# 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:** 152
**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 24, 2018, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3022 "2018-05-24T20:44:59Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Did the people drawing lots believe that the result would be influenced by something other than random chance? (i.e., they thought that God, or a ghost, or the weather, or something else was determining who should die.) > > Did the people drawing the lots believe that they all deserved to die for some reason? No to both. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2018, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3023 "2018-05-24T21:30:23Z")
Is the solution to the puzzle an explanation of the reason why these people were drawing lots to see who committed suicide? ---
**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 24, 2018, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3024 "2018-05-24T22:15:43Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Is the solution to the puzzle an explanation of the reason why these people were drawing lots to see who committed suicide? Yes, it is what was outlawed. (if people give up, just let me know and we’ll wrap it up) ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2018, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3025 "2018-05-24T22:42:55Z")
Does the law outlaw the reason itself? Was a specific physical activity outlawed? Was a specific idea or concept outlawed? ---
**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 24, 2018, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3026 "2018-05-24T22:52:53Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Does the law outlaw the reason itself? YES. They can not do the activity. > > Was a specific physical activity outlawed? Uh, they use their bodies, so it is physical. > > Was a specific idea or concept outlawed? I guess so. It’s an activity. KK ---
**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:** [May 24, 2018, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3027 "2018-05-24T23:50:51Z")
Was it anything to do with going over a waterfall? Perhaps in a barrel? ---
**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 24, 2018, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3028 "2018-05-24T23:57:39Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Was it anything to do with going over a waterfall? Perhaps in a barrel? Nope. ---
**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:** [May 25, 2018, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3029 "2018-05-25T00:03:22Z")
The dire consequences that the losers would face if they didn’t kill themselves: Would those consequences come from… …other participants in the lottery? …other individual members of society? …society as a whole? …impersonal forces? Would these people have faced the same dire consequences if they had chosen not to participate in the lottery in the first place? Would these people have faced other (presumably lesser) consequences if they had chosen not to participate at all? Did the winners of the lottery face any of these consequences, in whole or in part, after they won? ---
**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 25, 2018, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3030 "2018-05-25T00:20:42Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The dire consequences that the losers would face if they didn’t kill themselves: Would those consequences come from… > > …other participants in the lottery? **I think so**. > …other individual members of society? **I think so(?)** > …society as a whole? **:shrugs:** > …impersonal forces? **I don’t know what this means.** > > Would these people have faced the same dire consequences if they had chosen not to participate in the lottery in the first place? > > NO > > Would these people have faced other (presumably lesser) consequences if they had chosen not to participate at all? > > NO, I don’t think so. > > Did the winners of the lottery face any of these consequences, in whole or in part, after they won? > > NO I am not entirely sure what the consequences were if the loser did not kill themself. It’s unclear. I think there had to have been consequences, but I have no real examples that explain what happened in this kind of situation. ---
**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 25, 2018, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3031 "2018-05-25T00:27:47Z")
You have said that deaths occurred by various methods including guns, poison, falliing and drowning. Did each victim choose his own method of death? Was the method selected randomly? ---
**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 25, 2018, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3032 "2018-05-25T00:39:42Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > You have said that deaths occurred by various methods including guns, poison, falliing and drowning. > > Did each victim choose his own method of death? YES > Was the method selected randomly? NO, they chose. 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:** [May 25, 2018, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3033 "2018-05-25T01:25:39Z")
Examples of impersonal forces causing dire consequences: A cancer tumor consuming someone from the inside, a meteor falling on a collision course with a person, probably even a wild tiger consuming someone from the outside. ---
**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 25, 2018, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3034 "2018-05-25T02:18:10Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Examples of impersonal forces causing dire consequences: A cancer tumor consuming someone from the inside, a meteor falling on a collision course with a person, probably even a wild tiger consuming someone from the outside. No, none of that would happen. ---
**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 25, 2018, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3035 "2018-05-25T16:38:02Z")
I’ll post the answer tonight if no one objects. It’s definitely moving from intriguing to frustrating. As this happens, the reveal goes from “awesome!” to “huh? oh” rapidly. Feel free to guess more or ask. I like this one a lot and am happy to keep going. Last guesses? ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2018, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3036 "2018-05-25T19:42:12Z")
Does the answer have anything to do with romantic relationships? Does the answer have anything to do with family relationships? Does the answer have anything to do with education? Does the answer have anything to do with people finding or keeping a job? ---
**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 25, 2018, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3037 "2018-05-25T21:01:40Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Does the answer have anything to do with romantic relationships? > > I’m sure it often did, actually. Not always, though. > > Does the answer have anything to do with family relationships? > > Oh, I’m sure it often did. Not always, though. > > Does the answer have anything to do with education? > > No > > Does the answer have anything to do with people finding or keeping a job? > > No Not bad. I think you should keep going. 🙂 ---
**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:** [May 25, 2018, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3038 "2018-05-25T21:36:36Z")
Is duelling involved? ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2018, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3039 "2018-05-25T22:31:55Z")
When the lots were drawn, was the result strictly that a particular individual needed to commit suicide (as opposed to the result being something else that might lead to a suicide)? Does the answer have anything to do with manners or social customs (who should remove their hat when, shaking hands, who should be invited somewhere, 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 25, 2018, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3040 "2018-05-25T23:13:19Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Is duelling involved? YES > [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > When the lots were drawn, was the result strictly that a particular individual needed to commit suicide (as opposed to the result being something else that might lead to a suicide)? > > YES > > Does the answer have anything to do with manners or social customs (who should remove their hat when, shaking hands, who should be invited somewhere, etc.)? > > NO I think you guys can just summarize it now and it is solved. ---
**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 25, 2018, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3041 "2018-05-25T23:47:06Z")
So, two gentlemen had a disagreement and both felt it could only be answered by a duel. Instead of fighting with swords or pistols they would draw lots. And they agreed the loser must kill himself. Is that it? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=151) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=153)