# How likely is it for the average person to...  And have you ever...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-likely-is-it-for-the-average-person-to-and-have-you-ever/410837>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [July 7, 2007, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-likely-is-it-for-the-average-person-to-and-have-you-ever/410837 "2007-07-07T11:59:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2007, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-likely-is-it-for-the-average-person-to-and-have-you-ever/410837/21 "2007-07-08T21:26:01Z")

</div>

Better cite.

> **[Home](https://bjs.ojp.gov/)**
>
> The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) is the United States' primary source for criminal justice statistics that cover a wide range of topics.

This says 5% likelihood over lifetime. _In prison_. This means sentenced to over a year, and convicted of a felony. This doesn’t include misdemeanors, sentencing less than a year, things that happen when you’re a minor, or being held for a couple of hours.

Still going to have to go with around 30%.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2007, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-likely-is-it-for-the-average-person-to-and-have-you-ever/410837/22 "2007-07-08T21:32:23Z")

</div>

I know there be a few but I have shaken hands with Bill Clinton twice. However, as far as I can tell, he has shaken the hands of an insane number of people in his life. That man has a striking physical presence BTW. He was BIG and dwarfed me and I am not small.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![essell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/34f0e0/32.png) [@essell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/essell)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2007, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-likely-is-it-for-the-average-person-to-and-have-you-ever/410837/23 "2007-07-08T23:07:14Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=chowder]  
I shake hands with my penis every day. Definitely an “A” list celeb  
[/QUOTE]

I always thought people in Manchester could be defined by the fact they do that a lot.

Close as I’ve come to a celebrity is I sold a phone to the dude that created the [Eden Project](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eden_project). More of a local celebrity. And someone in my company once served [Rick Mayall](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rik_Mayall). But then I am in the arse end of the country.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-likely-is-it-for-the-average-person-to-and-have-you-ever/410837.md?page=1)