Same name, place, car, time and place!

As of the 23rd May 2022 this website is archived and will receive no further updates.

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.

Many of the animations were produced using Flash and will no longer work.

Hello David, I caught your program on BBC4 last night and I wanted to add to your ‘portfolio’ of coincidences. Here’s one that may rival your best yet! To give you some unnecessary background, I was selling a radio-controlled helicopter via ebay and I got an enquiry from a guy that stayed a fair distance away. Me and my wife were planning a shopping trip to a town that was kind of central between us and the enquirer, so we arranged to meet. I gave him my name and description of my car along with the time I’d be sitting in the carpark of the shopping centre place. The enquirer, let’s call him Dave, gave me the same details; name of Dave, car was a Mitsubishi Shogun and he’d be there around 10 o’clock. I was in the car park waiting for Dave to arrive whilst the wife was in looking at curtains or something equally banal. The time approaches 10 o’clock and a Shogun pulls into the car park and stops right in front of mine. I get out and go to say hello to Dave. The conversation goes like this; Me – Hello, Dave? Dave – Eh, yes. Me – OK, come and see what I’ve got (we then head around to the boot of my car, which I open to reveal the helicopter). So this is the kit, it’s got the radio gear etc but I think one of the servo’s isn’t working now etc etc (now I’ve had this guy standing next to me for about three or four minutes by this point). Dave – What are you actually showing me??? Me – Eh, the radio-controlled helicopter that you’re here to see. Dave – Dunno what you’re talking about mate, I’m just here to go into that shop for a carpet. Me – But your name is Dave. Dave – Yes. Me – And you’re driving a Shogun. Dave – Yes, so? I then went on to explain the situation RE ebay, the ‘real’ Dave etc. I’m not convinced he believed me and he sauntered off in the direction of the carpet/curtain shop no doubt thinking that I’d escaped from somewhere padded. No sooner was he out of sight, that another Shogun pulls into the car park and pulls up near me. This conversation started off; Me – Dave? Dave – Yes. Are you Rab? Me – Yes, you’re never going to believe what’s just happened… I tell this story to friends and family and I totally accept how fabricated it must sound. Same name, same place, same car, same time. Now for a question that you must be sick of hearing…What were the chances of THAT happening?! If that’s not amongst your top three, I’d love to hear what is.
Total votes: 261
Date submitted:Thu, 25 Oct 2012 17:53:23 +0000Coincidence ID:6645