Coincidences at Sea-Tac
While waiting in line to board a flight bound for Chicago, I had the privilege of hearing the following exchange:
“Where you headed?” said passenger one.
“Chicago,” answered passenger two.
“Really?” said passenger one. “Me, too!” Genuinely astonished. What are the chances of meeting another person headed for Chicago, in a line full of people flying to Chicago? Crazy!
Passenger one reeked of liquor. (It was 9:30 a.m.) Passenger two was from Vancouver. They managed to hold a 20-minute conversation — you know, because they had so much in common. Here are the parts that stuck in my brain:
“Much better to fly into Midway. That puts you right downtown.” (Not true)
Passenger Two:”How many people are in Chicago?”
Passenger One: “9 million.” (correct answer: 2.8 million. 9 million would make it bigger than New York.)
9 million is not too far off, if you include the suburbs.