What! The same Hitchicker, again!!
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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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1989: The Hitch Hiker!
It was about early June 1989, and I had just left Horsham (S of London), after being interviewed (successfully) for a Head of Technology (Teacher) job at Forest Boys School. I was driving back to Scotland, in one go, and it’s a long way. To relieve the boredom, after stopping at the services at the M25 end of the A1, as I was leaving the services (about 6.00pm) I picked up a hitch hiker. He was a nice educated chap, a TV cameraman for Yorkshire TV, and as we had very similar electronic) interests, it really helped the journey (north up the A1) , and I dropped him off at the turnoff to Barnsley.
Now move forward mid November 1989, and I’m at the first services on the M74 on the south side of Glasgow. I’m heading to Lincoln on the first leg of a journey back to Crawley. I pick up a hitch hiker, and it’s the same cameraman!!! What’s the chances of that? He was just as amazed as I was. And at one point in the journey I’m going past the same turnoff on the A1 (to Barnsley), so I even know where to drop him off! And as I said previously he’s as amazed and perturbed at this most odd coincidence as I am!! He was a very nice chap! And naturally, we had another really interesting chat!
So what was the chances of that coincidence happening??
Date submitted:Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:21:31 +0000Coincidence ID:5402