked up by a fella who started a very conversation by saying "I've just had a wasted journey" and went on to describe how he was caught with his hands in the till at work. His boss was going to sack him unless he agreed to be punished by being whacked with a cane across his backside, and the boss was reluctant to do it himself but insisted on seeing the wields, so this fella had to find someone who would do it for him. He said he'd just been to see an uncle to perform the task but his uncle had gone away on holiday for a month and there was noone else he could too.
This conversation went on for about 40 miles, and not being too stupid I quickly realised that it was all a complete lie and the fella just wanted me to spank him for his perverse pleasure! I suugested lots of alternatives, all to no avail, the deed had to be done or he was doomed. Of course I said I was a pacifist, otherwise I'd have helped him out. To be honest I was getting a little worried. When it became obvious I wasn't going to do it he let me at the next junction. Phew thought I, lucky escape.
Some months later I was again hitching and got picked up by a fella. Imagine my horror when he uttered the words "I've just had a wasted journey". This time of course I already knew the story, and yes it was complete repeat of the previous time, only this time I got let out a few junctions earlier!
Now that, you may think, isn't much of a coincidence, this poor fella obviously trawls the motorways looking for someone to spank him.
Anyway, here's the bizarre scary part. Some 15 years later I was starting a job miles away from the scene of these incidents and was sat at my new desk while the other employees arrived at various times, as it was flexi-time. Each one came in and came to say hello and introduce themselves, but one desk was still vacant. Then in came the last member of the team, who I hadn't noticed come in so had my back to him. Then I heard the words...yes those ones! "I've just had a wasted journey...". A chill ran down my spine as I turned around to see the very same fella who had picked me up twice years before. Of course he didn't recognise me, but I'd never forget his face or voice. He'd been to a supermarket on the way to work to get some item and it was sold out, hence the wasted journey and why he was late!
After working with him for a few months it turned out he was quite a nice fella really and we got on really well. I of course never mentioned the fact we'd met before, twice! He sometimes used to turn up very late for work, with the excuse that he'd been stuck on the motorway, haha only I there knew why he was really late!
I hope that one was worth sticking with hahaha! It is 100% true!
Date submitted:Fri, 19 Oct 2012 12:46:50 +0000Coincidence ID:6554