Re: innumeracy

From: Matt Gingell (mjg223@nyu.edu)
Date: Sun Aug 27 2000 - 05:46:09 MDT


Spike Jones writes:
> I was shopping today and the parking spaces next to the
> store had a big sign that said "15 minutes only, between
> 8 a.m. and 9 p.m."
>
> That didnt sound right to me so I multiplied it out and
> found the sign was indeed in error. There are in fact
> 780 minutes between 8am and 9pm. Such an appalling
> example of innumeracy caused me to take my trade
> elsewhere, for I did not feel I could trust them to make
> the right change.

The World Trade Center has lots of bronze-looking engraved signs
reading "No trespassing violators will be prosecuted." That sounded
like a rather friendly policy till I did a double take and put
the comma in.

-matt



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