Public phone box

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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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When I was 15 and shopping in town with a friend when I should have been working on a school project with the same friend, I walked past a public phone box just as it started ringing. I 'dared' my friend to answer the phone. She 'double-dared' me. I opened the door, answered the phone 'hello?' and my mum said 'hello charlotte. Are you coming home for dinner?'. I was so surprised I confessed all. It turned out that the phone box had the same number as my friend's home number bar one digit. My mum had misdialled and inadvertently called the phone box that I just happened to be walking by.
Total votes: 1042
Date submitted:Sat, 14 Jan 2012 08:39:37 +0000Coincidence ID:3486

Comments

Anonymous (not verified)

Sun, 15/01/2012 - 9:39pm

Mum will ALWAYS find you out.