# 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:** 142
**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:** [April 4, 2018, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2822 "2018-04-04T03:42:59Z")
> [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#): > > So, Rex succeeded with his “investment” the first time because: > > - no-one detected his crime? YES > > - corrupt people turned a blind eye? NO > > - some other reason? NO > > - was Rex acting alone in carrying out his crime, without co-conspirators? NO KK ---
**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:** [April 7, 2018, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2823 "2018-04-07T21:26:32Z")
Just to provide closure, I will post the answer now. Rex worked at a bank and stole money(cash) from the vault. He used it to play the lottery. If you can believe it, he won the lottery and had enough to pay back the cash that he had stolen. No one caught on. Rex, being a complete idiot, thought to do the same “investment” again. He worked with a colleague this time. They stole money, played the lottery. Did NOT win much. Were unable to pay back the theft. Went on the lam and ran. Got caught. Both were executed. Based on true story: Dude stole $26,000(USD) the first time. Second time? He and his colleague stole $4.3 million(USD). Yeah, they got caught and were executed. Morons. Almost Darwin award worthy dumbness. In fact, last Sunday was the 10th anniversary of their execution. Happy Easter! [There is even a Wikipedia article on it.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agricultural_Bank_of_China_robbery) ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2824 "2018-04-08T22:30:06Z")
Oh well, we weren’t that close. I had been wondering if it was something to do with the milk scandal in China around the same time, for which people were also executed in punishment. Good story. ---
**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:** [April 9, 2018, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2825 "2018-04-09T17:31:13Z")
\*\*What do you get if you cross a zebra with a pelican and Karl Marx? According to something I just read, you would probably get a similar result as they did when folks crossed a zebra with a pelican and Ludwig van Beethoven. What do you get?\*\* ---
**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:** [April 9, 2018, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2826 "2018-04-09T21:48:44Z")
A crossing. Both zebra and pelican are types of crossing. Marx has a crossing in the X of his name, and Beethoven famously is said to have crossed out Napoleon’s name from his Eroica symphony. ---
**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:** [April 9, 2018, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2827 "2018-04-09T23:27:13Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > A crossing. Both zebra and pelican are types of crossing. Marx has a crossing in the X of his name, and Beethoven famously is said to have crossed out Napoleon’s name from his Eroica symphony. This reply makes me cross. 😉 You can’t cross a zebra with a pelican with Tex Ritter, for instance (at least I don’t think so!). But you can cross a zebra with a pelican with Karl Marx. Unless the pelican is a puffin. I’m not sure actually. ---
**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:** [April 10, 2018, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2828 "2018-04-10T04:00:37Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > This reply makes me cross. 😉 > > You can’t cross a zebra with a pelican with Tex Ritter, for instance (at least I don’t think so!). But you can cross a zebra with a pelican with Karl Marx. Unless the pelican is a puffin. I’m not sure actually. But seriously, the point I am making is that you can cross a zebra with a pelican (or perhaps it is a puffin?) and Karl Marx. If you physically do all this you will get… what? It has nothing to do with whether Karl Marx has an X in the name. Remember at one time some others actually did this experiment with Beethoven. This is a true riddle. I got a link. Napoleon is 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:** [April 10, 2018, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2829 "2018-04-10T07:01:08Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > \*\*What do you get if you cross a zebra with a pelican and Karl Marx? A thing that’s black, white and red all over? ---
**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:** [April 10, 2018, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2830 "2018-04-10T07:22:54Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > A thing that’s black, white and red all over? **No** Good answer. Not the right one, but a good answer. I didn’t think too much of the implications of the colors, but I see where if you imagine Karl Marx as red you might justifiably get the idea of blood. :eek: Not sure what colors one associates with Beethoven. ---
**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:** [April 10, 2018, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2831 "2018-04-10T16:17:36Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > \*\*What do you get if you cross a zebra with a pelican and Karl Marx? > > According to something I just read, you would probably get a similar result as they did when folks crossed a zebra with a pelican and Ludwig van Beethoven. > > What do you get?