The Reverse CD Mystery

[SpyOne]

First of all, the odds of all 12 winding up facing the same way by random chance is only 1 in 4096.
(since each "digit" has 2 possible outcomes, it would be 2 raised to the exponent of the number of digits, so in this case 2^12)

This sounds to me like someone who learned how to handle recorded media in the age of vinyl: never ever touch the surface. Touch only the edge and/or the center.
When trying to pull a CD out of a sleeve, such a person will reach their fingers over the text side down to the hole, using a finger through the hole to pull the disc out of the sleeve. If the sleeve is in a book or case or other binding, it is easier to do this if the shiny side faces out, and the hand reaches behind it.
Similarly, in a DVD-style case with the connector in the center, one can press the release in the center with a thumb while sliding fingers behind the disc, but only if the side facing the back is not the side you are trying to avoid touching.

Removing a vinyl record from it's paper sleeve is quite a challenge, especially for a child: you must not touch the disk, you can't pinch it and pull it out of the sleeve. ONLY touch the disk by its edge. So you must hold the sleeve and allow the disk to roll out of it, being very careful to not drop the large, fairly heavy, disk, which is easily damaged by dropping.


Or, maybe he correctly saw that the container is designed to prevent scratching the back of the disc stored there, but is one of the large percentage of the population that thinks that the music is on the same side as the text.

[Sonoma]

....A month later I have a $20 fine because apparently they saw a CD without and insert, and an insert without a CD...and tossed them in a box in the back because they couldn't be put out on the floor. No one thought of putting 2 and 2 together?

We had a car that got stolen once, a long time ago. It had been reported stolen, and was later abandoned in the same city. It was left there for 5 weeks because that city didn't cross-reference the stolen car list with the list of abandoned vehicles. No wonder there was an epidemic of car thefts in that city at the time.

[BookstoreEscapee]

This is plausible. My DVD player stands on its side and is one of those that just has a slot that you slide the disc into (no tray) and so when I eject a disc and pick it up with my left hand I end up with the shiny side against the palm of my hand. I always get annoyed about the fact that I have to turn the disc over each and every time in order to have it shiny side down in the case.

Take it out with your right hand...problem solved.

[Darkforge]

Take it out with your right hand...problem solved.

Yeah, I know, but it's the principle of the thing!

[PepperElf]

well it's better than what i assumed would happen.... that they were all placed in upside down to hide the fact that he'd stolen them and replaced them with blank CDs.

at least that didn't happen

[MrsEclipse]

well it's better than what i assumed would happen.... that they were all placed in upside down to hide the fact that he'd stolen them and replaced them with blank CDs.

at least that didn't happen

If he'd done that, we'd know exactly who tried to pull it and who to send the bill to. That's why I do the checkin' in the first place. (This is what I tell myself whenever I have humungous stacks of CDs to go through that are all in fabric covering, making it time-consuming to check each and every one... aiya!)

First of all, the odds of all 12 winding up facing the same way by random chance is only 1 in 4096.
(since each "digit" has 2 possible outcomes, it would be 2 raised to the exponent of the number of digits, so in this case 2^12)

Thank you. I always get tripped up with exponents, so I don't even try to embarass myself. I'd rather have forums members think I don't know math than to post a message and erase all doubt.

...apparently they saw a CD without and insert, and an insert without a CD...and tossed them in a box in the back because they couldn't be put out on the floor. No one thought of putting 2 and 2 together? I even turned them in a week early. Anyway, they were both sitting in the box together and records showed the CD was turned in on time, so the fine was waved. But it was just annoying.

Come on down to my library, and we won't let that happen to you again! The lady in charge of A/V is so good at what she does. She has this system, you see. And doesn't hate her job with the passion of a thousand romance novels. And she deals with patrons and STILL isn't murderously angry at the world. She is a lady I can respect.

[Andara Bledin]

We had a car that got stolen once, a long time ago. It had been reported stolen, and was later abandoned in the same city. It was left there for 5 weeks because that city didn't cross-reference the stolen car list with the list of abandoned vehicles. No wonder there was an epidemic of car thefts in that city at the time.

My dad had his car stolen and the thieves changed out the expensive tires for their cheap crap and abandoned it 4 blocks from where it was stolen.

It was ticketed 4 times for street sweeping and then towed before they realized, "Oh, hey, this car was reported as stolen!" and notified him.

Then they tried to make him pay the tow and storage fees to get it back. But they parked it outside, so he just drove it home (which is legal in this area).

^-.-^

[Cyphr]

if he had one of the auto loader CD players (where they just slurp the disc up rather than sticking their tongue out) they can be installed upside down with no ill effect, but as mentioned that is somewhat implausible.