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Comment by alex_duf | Hacker News Reader

In the states it's quite common to number the floors of a building by avoiding the number 13. I think this is pure madness. 10, 11, 12, 14, 15...

All of that because of a fantasy book where people had supper and they happen to be 13 at the table.

It's very far from madness to avoid being a seller who ends up with lesser valued property irrespective of the origins of a myth.

The madness isn’t the reaction by property owners, it’s the customers making it an issue.

Which is odd, because regardless how you number a floor, some floor really is the 13th floor.

>All of that because of a fantasy book where people had supper and they happen to be 13 at the table.

Your link doesn't state that. It mentions the last supper as a potential but unlikely origin of 13 as an unlucky number.

The same on planes. There is never (I've never seen it anyway) row #13. It goes straight from row #12 to #14.

Qantas to the rescue of all that is rational.

And they have a great safety record. Maybe 13 is a lucky number after all?

it is actually one of the best seats XD

I was sitting on row 13 last week in 2 planes. Really depends on the company.

I assume the GP is referring to Cathay Pacific, for whom Hong Kong is home base; they do not have row 13.

Czech Airlines used to have a row 13.

Years ago they also had a pretty cool security demonstration in which they lighted up the emergency lighting.

> All of that because of a fantasy book where people had supper and they happen to be 13 at the table.

Well, this fantasy book led to much more crazy behaviors. Beside this, the same is true for many other fantasy things like money or ethics.