
Ask HN: Have you noticed this peculiarity on vending machines? - glaberficken
[advance apologies for the trivial nature of this post. Hope it finds a fit on your Saturday =]<p>A vending machine at my workplace has a 10 item row with water bottles (all same brand and label) numbered in the range [51-60].<p>As is customary in current vending machines you select the item by entering a double digit number on a keypad.<p>When I&#x27;m buying water I always select item number 55 (because I find it more convenient to just press the same button twice without looking than typing any of the other options that have 2 different digits).<p>Surprise, surprise, item 55 is always the first one to sell out on that row. Which means most people also do the same convenience trick as me.<p>Have you noticed any similar &quot;hidden&quot; patterns like this one?
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superflit
In Brazil vote is not a right but "mandatory" -> Quotes mean..double speaking.

If you don't vote you have to pay fees, cannot work on the public sector or
get a passport.

So it is very common for the candidates with number 12345 being elected[1].

Or the ones with 123,111 [2] [3]

Even Business companies try to make "easier" for you to remember their number.

[1] -
[https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elei%C3%A7%C3%B5es_distritais_...](https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elei%C3%A7%C3%B5es_distritais_no_Distrito_Federal_em_2018)

[2] -
[https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elei%C3%A7%C3%B5es_distritais_...](https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elei%C3%A7%C3%B5es_distritais_no_Distrito_Federal_em_2014)

[3] -
[https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elei%C3%A7%C3%B5es_estaduais_n...](https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elei%C3%A7%C3%B5es_estaduais_no_Rio_Grande_do_Sul_em_2014)

~~~
maerF0x0
I'm surprised the candidates are not randomised on the ballots?

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facorreia
There are many parties; each party has a double-digit number; candidate
numbers start with their party number. You can even just enter the 2 digits to
vote on the party's candidate list instead of on individual candidates.

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throwlaplace
this pattern is mostly coincidental i think but you might be interested in
benford's law

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benford%27s_law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benford%27s_law)

which is an observation about scale invariant quantities

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benford%27s_law#Scale_invarian...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benford%27s_law#Scale_invariance)

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tanseydavid
Reminds me a little bit of the chapter "Candy Machine Interfaces" from Steve
Maguire's book "Writing Solid Code"

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pouta
My University has the water bottles at the same number range and the first one
to be sold out is always 55.

I usually pick 51, no idea why.

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maxrf
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudge_theory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudge_theory)

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jasonhansel
Reminds me of: [https://www.xkcd.com/1103/](https://www.xkcd.com/1103/)

