What skill can you perform better than 99 random people? Please read OP for specifics before answering

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

PLEASE RESPOND WITH JUST ONE SKILL

You are given the opportunity to enter a skill contest with 99 other randomly-selected people. It costs you $100 to enter, and if you beat the other 99 you win $1000.

Here is the deal: You get to choose which skill is the basis of the competition. In other words, what can you likely do better than 99 other random folks?

The skill need not necessarily be objectively measurable. For example, your skill could be something like “best salsa dancer” or “best at drawing caricatures”. For the purposes of this discussion, assume an expert panel will fairly determine the winner where there is some subjectivity involved.

Or, it could be something measurable, such as “I can hold my breath the longest”.

Your chosen skill must be something that is generally accessible to most. If you are a brain surgeon, for example, please do not select “best at inserting an external ventriculostomy drainage apparatus”. For this reason, work-related skills are ineligible.

It goes without saying (but I will say it anyway) that responses such as “best at annoying my spouse” or “best at forgetting why I walked into a room” are not in the spirit of the thread.

The amount of the prize money is intentionally (relatively) low. You get to choose the skill; indeed, you get to choose whether you play or not.

So, what everyday thing do you think you could do better than 99 randos?

Or do you want to opt out?

What skill do you perform worse than 99 random people?
2

Parallel parking. I believe I am a world-class PPer, and I am pretty confident that I could out-park 99 randomly-selected people.

I would definitely pony up 100 bucks to find out.

mmm

3

Solving linear differential equations and answering questions about written science fiction (maybe even at the same time)

4

Singing jazz.

(Edited: At first I just said “singing,” but then decided it was better to specify a genre. I think I’d probably be a better pop singer than 99 random people, and maybe also classical, but my best chance is with jazz.)

5

Most of my math and science skills probably count as “work-related”, but I have another one: Speed-walking. I’m nowhere near the level of actual competitive speed-walkers, but I’ve yet to meet anyone who walks faster than I.

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Who gets the rest of the money?

7

Fixing things.
An engineering background, an inherent cheapness, an aversion to waste, and a love of challenges has made me a fantastic repair guy. Be it electrical, mechanical, plumbing, or carpentry- if it’s broken, I’ll fix it.

8

Navigating through a crowded airport and getting to my gate first. Also fly casting.

9

Well, damn! I guess I’m out.
:angry:

Seriously, I’m better than anybody I know or anybody I have ever known, at being on time. I’m never late. (Barring earthquake or other natural disaster, but frankly, I’m likely to allow for something like that in my planning.) Sometimes I try to be late because I know it’s fashionable to be a little bit late, but then I just wind up sitting outside the venue in my car until it’s a decent time to ring the doorbell, go in, or whatever.

The reason I’m always on time and I suspect the reason that lots of other people aren’t or at least one of the reasons, is because I know how long it takes to do something. I don’t try to cram a 20 minute task into 10 minutes and pretend that I can leave on time and be on time. Of course, that kind of thinking will make me 10 minutes late. If anything I’ll take a 10-minute task and allow a 20-minute window so that I will be early.

I think it’s a sign of respect for the other person to be on time. Also, I do not like to have other people wait for me. And now that I have 1,500 books in my Kindle library, I can be early and make progress in my reading of War and Peace.

10

Juggling. I can juggle three odd things (that is, different objects), eat an apple while I juggle it, juggle flaming torches, juggle clubs, and toss one under my leg or behind my back, and juggle knives and garden cycles. I can juggle four, juggle in a round, and a few other odd patterns besides the classic cascade.

Google says that about 20% of the US population can juggle a three-ball cascade, but it jumps to 0.1% when you look at juggling clubs. I’ll bet $100 that 80 other randomly selected people can’t juggle at all, and I can top the 19 guys who can.

But I want a bigger cut. You don’t get that much money just for organizing.

11

Peeling navel oranges, such that most of the white pith is also removed.

12

Make a perfect dovetail joint.

Break down and reassemble an M-16.

13

I was going to say that I was best at figuring out that 100 people were being fleeced out of $9000 by mmm, but apparently I’ve got some competition.

14

I think I can spout bullshit better than 99 random people. I cannot spout bullshit better than most Dopers, however. When it comes to bullshitting, I’m probably mid-pack among Dopers.

15

Snatching a stack of quarters off my forearm. I can consistently do 40. When it comes to fixing things I’m probably the opposite of beowulff; 99 random people would all do that better than me.

16

Playing guitar. If I need to be more specific, we’ll say rock guitar.

I’m a very good guitarist who played in working bands (small time stuff like bars) for many years. There are certainly better guitarists, but I like my chances against 99 randos.

17

Finding my way around a new city after looking at a map the night before. Did this last year accompanying my wife on a work trip to Munich. She had meetings the first day so I looked at a map quickly locating our hotel and the places I wanted to see and set off the next morning without a map or gps.

18

How about, I pay $10 to win $900, and mmm can take $100 for organizing.

19

Oh, easy. I’m very good at math, science and writing, but if you want a complete skill…?

I can write a song, words and music, perform it playing all instruments and singing the vocal.

Record it ( as engineer and producer) using the DAW (Reaper), and produce a finished product.

May not be quite Brian Wilson or Beatles quality… but it will probably be at least interesting. Some of my work is available on the web…

20

Spelling. Being on time. Identifying the artist of a song played on the radio from the 60s, 70s, or 80s.

I’m useless! :sob: