Pizarro: Constant Superstition Monday, March 16, 2009 By Sal Pizzaro, Mercury News CONSTANT SUPERSTITION: It might be a good idea for San Jose City Councilman Pete Constant to start carrying a rabbit's foot when he travels. Constant was set to leave for Washington, D.C., to attend a National League of Cities conference Friday — Friday the 13th. His flight was leaving from Gate A13 during the 13th hour of the day (1:40 p.m.). After the plane was fully boarded, everyone had to get off because of a mechanical failure. There was no other way to get to D.C. until Saturday. But maybe the bad luck was following Constant: His new plane, which left at 7:25 a.m. Saturday, was Flight 1130 (notice the 13 smack in the middle). And it was set to arrive after a layover in Chicago at 8:25 p.m. —13 hours later. "Could it be because I was the honorary bell ringer at the Winchester Mystery House last month to commemorate Friday the 13th?" Constant wondered. Contact Sal Pizarro at spizarro@mercurynews.com or (408) 627-0940 and read him online at blogs.mercurynews.com/pizarro.