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Original poster

So is minus 4 lower than minus 5 celsius - scratchcard confusion

42 replies

OrlandoWoolf · 08/12/2013 21:55

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/cool-cash-card-confusion-1009701

Camelot have withdrawn a scratchcard where you had to find a temperature lower than the one on the card.

"Tina Farrell, from Levenshulme, called Camelot after failing to win with several cards.

The 23-year-old, who said she had left school without a maths GCSE, said: "On one of my cards it said I had to find temperatures lower than -8. The numbers I uncovered were -6 and -7 so I thought I had won, and so did the woman in the shop. But when she scanned the card the machine said I hadn't.

"I phoned Camelot and they fobbed me off with some story that -6 is higher - not lower - than -8 but I'm not having it. "

I blame the teachers Grin

OP posts:
ShylaMcClaus · 08/12/2013 21:56

Oh Christ...

Mintyy · 08/12/2013 21:58

Goodness!

ThreeBeeOneGee · 08/12/2013 21:58

My DD (Y5) has been doing this as her homework this week (negative numbers and inequalities, not gambling).

NoComet · 08/12/2013 22:00
Grin DD2 could do minus numbers when she was 5 or 6

All the fault of a card game where the aim is to get the lowest score.

I just drew a mountain going into the sea as a number line.

LuciusMalfoyisSmokingHot · 08/12/2013 22:00

I dont have a maths GCSE, but even i frigging know that -6 is higher than -8, clue being the minus flips the numbers in reverse.

ShylaMcClaus · 08/12/2013 22:01

It would be even funnier if Tina had left school with an A* in mathematics Grin

LambinsideaDuckinsideaTrout · 08/12/2013 22:01

Not surprised at all.

farrowandbawlbauls · 08/12/2013 22:01

I fear for future sometimes.

Original poster
OrlandoWoolf · 08/12/2013 22:02

I love the idea she was fobbed off with some story Grin

OP posts:
furbaby · 08/12/2013 22:03

If its lower than -8 it would have to be -9 -10 -11 etc

Minus numbers go up rather than down ....

Plus numbers go up and minus the opposite

well thats what the teachers taught me many moons ago :)

sapfu · 08/12/2013 22:03

Me too. And "I'm not having it."

And 'it' being basic maths too.

Grin
Original poster
OrlandoWoolf · 08/12/2013 22:06

Do you think she rang up the Manchester Evening News with her "story"?

Or Camelot provided her details to them for a laugh Grin

OP posts:
NoArmaniNoPunani · 08/12/2013 22:07

This is from 2007. I wonder why it's suddenly news again. I've seen it posted on FB too.

Original poster
OrlandoWoolf · 08/12/2013 22:08

I hadn't noticed the date. I saw it on TES so linked to it.

OP posts:
wonkylegs · 08/12/2013 22:09

I saw this earlier and asked 5yo DS if he knew which way round it goes - he does.

ChrisMooseMickey · 08/12/2013 22:11
Grin
ShylaMcClaus · 08/12/2013 22:11

Perhaps Tina is trying to sue Camelot and it's just coming to court.

Caitlin17 · 08/12/2013 23:48

Oh dear. It's so bleedin' obvious that to be lower than -8 the numbers would have to be -9,-10 etcetera that I had to spend time trying to work out why Tina could possibly think -6 or -7 were lower.

LuciusMalfoyisSmokingHot · 08/12/2013 23:57

That would mean she might have had a winner and chucked it.

FortyDoorsToNowhere · 08/12/2013 23:59

I would want to comment on a person lack of math skills, but it's simple just look on a thermometer -6 comes before -8

Trigglesx · 09/12/2013 00:01

perhaps drawing a number line would've helped? Hmm

MrsCakesPremonition · 09/12/2013 00:03

I wanted a photo of Tina doing her sad face.

PrincessFlirtyPants · 09/12/2013 00:04

So is she pleased when the temperature "increases" from -8 degrees to minus -10 degrees as its getting warmer then? Confused

Bogeyface · 09/12/2013 00:06

To be fair, some people are not good with numbers. My dad was director level in a multinational when he retired but he would have probably have thought he had won, just because 6 is less than 8.

However, he would have cut his own face off rather than go to the papers and say "I am not having that!" . He would be embarrassed that he didnt understand it.

Bogeyface · 09/12/2013 00:10

It seems that the main demographic that scratchcards are aimed at is people that can not (OK, or will not) work themselves into wealth. So they are the people most likely to have gaps in their education, which means that this sort of scratchcard is not necessarily as obvious to them as it is to me.