The first shall be last and the last shall be last

I recently wrote about my bad luck with gate assignments at airports. No matter the gate number assigned to me, it seems that it's always the furthest from where I start. However, I noted that I might be working with a biased data set: I only notice and remember the long walks while I forget the times when I get the gate right next to the security check point. So like a good scientist, I called for more data. My trip back from Newark provided me with an interesting datum:

Okay, let's see here. Gate C98. Seems like a large number, better brace myself for a long walk. But then again, the numbers might count down this time...

C70 through C115. Well, it's not the first gate, but at least it's not the last. Middle of the range, here we come!

Hmmm, seems that I've hit a quantum fluctuation and the universe has split. But maybe this time the numbers will decrease and I'll be at the first gate. Fingers are crossed...

Oh come on! Really? Well played, Newark International. Well played.

Oh Newark. At least you provide me with a nice play on words as consolation for my long journey ahead (Wok & Roll: what else would you call a Chinese-Japanese food stand?!)

Comments

honestjournal said…

Take a look at the "Comments" section of this preprint:

http://arxiv.org/abs/1102.1009

May 21, 2012 at 4:07 PM

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