# 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:** 147
**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:** [May 17, 2018, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2922 "2018-05-17T23:45:44Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Is Germany important for any other reason? NO. > > Could this have happened in, say, France? YES > > Is Germany the only place where deaths for the reason outlawed have happened? TO MY KNOWLEDGE, YES. KK ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2018, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2923 "2018-05-17T23:52:47Z")
Do Americans routinely engage in this cultural practice without dying? Did (some) Germans somehow do it differently in a way that causes deaths? ---
**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:** [May 18, 2018, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2924 "2018-05-18T00:16:27Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Do Americans routinely engage in this cultural practice without dying? NO > > Did (some) Germans somehow do it differently in a way that causes deaths? YES, I GUESS SO. KK ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2018, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2925 "2018-05-18T00:24:38Z")
Are the deaths from being hit with an object? Are the deaths from falling? Are the deaths from poisoning? Are the deaths from drowning? ---
**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:** [May 18, 2018, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2926 "2018-05-18T00:56:40Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Are the deaths from being hit with an object? > > Are the deaths from falling? > > Are the deaths from poisoning? > > Are the deaths from drowning? Yes to all. ---
**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:** [May 18, 2018, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2927 "2018-05-18T02:28:12Z")
Was the outlawing done to prevent the deaths? ---
**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:** [May 18, 2018, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2928 "2018-05-18T02:46:05Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Was the outlawing done to prevent the deaths? Yes, I think so. ---
**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:** [May 18, 2018, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2929 "2018-05-18T03:01:10Z")
So, in other words, something American was outlawed in Germany because it led to deaths of German people that otherwise would not have happened, because these people were doing something not safe? And the outlawing of the American cultural thing would keep these people from dying from unsafe behavior? But the deaths occurred for a number of different reasons? Is the internet involved? ---
**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:** [May 18, 2018, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2930 "2018-05-18T03:19:06Z")
Note, it was “American” with quotes around it. It did not come from any part of North or South America. (see post #2911) ---
**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:** [May 18, 2018, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2931 "2018-05-18T12:47:57Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > So, in other words, something American was outlawed in Germany because it led to deaths of German people that otherwise would not have happened, because these people were doing something not safe? And the outlawing of the American cultural thing would keep these people from dying from unsafe behavior? But the deaths occurred for a number of different reasons? > > Is the internet involved? There is no American cultural thing. But the deaths occurred for a number of different reasons? YES Is the internet involved? NO > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Note, it was “American” with quotes around it. It did not come from any part of North or South America. (see post #2911) Yep, this is right. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2018, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2932 "2018-05-18T15:20:47Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > is it a: > > Cultural practice? Yes So it is some type of cultural practice, but it is not an American cultural practice? Do the Germans who die believe it is American? Does it have anything to do with suicide? Does it have anything to do with the current American president? ---
**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:** [May 18, 2018, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2933 "2018-05-18T16:09:05Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > So it is some type of cultural practice, but it is not an American cultural practice? > > YES…everything is kind of a cultural practice. But NO, nothing especially German culture. > > Do the Germans who die believe it is American? PROBABLY > > Does it have anything to do with suicide? YES > > Does it have anything to do with the current American president? 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:** [May 18, 2018, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2934 "2018-05-18T16:13:05Z")
Russian roulette? ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2018, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2935 "2018-05-18T16:17:53Z")
Was the thing that was outlawed written material of some kind (book, magazine, comic book, etc.)? Was the thing that was outlawed visual media of some kind (movie, T.V. show, etc.)? ---
**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:** [May 18, 2018, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2936 "2018-05-18T16:22:01Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Russian roulette? No. > [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Was the thing that was outlawed written material of some kind (book, magazine, comic book, etc.)? NO > > Was the thing that was outlawed visual media of some kind (movie, T.V. show, etc.)? 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:** [May 18, 2018, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2937 "2018-05-18T16:25:29Z")
Extreme sports? ---
**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:** [May 18, 2018, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2938 "2018-05-18T16:26:04Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Extreme sports? 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:** [May 18, 2018, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2939 "2018-05-18T16:31:39Z")
Was it a manufactured item? Or a group of manufactured items? ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2018, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2940 "2018-05-18T17:01:14Z")
Does the answer involve religion? Does the answer involve beliefs about the afterlife? Does the answer involve the supernatural? ---
**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:** [May 18, 2018, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2941 "2018-05-18T18:12:46Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Was it a manufactured item? Or a group of manufactured items? No to both. > [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Does the answer involve religion? > > Does the answer involve beliefs about the afterlife? > > Does the answer involve the supernatural? No to all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=146) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=148)