[Anina]

Anina asked the Naked Scientists:

I would like to know why aeroplanes all over the world don't have a row 13?

What do you think?

[Don_1]

Stupid superstitious fools would not sit in row 13 and might even refuse to fly in a plane which had a row 13.

It's mad!!! There IS a row 13, but it has been numbered 14. I wonder if these silly people are the same with money? If someone wanted $15 for an item, I could give them $14 and say that I didn't give them the 13th $ to save from bad luck!!!

I am not superstitious and never will be, touch wood!

[blakestyger]

It's pointless not having row 13 - it isn't as if that's the only row that would fall out of the sky in the event of an accident. []

[lyner]

There's not a row 13 because that's where they put the space between the emergency doors.

[dentstudent]

There's not a row 13 because that's where they put the space between the emergency doors.

Does that mean that on longer planes, there is also no row 34 or wherever the second emergency doors are?

[dentstudent]

Here is the floor plan for the A380 - I'm not sure that there is a coincidence between row 13 and the emergency exits....http://www.airpartner.com/aircraft-guide/commercial-jets/large/a380/

[lyner]

Some people can be so logical.

[Don_1]

The Japanese are very superstitious, # 13 is a no no for them. A small industrial estate in SE London built & owned by Nipon has no unit 13. it has 1 - 12 then 14 & 15.

[lyner]

Didn't you hear about that?
Unit 13 was struck by a falling meteorite.

[Karen W.]

Stupid superstitious fools would not sit in row 13 and might even refuse to fly in a plane which had a row 13.

It's mad!!! There IS a row 13, but it has been numbered 14. I wonder if these silly people are the same with money? If someone wanted $15 for an item, I could give them $14 and say that I didn't give them the 13th $ to save from bad luck!!!

I am not superstitious and never will be, touch wood!

HEE...HEE..HEE..LOL....Your so  funny...LOL
I must say I always heard it was bad luck for a plane to have row 13.. just like you said...hee hee....superstition !!

[Don_1]

Didn't you hear about that?
Unit 13 was struck by a falling meteorite.

So the Japanese are right!!!

[techmind]

I thought the Japanese were only superstitious about the number four.

A few years back, two of us went into a restaurant in Japan, and thought we'd order two items each to start with. The waiter was very questioning about our ordering 4 things, and eventually he went away... but we were served three items then the fourth one turned up at least 10minutes later!

It was only later that I remembered reading about the 4-superstition in the guide book!

[techmind]

It's not that unusual for British streets to be missing house-number 13 - although by no means universal.