# 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:** 118
**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:** [January 9, 2018, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2341 "2018-01-09T03:42:27Z")
Note the clue to 6 down. ---
**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:** [January 9, 2018, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2342 "2018-01-09T03:45:38Z")
Also note “Pigeon” and “Bird” are two different clues both yielding the answer DOVE. That would never fly with a crossword editor today. ---
**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:** [January 9, 2018, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2343 "2018-01-09T03:45:56Z")
Awesome. I guess more accurately one of the first American crossword puzzles. I take it it the doves wouldn’t fly today because they appear twice in the puzzle? ETA: Editing to acknowledge cross-post. 🙂 ---
**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:** [January 9, 2018, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2344 "2018-01-09T21:26:35Z")
\*\*Jimmy was taking a test and his examiner was 20 feet away. Not only that, Jimmy’s examiner had his back turned. While Jimmy continued to take the test, the examiner interrupted him and said, “You can stop now. I know you are cheating.” How did this happen?\*\* ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2018, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2345 "2018-01-09T21:44:42Z")
Did Jimmy’s cheating make a sound? Was there a mirror in the room? Did Jimmy have a history of cheating? Was the examiner’s back turned to something other than Jimmy? ---
**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:** [January 9, 2018, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2346 "2018-01-09T21:44:49Z")
Was the test taken with paper and pencil? Did the test involve some sort of physical activity? Did the examiner have some means of seeing Jimmy taking the test that didn’t require facing him? ---
**Author:** ![SykoSkotty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SykoSkotty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SykoSkotty)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2018, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2347 "2018-01-09T21:50:58Z")
Was Jimmy taking a driving test? ---
**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:** [January 9, 2018, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2348 "2018-01-09T22:23:07Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Did Jimmy’s cheating make a sound? No. > > Was there a mirror in the room? No. > > Did Jimmy have a history of cheating? No. > > Was the examiner’s back turned to something other than Jimmy? No. > [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Was the test taken with paper and pencil? No. > Did the test involve some sort of physical activity? Yes. > Did the examiner have some means of seeing Jimmy taking the test that didn’t require facing him? No. > [@SykoSkotty](#): > > Was Jimmy taking a driving test? No. KK ---
**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:** [January 9, 2018, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2349 "2018-01-09T22:27:04Z")
Was Jimmy the only one taking the test? Was the test outside? Are Jimmy and the examiner both human? Are Jimmy and the examiner both outside for the test? Was cheating the actual desired result to pass the test? ---
**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:** [January 9, 2018, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2350 "2018-01-09T23:19:17Z")
Did Jimmy have an accomplice? If yes, did the Examiner observe the accomplice doing something to tip him off to the cheating? ---
**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:** [January 9, 2018, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2351 "2018-01-09T23:41:38Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Was Jimmy the only one taking the test? Yes > > Was the test outside? No > > Are Jimmy and the examiner both human? Yes > > Are Jimmy and the examiner both outside for the test? No > > Was cheating the actual desired result to pass the test? No > [@Folly](#): > > Did Jimmy have an accomplice? No > > If yes, did the Examiner observe the accomplice doing something to tip him off to the cheating? No kk ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2018, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2352 "2018-01-09T23:52:22Z")
Did the test involve - Blood ? - urine ? - DNA ? - other body stuff? ---
**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:** [January 10, 2018, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2353 "2018-01-10T00:02:34Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Did the test involve > > - Blood ? > - urine ? > - DNA ? > - other body stuff? No to all. ---
**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:** [January 10, 2018, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2354 "2018-01-10T00:12:08Z")
Was the test for a grade (or component of a grade) in a class? Was Jimmy actually cheating? Was Jimmy cheating… …through access to recorded information which he was not supposed to have access to? …through unauthorized communication with someone else? …through substituting unauthorized materials for the test materials? …through use of some performance-enhancing substance? Did the examiner know, for any relevant period of time prior to making the announcement, that Jimmy was cheating? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2355 "2018-01-10T00:22:51Z")
Had the examiner called time on the exam? Was Jimmy cheating by continuing after the call of time? Was this wholly or partly a written exam ? Was this wqholly or partly an oral exam ? Was this wholly or partly a test of physical ability? ---
**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:** [January 10, 2018, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2356 "2018-01-10T00:50:54Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Was the test for a grade (or component of a grade) in a class? > > Was Jimmy actually cheating? YES > > Was Jimmy cheating… > …through access to recorded information which he was not supposed to have access to? YES > > …through unauthorized communication with someone else? NO > > …through substituting unauthorized materials for the test materials? NO > > …through use of some performance-enhancing substance? NO > > Did the examiner know, for any relevant period of time prior to making the announcement, that Jimmy was cheating? NO > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Had the examiner called time on the exam? NO > Was Jimmy cheating by continuing after the call of time? NO > > Was this wholly or partly a written exam ? NO > Was this wqholly or partly an oral exam ? NO > Was this wholly or partly a test of physical ability? YES KK ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2018, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2357 "2018-01-10T01:43:29Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Was the test for a grade (or component of a grade) in a class? NB - you forgot to answer this question, Mahaloth. ---
**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:** [January 10, 2018, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2358 "2018-01-10T01:47:44Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Was the test for a grade (or component of a grade) in a class? 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:** [January 10, 2018, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2359 "2018-01-10T07:08:44Z")
Was the examiner able to see something to know Jimmy was cheating? Was the examiner able to hear something to know Jimmy was cheating? Was Jimmy an athlete? Was the test medical in some 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:** [January 10, 2018, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2360 "2018-01-10T13:18:05Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Was the examiner able to see something to know Jimmy was cheating? YES > > Was the examiner able to hear something to know Jimmy was cheating? YES > > Was Jimmy an athlete? NO > > Was the test medical in some way? YES KK [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=117) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=119)