# This weeks Car Talk Puzzler (Probability)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-car-talk-puzzler-probability/267569>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 4, 2004, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-car-talk-puzzler-probability/267569 "2004-10-04T23:42:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 27

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**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-car-talk-puzzler-probability/267569/27 "2004-10-05T01:48:50Z")

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How about an argument for 50%, based on symmetry:

There are two special seats: yours (call it Y), and the one that was assigned to the first passenger to board (call it F). If any passenger after the first happens to sit in F before Y is occupied, you will get to sit in Y. But if anyone grabs Y before F is occupied, you will not get to sit in Y. As there is nothing to make either of these more likely than the other, the chances are equal.

Does that work?

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