Number Rhumba

A One-In-A-Million Coincidence

So you think you have a story of great coincidences? Forgive me, but it is my very humble assertion that you ain't seen nuthin' yet. When my wife traded in her car for a new model a few years ago, I went with her to the dealership and listened as the sales manager detailed all the electronic gadgetry on the car. He explained that all she needed was to remember a special code if the car's security system was ever disabled. My attention was arrested as soon as he told us the code.

It was my date of birth, in the exact order of day, month and year.

I thought that was strange. Since all the paperwork for the purchase was in my wife's name, how on earth did the sales team have my details? "How did you know my date of birth?'' I asked him, astonished.

But he was even more startled. He explained that since it was an imported car, the codes were set overseas, on the assembly line. It was just a sheer coincidence that the car had been allotted to us. Mathematically, the probability was one in several million, because you don't just compute the chances of the digits falling in precise sequence, you also have to take into account the number of cars made of that particular model.

For more amazing coincidences in my life, check Fate Accompli.