# Strangest coincidence this week **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 10, 2015, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangest-coincidence-this-week/724729 "2015-07-10T03:53:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2015, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangest-coincidence-this-week/724729/1 "2015-07-10T03:53:39Z")
Here’s mine: Having done the cave tour, I’m at the snack bar of the [Timpanogos Cave National Monument](http://www.nps.gov/tica/index.htm). I’m relaxing with a cup of coffee and a book I’d bought the day before. At an adjacent table are two guys in full bicycle gear, who are taking a break from some obviously serious ride (lots of steep roads nearby). Also present are two hiker-outfitted guys staying close together in a somewhat curious way; it soon becomes evident that one is blind, and mostly keeps his hand on the shoulder of the other. One bicycle guy introduces himself to the blind hiker: “Hey - I met you at that talk you gave in Anchorage - and my company helped sponsor your climb!” From their conversation, it becomes evident that the climb in question is Mt. Everest, and the blind guy is [Erik Weihenmayer](http://www.values.com/inspirational-sayings-billboards/47-vision), who has climbed all the “seven summits” (and done a lot more). I can’t resist showing them the book I’m reading: it’s _The Crystal Horizon_, by Reinhold Messner, about his 1980 solo climb of Mt. Everest. ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2015, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangest-coincidence-this-week/724729/2 "2015-07-10T04:05:05Z")
On Wednesday, United Airlines, the New York Stock Exchange and the Wall Street journal all had computer problems / outages to varying degrees of seriousness. > **[Tech fail! Explaining today's 3 big computer errors](https://money.cnn.com/2015/07/08/technology/united-nyse-wsj-down/)** > > United Airline is down. So is the Wall Street Journal's website. And even the New York Stock Exchange has stopped. ---
**Author:** ![desertmonk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@desertmonk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/desertmonk)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangest-coincidence-this-week/724729/3 "2015-07-12T04:02:37Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > Here’s mine: > > Having done the cave tour, I’m at the snack bar of the [Timpanogos Cave National Monument](http://www.nps.gov/tica/index.htm). I’m relaxing with a cup of coffee and a book I’d bought the day before. > > At an adjacent table are two guys in full bicycle gear, who are taking a break from some obviously serious ride (lots of steep roads nearby). Also present are two hiker-outfitted guys staying close together in a somewhat curious way; it soon becomes evident that one is blind, and mostly keeps his hand on the shoulder of the other. > > One bicycle guy introduces himself to the blind hiker: “Hey - I met you at that talk you gave in Anchorage - and my company helped sponsor your climb!” From their conversation, it becomes evident that the climb in question is Mt. Everest, and the blind guy is [Erik Weihenmayer](http://www.values.com/inspirational-sayings-billboards/47-vision), who has climbed all the “seven summits” (and done a lot more). > > I can’t resist showing them the book I’m reading: it’s _The Crystal Horizon_, by Reinhold Messner, about his 1980 solo climb of Mt. Everest. Would you recommend the book? ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangest-coincidence-this-week/724729/4 "2015-07-12T04:52:26Z")
Coincidentally, Erik Weihenmayer is probably most famous for being the subject of this unfortunate news gaffe: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/7Fd97hVVD9U/hqdefault.jpg "Blind climber mistake / reaction") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Fd97hVVD9U)