# 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:** 156
**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:** [June 6, 2018, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3102 "2018-06-06T00:07:58Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > did they work with : > > - metal ? NO > - glass ? NO > - cloth ? NO\* > - paper ? YES > - parts of animals ? NO > - parts of plants ? NO\* > > Did the job require skilled craftsmen? NOT REALLY > Was it something that anyone could do? WITH BASIC TRAINING, YES It’s mainly paper, which is a part of plant kind of. And kind of a cloth, too. I’ll be honest, this isn’t the best one, folks. Don’t throw a brick at me when you get it. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3103 "2018-06-06T00:17:15Z")
Newspaper? Book bindery? ---
**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:** [June 6, 2018, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3104 "2018-06-06T00:17:49Z")
Were they making books? newspapers? Other printed material? eta - missed it by that much. ---
**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:** [June 6, 2018, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3105 "2018-06-06T00:36:35Z")
> [@MonkeyMensch](#): > > Newspaper? > Book bindery? No to both. ---
**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:** [June 6, 2018, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3106 "2018-06-06T00:39:34Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Were they making books? newspapers? Other printed material? Other printed material? Yes. No to the others. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2018, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3107 "2018-06-06T01:00:01Z")
Sheet music? bulletins/flyers? Maps? Posters? ---
**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:** [June 6, 2018, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3108 "2018-06-06T02:22:47Z")
> [@MonkeyMensch](#): > > Sheet music? > bulletins/flyers? > Maps? > Posters? No… [braces self for when everyone figures it out] ---
**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:** [June 6, 2018, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3109 "2018-06-06T02:57:05Z")
Does the word “Strike” refer to a withdrawal of labour? Does it refer to hitting something? ---
**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:** [June 6, 2018, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3110 "2018-06-06T12:52:27Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Does the word “Strike” refer to a withdrawal of labour? YES > > Does it refer to hitting something? NO Strike means the normal “walk out” or “refusal to work” that the natural reading would have you think. ---
**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:** [June 6, 2018, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3111 "2018-06-06T13:06:58Z")
Stationery? Advertising? Government propaganda? Wrapping paper? Money? Art? Does the reason for the strike have anything to do with the paper? Will figuring out the reason for the paper lead to why the workers struck? ---
**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:** [June 6, 2018, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3112 "2018-06-06T13:48:24Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Stationery? > Advertising? NO > Government propaganda? NO > Wrapping paper? NO > Money? YES > Art? NO > Does the reason for the strike have anything to do with the paper? NO > > Will figuring out the reason for the paper lead to why the workers struck? NO KK Note: I misread your final question and switched from yes to no. I’m not sure what I thought your question was. ---
**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:** [June 6, 2018, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3113 "2018-06-06T14:40:04Z")
So eighteenth century French money printers/lawmakers went on strike for reasons having nothing to do with the job, with money or the making of money? It wasn’t about their work conditions or to gain benefits? Was it a political protest? ---
**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:** [June 6, 2018, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3114 "2018-06-06T14:47:15Z")
Was it the design of the banknotes? ---
**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:** [June 6, 2018, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3115 "2018-06-06T17:29:02Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > So eighteenth century French money printers/lawmakers went on strike for reasons having nothing to do with the job, with money or the making of money? It wasn’t about their work conditions or to gain benefits? > > Was it a political protest? Let’s break it down: Nothing to do with the job? No, it had to do with the job. I hope I didn’t say that. Nothing to do with the money? Well, making money is the job…but no, not their salaries. Making the money? Yes, it had to do with making the money. Work conditions? Kind of, yes. Benefits? No. > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Was it the design of the banknotes? 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:** [June 6, 2018, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3116 "2018-06-06T19:22:14Z")
So they went on strike for some reason that had to do with the creation of the money. That reason is not a desire for improved work conditions in the creation of the money. Did the workers go on strike because of something they had before that was taken away? We’re they protesting a rule regarding the creation of the money? Could the workers take home defective money before and that was stopped? ---
**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:** [June 6, 2018, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3117 "2018-06-06T19:25:55Z")
Was this before or after the French Revolution? ---
**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:** [June 6, 2018, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3118 "2018-06-06T19:33:08Z")
Wait, it was kind of about work conditions? Now I am confused. Earlier it was said this was not because of a desire to improve work conditions. ---
**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:** [June 6, 2018, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3119 "2018-06-06T19:47:48Z")
Were they striking over the length or frequency of the weekend? After the French Revolution they switched from a 7 day week with 1 day off to a 10 day week with 1 day off. This was not popular. ---
**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:** [June 7, 2018, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3120 "2018-06-07T00:42:19Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > So they went on strike for some reason that had to do with the creation of the money. That reason is not a desire for improved work conditions in the creation of the money. > > Did the workers go on strike because of something they had before that was taken away? NO > > We’re they protesting a rule regarding the creation of the money? SORT OF, but NO > > Could the workers take home defective money before and that was stopped? NO > [@Quartz](#): > > Was this before or after the French Revolution? No. (during) > [@Biotop](#): > > Wait, it was kind of about work conditions? Now I am confused. Earlier it was said this was not because of a desire to improve work conditions. Nothing like “it’s too hot” or “we don’t get enough breaks” or “they beat us” or anything like that. > [@Quartz](#): > > Were they striking over the length or frequency of the weekend? After the French Revolution they switched from a 7 day week with 1 day off to a 10 day week with 1 day off. This was not popular. > > NO [prepares to dodge] ---
**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:** [June 7, 2018, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3121 "2018-06-07T01:29:28Z")
Did they go on strike to get different graphics on the money? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=155) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=157)