Latchford Locks
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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 name is Tony R, I live in Warrington, Cheshire. My hobbies include running and cycling. One day, a few months ago, I was running towards Latchford Locks (Manchester Ship Canal), where I was intending to run across the footbridge above the lock gates. On my approach, I noticed that there was a small ferry in the process of negotiating the lock system. As I don't like to stop running after I have started, I continued to run in a loop around the hard standing near to the lock system. After the ferry had passed, I continued my run without incident.
Later that day, I went to my job as an A.A Patrol. I was given a task at The Lowry Shopping Centre, on Salford Quays, where a member had inadvertantly left his interior light switched on, and flattened the cars battery. I arrived with the vehicle/passengers, and whilst I was carrying out my checks, I asked if the couple had had an interesting day, to which they said they had been on a cruise along The Manchester Ship Canal on an old Mersey Ferry. I told them that I had seen a similar ferry earlier that day at Latchford Locks whilst I was running. The lady of the couple started to laugh, as she could not believe what she was hearing. She had been filming the negotiation of the ferry through the locks, and transferred her camcorder onto ME, as she didn't understand why a man would be running round in circles near a canal lock! I would hopefully be able to retreive the job details through The A.A Help system if required, if the story needed to be verified. It's one my many coincidences that keeps people mildly attentive for a short time.
Regards, Tony R
Date submitted:Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:00:02 +0000Coincidence ID:5537