[turbulentfurball]

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?

[Ebby]

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.

[Windswept]

I try to avoid doing important things on the 13th of the month.

So sue me.

[Kickaha]

Most hotels have no 13th floor.

Even the ones over 12 floors high.

[Windswept]

Oopsie! Hope those people on the flight in row 14 didn't start realizing that eek! *gasp* they were REALLY in the 13th row.

[ast3r3x]

Originally Posted by turbulentfurball 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?

Your not suspersticious because 13 has been removed from society and the bad things it causes don't happen anymore!

[Wrao]

Basically anything and anyone in boston.

[turbulentfurball]

Originally Posted by Windswept Oopsie! Hope those people on the flight in row 14 didn't start realizing that eek! *gasp* they were REALLY in the 13th row.

Yup, that was me. The plane was practically empty; no more than around 20 people (An ERJ 145 that seats 50), yet all seats in row 14(really 13) were occupied. I don't know if a computer allocates seats, or if they're chosen by the person at the check in desk. I'm rather suspicious myself

[Luca]

Originally Posted by Windswept I try to avoid doing important things on the 13th of the month. So sue me.

Oh hey Carol! Have you gotten into blood types as well? I heard that in Japan, your blood type is viewed in much the same way as your horoscope is seen here.

So... what's your blood type, baby?

[Moogs]

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).

[turbulentfurball]

I've just done some wikiing, and I no longer like John Mayer.

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by Luca Oh hey Carol! Have you gotten into blood types as well? I heard that in Japan, your blood type is viewed in much the same way as your horoscope is seen here. So... what's your blood type, baby?

I'm embarrassed to admit that I don't know what my blood type is, Luca.

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.

[Moogs]

Originally Posted by turbulentfurball I've just done some wikiing, and I no longer like John Mayer.

The shrink or the musician?

[turbulentfurball]

The musician

American singer-songwriter John Mayer had 14 tracks on his album Room for Squares, although the 13th is 0.2 seconds of silence and is not listed on the album cover.

[murbot]

Jesus christ Carol, thanks a lot. I read this post of yours 20 minutes ago:

Originally Posted by Windswept I try to avoid doing important things on the 13th of the month. So sue me.

and then got busy... just came back to post a little joke about you trying super absorbent tampons so you wouldn't have to avoid doing important things once a month, and the first thing I see when I reload this thread is you talking about YOUR GODDAMN BLOOD TYPE.

Man, it is going to take a really well taken high res boobie shot to make up for this one.

[Windswept]

I was merely answering Luca's question.

[709]

Originally Posted by turbulentfurball Also, do you avoid walking under a ladder...

Yes.

Originally Posted by turbulentfurball ...or avoid any other activities considered bad luck?

Yes.

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.

[Banana]

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...

[709]

, 709...

[Robo]

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.

[Banana]

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.

[drewprops]

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).

[Brad]

Straight Dope gives us the straight dope an why people fear teh thirteen :

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_080.html

[...] But 13's stock dropped like a rock in the middle ages. The proximate cause of this apparently was the observation that Judas, the betrayer of Jesus, made 13 at the table. Other great medieval minds, I read here, pointed out that "the Jews murmured 13 times against God in the exodus from Egypt, that the thirteenth psalm concerns wickedness and corruption, that the circumcision of Israel occurred in the thirteenth year," and so on. Pretty thin excuse for maligning a number that never meant any harm, you may think. I agree. We must inquire further, and if we do we conclude that while open hostility to 13 may be relatively recent, folks have had their suspicions about it for quite a while. Thirteen is a prime; primes have always attracted attention (compare 7). What's worse, 13 is one past 12, the dozen, almost universally regarded as a perfect number, signifying harmony and all good things. Thirteen, by contrast, is a number of transgression, taking matters one step too far, turning harmony into discord. [...]

[hflomberg]

1,1,2,3,5,7,12,19,31,50

[MrENGLISH™]

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

[BuonRotto]

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.

[709]

Originally Posted by MrENGLISH™ Who cares about the 13th when 06†06†06 is less than a month away.

Except the 'number of the beast' is really 616.

Which, of course, happens to be my area code. Call me. I've got a nice, warm place for you to 'retire'.

[MrENGLISH™]

Originally Posted by 709 Except the 'number of the beast' is really 616.

Very Interesting!

Who cares about the 13th when 06†01†06 is 2 weeks away

[DMBand0026]

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.

[curiousuburb]

Originally Posted by hflomberg 1,1,2,3,5,7,12,19,31,50

Paging Mr. Fibonacci...
0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987, 1597, 2584, 4181, 6765, 10946, …