# 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:** 111
**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 28, 2017, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2201 "2017-12-28T01:42:11Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Was Jasper thought to be unconscious until his announcement? NO > > Was Jasper thought to be dead until his announcement? NO > > Was the presence of Jasper not known until his announcement? NO > > Did the realization that Jasper was conscious, or not dead, or present, lead a person or persons to realize that there may be others in a similar state as Jasper? NO > [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Had Jasper ever spoken prior to making the announcement? YES > > Had Jasper not spoken for a specific period of time prior to making the announcement? NO > > Did the announcement result in an action being taken? YES > > Did the announcement result in an action not being taken, or being delayed? NO > > Was the action taken (or not taken) by an individual? NO > > Was the action taken (or not taken) by a group of people? YES > > Was the action taken (or not taken) by a government? KIND OF KK ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2202 "2017-12-28T23:41:22Z")
Was the action taken by a religious group? Was the action taken by a guild or other group of people in a specific profession? Did the action taken involve water in any way? ---
**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 29, 2017, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2203 "2017-12-29T00:27:54Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Was the action taken by a religious group? **NO** > > Was the action taken by a guild or other group of people in a specific profession? **YES** > > Did the action taken involve water in any way? **In _any_ way? Yes, I guess so.** KK ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2204 "2017-12-29T01:52:24Z")
Was the water to put out a fire? ---
**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 29, 2017, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2205 "2017-12-29T02:12:43Z")
> [@Hoopy\_Frood](#): > > Was the water to put out a fire? No. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2206 "2017-12-29T04:02:15Z")
Is the purpose of the water important? ---
**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 29, 2017, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2207 "2017-12-29T04:48:00Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Is the purpose of the water important? No. And I didn’t say the water had purpose, just that it was involved in some way. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2017, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2208 "2017-12-29T16:26:20Z")
Will knowing the profession of the group give us a significant clue to the puzzle? Was the profession of the group something that is still widely practiced today? Was the profession of the group medical? ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2209 "2017-12-30T00:58:16Z")
Is the solution… Agricultural? Medical? Safety-oriented? Related to the passing of a law? Educational? Food related? ---
**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 30, 2017, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2210 "2017-12-30T01:40:19Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Will knowing the profession of the group give us a significant clue to the puzzle? YES > > Was the profession of the group something that is still widely practiced today? YES > > Was the profession of the group medical? NO > [@Biotop](#): > > Is the solution… > > Agricultural? NO > Medical? NO > Safety-oriented? YES > Related to the passing of a law? NO > Educational? NO > Food related? NO kk ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2211 "2017-12-30T04:14:29Z")
Were the people who took action present at Jasper’s announcement? Did Jasper make the announcement while using (or wearing) personal protective equipment? Was it significant that Jasper could speak? Was it significant that Jasper could be heard? ---
**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 30, 2017, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2212 "2017-12-30T04:30:14Z")
> [@j666](#): > > Were the people who took action present at Jasper’s announcement? NO > > Did Jasper make the announcement while using (or wearing) personal protective equipment? NO > > Was it significant that Jasper could speak? Uh, huh? I mean…Not in any interesting way. He had to be able to speak to speak the message, but nothing beyond that. > > Was it significant that Jasper could be heard? YES KK ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2213 "2017-12-30T05:56:12Z")
Jasper being heard at a distance\* by a group of safety professionals caused them to do something that saved countless human lives sometime later. - loosely speaking Did Jasper’s announcement use an amplifying device? Was the announcement made with any kind (other) kind of device? If so, was the device instrumental in saving the lives ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2214 "2017-12-30T06:08:07Z")
Was the profession firefighting? Was the profession lifeguarding/water safety? Was the profession policing/crimefighting? ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2017, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2215 "2017-12-30T14:47:53Z")
Did Jasper’s announcement indicate that there was a large number of people where none were thought to be alive? (Something like a collapsed building after an earth quake?) Were the lives saved in the same period of time, rather than over an extended period of time? (Something like within a matter of hours, rather than a matter of years) Did Jasper’s announcement somehow lead to the development of the jaws of life? ---
**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 30, 2017, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2216 "2017-12-30T17:51:25Z")
> [@j666](#): > > Did Jasper’s announcement use an amplifying device? NO > > Was the announcement made with any kind (other) kind of device? YES > > If so, was the device instrumental in saving the lives YES > [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Was the profession firefighting? NO > > Was the profession lifeguarding/water safety? NO > > Was the profession policing/crimefighting? NO > [@j666](#): > > Did Jasper’s announcement indicate that there was a large number of people where none were thought to be alive? NO > (Something like a collapsed building after an earth quake?) > > Were the lives saved in the same period of time, rather than over an extended period of time? Same period of time, not years later. > (Something like within a matter of hours, rather than a matter of years) > > Did Jasper’s announcement somehow lead to the development of the jaws of life? NO KK ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2017, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2217 "2017-12-31T04:51:20Z")
Did the device that Jasper used to make the announcement enable him to be heard when otherwise he would not have been heard? Did the device enable him to be understood when otherwise he would not have been understood? Did the device involve distance communication? Did the device involve language translation? Did the device involve communication other than through speech? ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2017, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2218 "2017-12-31T14:36:21Z")
Does the device involve a computer? ---
**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 31, 2017, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2219 "2017-12-31T15:00:22Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Did the device that Jasper used to make the announcement enable him to be heard when otherwise he would not have been heard? YES > > Did the device enable him to be understood when otherwise he would not have been understood? NO > > Did the device involve distance communication? YES > > Did the device involve language translation? NO > > Did the device involve communication other than through speech? NO > [@j666](#): > > Does the device involve a computer? NO KK ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2017, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2220 "2017-12-31T15:54:06Z")
Did the device use electricity? Was the distance the speech was transmitted longer than 100 yards? Was it longer than one mile? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=110) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=112)