\*\* > [@](#): > > Unless the pelican is a puffin In this question: - Does \*cross \*refer to creating offspring with features from each parent? - Does \*zebra \*refer to the animal? - Does \*zebra \*refer to the road crossing? - Does \*pelican/ puffin \*refer to the bird? - Does \*pelican / puffin \*refer to the book publishing house? - Does \*Beethoven \*and \*Karl Marx \*refer to the famous people by those names? - Does \*Beethoven \*and \*Karl Marx \*refer to works created by those people? - Does \*Beethoven \*and \*Karl Marx \*refer to works about those people? - Does \*Beethoven \*and \*Karl Marx \*refer to objects or places named after those people? - Does \*Beethoven \*and \*Karl Marx \*refer to non-famous people with the same names as the famous ones? - Does the answer involve someone crossing a road carrying a copy of Das Kapital published by Pelican books? ---
**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:** [April 10, 2018, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2832 "2018-04-10T16:36:51Z")
**answer to Peter Morris:** - Does \*cross \*refer to creating offspring with features from each parent? **No** - Does \*zebra \*refer to the animal? **No** - Does \*zebra \*refer to the road crossing? **Yes** - Does \*pelican/ puffin \*refer to the bird? **No** - Does \*pelican / puffin \*refer to the book publishing house? **No** - Does \*Beethoven \*and \*Karl Marx \*refer to the famous people by those names? **Yes** - Does \*Beethoven \*and \*Karl Marx \*refer to works created by those people? **No** - Does \*Beethoven \*and \*Karl Marx \*refer to works about those people? **No** - Does \*Beethoven \*and \*Karl Marx \*refer to objects or places named after those people? **No** - Does \*Beethoven \*and \*Karl Marx \*refer to non-famous people with the same names as the famous ones? **No** - Does the answer involve someone crossing a road carrying a copy of Das Kapital published by Pelican books? **No** ---
**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:** [April 10, 2018, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2833 "2018-04-10T17:24:06Z")
Just to make sure, the word \*cross \*refers to the act of crossing a road on a zebra crossing? Does this have anything to do with the Beatles? ---
**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:** [April 10, 2018, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2834 "2018-04-10T17:29:25Z")
Just to make sure, the word \*cross \*refers to the act of crossing a road on a zebra crossing? **Yes** Does this have anything to do with the Beatles? **No** ---
**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:** [April 11, 2018, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2835 "2018-04-11T16:45:58Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > **answer to Peter Morris:** > > - Does \*zebra \*refer to the road crossing? **Yes** > - Does \*pelican/ puffin \*refer to the bird? **No** > - Does \*pelican / puffin \*refer to the book publishing house? **No** Do [Pelican](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelican_crossing) and [Puffin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puffin_crossing) refer to the road crossings? Is it some sort feature designed for deaf people? ---
**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:** [April 11, 2018, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2836 "2018-04-11T16:50:32Z")
**reply to Peter Morris** Do [Pelican](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelican_crossing) and [Puffin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puffin_crossing) refer to the road crossings? **Yes** Is it some sort feature designed for deaf people? **No** ---
**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:** [April 20, 2018, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2837 "2018-04-20T20:52:17Z")
Anyone got any ideas? How about a hint? ---
**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:** [April 21, 2018, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2838 "2018-04-21T00:47:14Z")
You guys already got the zebra and the pelican (and the puffin). So really, the problem is _why can you cross a road with Karl Marx, but not with, for instance, Vladimir Lenin?_ And for the same reason _why have people crossed a road with Ludwig van Beethoven, but not with Johannes Brahms?_ ---
**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:** [April 21, 2018, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2839 "2018-04-21T11:48:06Z")
If Karl Marx had some other name, would it still be true that you could cross a road with whatever his other name was? Same question with Beethoven? Are any of Marx’s deeds relevant? Are any of Beethoven’s deeds relevant? ---
**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:** [April 21, 2018, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2840 "2018-04-21T14:12:45Z")
**reply to Chronos** If Karl Marx had some other name, would it still be true that you could cross a road with whatever his other name was? **Yes** Same question with Beethoven? **Yes** Are any of Marx’s deeds relevant?\*\* Yes\*\* Are any of Beethoven’s deeds relevant? **Yes** +++++ Hint: In addition to Marx and Beethoven, for the same reason you can also cross a zebra with a pelican and [Kate Sheppard.](https://www.biography.com/people/kate-sheppard-9481813) ---
**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:** [April 21, 2018, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2841 "2018-04-21T14:54:32Z")
Is Beethoven’s deafness relevant? Is Beethoven’s music relevant? Are Marx’s political/philosophical writings relevant? Is the fact that they are dead relevant? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=141) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=143)