Right Honourable Member
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I'm just back from my little job-interview vacation to Manchester, and two times on the trip I noticed utterly pointless avoidance of the number 13. Firstly, After checking in at the hotel, I went to the bar to have a quiet drink after a long day wandering around the city. I went back to my room a little tipsy, and I was sure my room number was 113. I couldn't find it; I thought I was going insane, or just plain drunk. I checked my details, and yes, I was mistaken. My room was actually number 133. The hotel has no room 13, or 113, or 213 etc. That's just pointless superstition. I know of no-one who actually believes that number is unlucky in any way. Furthermore, my room number was 133, which contains 13. Was I bothered? no.
On my flight back, I was in Row 14. I walked up the plane; row 11, row 12, row 14. No row 13. WHY!? It's just stupid! It actually really confused a couple who were also in row 14, because they thought they were in the wrong seats; they actually checked with the flight attendant. From a purely business perspective, I suspect that row 13 on planes and room 13 in hotels are unused since there is a slight chance that the designated occupant of this seat/room may request to be moved based on superstition. However, this is the 21st century and I can't honestly imagine anyone caring about this. What do you guys and gals think? Is it stupid? Also, do you avoid walking under a ladder or avoid any other activities considered bad luck? |
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Subdued and Medicated
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I was in a hotel once and they didn't have a floor 13. A whole floor missing! Probably where all the janitors plot world domination.
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Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2004
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Most hotels have no 13th floor.
Even the ones over 12 floors high. |
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25 chars of wasted space.
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Yarp
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Road Warrior
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Basically anything and anyone in boston.
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Right Honourable Member
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ಠ_ರೃ
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Minnesota
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So... what's your blood type, baby? |
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Hates the Infotainment
Join Date: May 2004
Location: NSA Archives
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Turbulent, how dare you disrespect an entire group of people based on their disability (triskaidekaphobia)? You are an insensitive bigot and need to apologize immediately before I report you to ITA (International Triskaidekaphobians Anonymous).
...into the light of a dark black night. |
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Right Honourable Member
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I've just done some wikiing, and I no longer like John Mayer.
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On Pacific time
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Moderator's Pub
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However, I did read years ago that the Japanese transportation department (subways, trains, airlines, etc.) has employees' biorhythms charted. Transportation employees in jobs involving public safety aren't allowed to work on the days when their biorhythms are low. |
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Hates the Infotainment
Join Date: May 2004
Location: NSA Archives
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Right Honourable Member
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The musician
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Hoonigan
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Canada
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Jesus christ Carol, thanks a lot. I read this post of yours 20 minutes ago:
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Man, it is going to take a really well taken high res boobie shot to make up for this one. |
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¡Damned!
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Purgatory
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If I tip over the salt shaker I throw a pinch over my shoulder. I knock on wood. I would freak if I broke a mirror and there was no moon that night. On my first ever date with my Ex I made her slam on the brakes, turn around and go around the block the opposite way because a black cat crossed the road in front of us. All entirely true. But I have no problem with 13. 13 is very good. So it goes. Last edited by 709 : 2006-05-12 at 20:48. |
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is the next Chiquita
Join Date: Feb 2005
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1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 43, 47, 53, 59, 61, 67, 71, 73, 83, 89, 97...
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¡Damned!
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Purgatory
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, 709...
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Formerly Roboman, still
awesome Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Portland, OR
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There isn't a Track 13 on Hot Hot Heat's "Elevator," either.
Whether they did that as a joke (seeing how elevators in hotels can't go to a nonexistant 13th floor) or because they're superstitious, I don't know. I have a lucky number (27), but I'm not superstitious about the number 13, or anything else, really. I do, however use significant numbers in my writing and such. For example, I often use 12 as a symbol for order, because it is non-prime ("very non-prime," if you know what I mean - it has lots of factors) and because it is used a lot in daily life. 13 often becomes the symbol of disorder, because it is prime, and considered "unlucky," and not just rare - but avoided. and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong |
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is the next Chiquita
Join Date: Feb 2005
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But why should it being a prime should be unlucky? There are plenty of primes out there, both less or greater than 13.
Personally, I find it fascinating that prime numbers exist in this limbo between having order and disorder; you can describe it, but you can't put it into an algorithm, at least not entirely. |
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Space Pirate
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Atlanta
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I have yet to see a link to the Wikipedia article on the number 13 so I've included it in lieu of some pithy observance of my own (since I don't have one in my pocket right now).
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Selfish Heathen
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Zone of Pain
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Straight Dope gives us the straight dope an why people fear teh thirteen :
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_080.html Quote:
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Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Denver, Colorado
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1,1,2,3,5,7,12,19,31,50
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HerrDEUTSCH™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Philadelphia, PA
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Who cares about the 13th when 06†06†06 is less than a month away.
*sorry - couldn't find the upside down cross symbol... you'd think it was the sign of the devil or something this message was brought to you by MrENGLISH™ WARNING: may contain Sarcasm and/or Bad Spelling Last edited by MrENGLISH™ : 2006-05-14 at 03:33. |
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Not sayin', just sayin'
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I used to live in an apartment numbered #14 but it was really the 13th apartment n the building.
Isn't 313 the unlucky number in Europe? Italy at least. |
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¡Damned!
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Purgatory
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Which, of course, happens to be my area code. Call me. I've got a nice, warm place for you to 'retire'. So it goes. |
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Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Chicago
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I'm only superstitious in certain areas of my life, none of which have to do with the number 13, black cats, or how I walk around or through ladders. Most of mine are sports things. I have a weird thing with swimming suits, I have to be wearing three of them during practices, if I'm not wearing three, I have problems (that's three speedos, not regular swim trunks.) I have to use the same pair of goggles all the time, that one is huge. At the beginning of a water polo game I have to enter the water in the same way every time. Other than that, I'm really not superstitious at all.
My grandma is however, when she found out years ago that my family was moving into a house with a 13 in the address, she nearly died. Come waste your time with me |
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Antimatter Man
Join Date: May 2004
Location: that interweb thing
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0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987, 1597, 2584, 4181, 6765, 10946, … |
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