# 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:** 120
**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 13, 2018, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2381 "2018-01-13T00:22:43Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Is the city Vienna? > > Does it have to do with the time when Stalin, Trotsky, Hitler, and Freud all lived within 5 miles of each other? You got it, almost to a T! In addition to Hitler and Stalin, Franz Josef also lived in Vienna during the same time period. ---
**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 22, 2018, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2382 "2018-01-22T23:40:17Z")
I dont know how great it is, but here is another one. Google will instantly spoil this one, so avoid it. If you know, please do not even spoiler-box your answer! **Rabies has been on a meteoric rise in India over the past 20 years or so. The reason behind this is, I think, fascinating. What happened?** ---
**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 23, 2018, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2383 "2018-01-23T18:22:12Z")
Were monkeys involved? How about cows? Were the rabies cases all a result of animal bites? Was something added to or removed from the ecosystem? ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2384 "2018-01-23T18:28:13Z")
Are dogs specifically afflicted with most of the rabies cases? ---
**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 23, 2018, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2385 "2018-01-23T20:14:12Z")
Does \*Rabies \*refer to the disease? If not, does it refer to some type of popular entertainment? Is it a heavy metal group? A series of films? ---
**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 23, 2018, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2386 "2018-01-23T20:45:54Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Were monkeys involved? NO > How about cows? YES > Were the rabies cases all a result of animal bites? YES(though does it spread other ways?) > Was something added to or removed from the ecosystem? YES > [@raventhief](#): > > Are dogs specifically afflicted with most of the rabies cases? YES > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Does \*Rabies \*refer to the disease? **YES** > > If not, does it refer to some type of popular entertainment? > > Is it a heavy metal group? A series of films? KK ---
**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 24, 2018, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2387 "2018-01-24T22:08:18Z")
Was one species of animal responsible for most of the rise in rabies cases? Have rabies cases been on the rise in humans? Has the rise in number of cases been associated with an increase in the population of some animal? Has the rise in the number of cases been associated with some change which makes transmission easier? Has the rise in the number of cases been associated with a new strain of the disease? ---
**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 24, 2018, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2388 "2018-01-24T23:31:56Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Was one species of animal responsible for most of the rise in rabies cases? Hard to explain, but I think, **“NO”** is the best answer for that. > > Have rabies cases been on the rise in humans? YES > > Has the rise in number of cases been associated with an increase in the population of some animal? YES > > Has the rise in the number of cases been associated with some change which makes transmission easier? NO > > Has the rise in the number of cases been associated with a new strain of the disease? NO Please feel free to ask for more clarification in any above or previous questions. Like most of these puzzles, it is hard to stick to no, yes, maybe, or irrelevant. ---
**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 25, 2018, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2389 "2018-01-25T00:25:40Z")
Is it connected with religious practices or taboos? ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2018, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2390 "2018-01-25T00:43:04Z")
Are dogs being abandoned? ---
**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 25, 2018, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2391 "2018-01-25T01:11:53Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Is it connected with religious practices or taboos? Yes > [@raventhief](#): > > Are dogs being abandoned? No ---
**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 25, 2018, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2392 "2018-01-25T01:19:27Z")
Has the increase been due to the introduction or in-migration of some animal which previously was not found in the region? Is global warming involved? ---
**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 25, 2018, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2393 "2018-01-25T01:32:39Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Has the increase been due to the introduction or in-migration of some animal which previously was not found in the region? > > Is global warming involved? No to both. ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2018, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2394 "2018-01-25T01:57:43Z")
Are people refusing to vaccinate their pets? ---
**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 25, 2018, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2395 "2018-01-25T02:53:53Z")
> [@raventhief](#): > > Are people refusing to vaccinate their pets? No. ---
**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 25, 2018, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2396 "2018-01-25T03:26:53Z")
Does it have something to do with not doing something to cows that would otherwise be done or make sense to do? ---
**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 25, 2018, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2397 "2018-01-25T03:50:46Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Does it have something to do with not doing something to cows that would otherwise be done or make sense to do? Yes, there is something like what you asked involved. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2018, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2398 "2018-01-25T07:32:44Z")
Are Indians refusing to kill cows when they become rabid? ---
**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 25, 2018, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2399 "2018-01-25T15:04:00Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Are Indians refusing to kill cows when they become rabid? YES BUT IRRELEVANT(they weren’t killing them pre-rabies-surge) ---
**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 25, 2018, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2400 "2018-01-25T15:39:40Z")
Are cows becoming rabid at a greater rate than previously? Are rabid cows infecting humans at a greater rate than previously? Are rabid cows infecting some other animal at a greater rate than previously? Has there been a relevant increase in the population of cows? Has there been a relevant increase in the population of humans? Has there been a relevant increase in the population of some animal other than cows or humans? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=119) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=121)