# 53 bicycles: A lateral thinking puzzle **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [July 9, 2017, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868 "2017-07-09T19:51:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 108
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2141 "2017-12-06T20:46:44Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Was he trying to gain access to some area of the hospital that he would not otherwise have access to? YES ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2142 "2017-12-06T20:51:56Z")
Did he intend some sort of deception? Was he running a test or evaluation? Was he trying to attract a particular person’s attention? ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2143 "2017-12-06T21:31:29Z")
Was he trying to steal something from the hospital? Was he trying to gain access to hospital equipment? Was he trying to gain access to hospital records? Was he trying to gain access to someone who worked at the hospital? ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2144 "2017-12-06T22:08:11Z")
Was he trying to gain access or speak to a patient at the hospital? Was he trying to access a particular room at the hospital? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2145 "2017-12-06T22:20:22Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Did he intend some sort of deception? YES > > Was he running a test or evaluation? NO > > Was he trying to attract a particular person’s attention? NO > [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Was he trying to steal something from the hospital? NO > > Was he trying to gain access to hospital equipment? NO > > Was he trying to gain access to hospital records? NO > > Was he trying to gain access to someone who worked at the hospital? NO > [@Folly](#): > > Was he trying to gain access or speak to a patient at the hospital? NO > > Was he trying to access a particular room at the hospital? YES Embedded ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2146 "2017-12-06T22:25:01Z")
Was he trying to get into an Operating Room? Was he trying to get into an isolation ward? Was he trying to get into the morgue? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2147 "2017-12-06T22:29:37Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Was he trying to access a particular room at the hospital? I’m going to change my answer here to: NO, not a specific room. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2017, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2148 "2017-12-06T22:30:49Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Was he trying to get into an Operating Room? > > Was he trying to get into an isolation ward? > > Was he trying to get into the morgue? NO to all. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2149 "2017-12-07T00:30:21Z")
Was he trying to gain access to a particular window or group of windows (i.e., on a particular floor or facing a particular direction) in the hospital? Was he trying to gain access to tunnels or ductwork in the hospital? Was he trying to gain access to the hospital basement? Was he trying to gain access to the hospital roof? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2150 "2017-12-07T00:33:16Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Was he trying to gain access to a particular window or group of windows (i.e., on a particular floor or facing a particular direction) in the hospital? YES > > Was he trying to gain access to tunnels or ductwork in the hospital? NO > > Was he trying to gain access to the hospital basement? NO > > Was he trying to gain access to the hospital roof? NO Embedded. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2151 "2017-12-07T00:36:36Z")
Was he planning a violent attack through the hospital windows? Was he trying to look out the particular windows to see something? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2152 "2017-12-07T00:44:06Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Was he planning a violent attack through the hospital windows? NO > > Was he trying to look out the particular windows to see something? YES kk ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2153 "2017-12-07T01:04:41Z")
Was he trying to observe a specific individual? Was he trying to observe a planned event? Was he trying to observe a specific business? ---
**Author:** ![Rhodes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhodes/32/273_2.png) [@Rhodes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhodes)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2154 "2017-12-07T01:06:49Z")
Was he trying to see another building? Was he trying to see something on the ground? Was he trying to see the sky? (I remember trying to find a clear horizon to see a comet a few years ago. I didn’t think to go to the hospital where my wife worked!) ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2155 "2017-12-07T01:21:08Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Was he trying to observe a specific individual? NO > > Was he trying to observe a planned event? YES > > Was he trying to observe a specific business? NO > [@Rhodes](#): > > Was he trying to see another building? NO > > Was he trying to see something on the ground? YES > > Was he trying to see the sky? (I remember trying to find a clear horizon to see a comet a few years ago. I didn’t think to go to the hospital where my wife worked!) NO kdkd ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2156 "2017-12-07T01:25:40Z")
Did the event require a ticket or special permission to access on the ground, so he wanted to observe from above instead? Was there something in the nature of the event that made it more desirable to view from above? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2157 "2017-12-07T02:12:51Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Did the event require a ticket or special permission to access on the ground, so he wanted to observe from above instead? YEP > > Was there something in the nature of the event that made it more desirable to view from above? NO I think we’ve got the gist of it here and will call it more or less solved. [Guy in Italy tried to check-in to a hospital so he could go by the windows and watch the football match happening outside. You can see it from the hospital.](https://deadspin.com/italian-guy-tries-to-scheme-his-way-into-hospital-to-wa-1792184732) It didn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2158 "2017-12-07T04:53:01Z")
Wow, I missed this one entirely. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2017, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2159 "2017-12-20T00:52:05Z")
**A man built a strange looking object in a field on his property. Two posts of different heights with a pole set across them. What was its purpose?** ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2017, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2160 "2017-12-20T00:59:02Z")
Was the object: 1. A weapon? 2. For communication? 3. Defensive? 4. Related to a sport/game? 5. A signal? 6. Religious in nature? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=107) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=109)