# 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:** 162
**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 21, 2018, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3222 "2018-06-21T09:32:28Z")
A rare stamp? [This one?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_Jenny) ---
**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 21, 2018, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3223 "2018-06-21T12:28:54Z")
> [@kk\_fusion](#): > > Did a private person have to pay $100+K? A business? A government agency? > > **Government agency.** > > Was it a pre-printed form? A ticket or stub? Origami? Some other artistic work? > > NO > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > A rare stamp? NO > > [This one? NO](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_Jenny) 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:** [June 21, 2018, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3224 "2018-06-21T12:44:09Z")
Was there any relevant language on the “paperwork”? Was there any relevant marking at all on the “paperwork”? Was the paper important for its material properties? ---
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3225 "2018-06-21T12:44:42Z")
Did the paper contain words? Was it written by the agency? Was it addressed to the agency? Was it a federal-level agency? State? County? Community? ---
**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 21, 2018, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3226 "2018-06-21T14:10:38Z")
Not a stamp, then. But is it an item that somebody bought for $100,000? ---
**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 21, 2018, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3227 "2018-06-21T15:09:42Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Was there any relevant language on the “paperwork”? Well, yes. I mean, there were words on it. YES > Was there any relevant marking at all on the “paperwork”? Probably. > Was the paper important for its material properties? NO > [@kk\_fusion](#): > > Did the paper contain words? YES > Was it written by the agency? NO > Was it addressed to the agency? NO > > Was it a federal-level agency? State? County? Community? Federal > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > But is it an item that somebody bought for $100,000? 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:** [June 21, 2018, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3228 "2018-06-21T17:59:27Z")
Would a photocopy of the paperwork have been equally significant? Is the paper’s significance governmental? Is its significance financial? ---
**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 21, 2018, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3229 "2018-06-21T19:47:46Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Would a photocopy of the paperwork have been equally significant? Yes. > Is the paper’s significance governmental? NO > Is its significance financial? NO 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:** [June 21, 2018, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3230 "2018-06-21T21:15:31Z")
Is the paper a certificate of some sort? ---
**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 21, 2018, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3231 "2018-06-21T23:17:17Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Is the paper a certificate of some sort? No. ---
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3232 "2018-06-22T13:41:14Z")
Did the paper promise some sort of reward or bounty? Was the money paid to a single recipient? Did this happen in the US? ---
**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 22, 2018, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3233 "2018-06-22T14:30:26Z")
> [@kk\_fusion](#): > > Did the paper promise some sort of reward or bounty? NO > Was the money paid to a single recipient? NO > Did this happen in the US? YES 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:** [June 22, 2018, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3234 "2018-06-22T14:53:45Z")
The entity that produced the paperwork: Did it do so in order to make some piece of information known to someone else? Did it do so in order to gather some sort of information? Is the entity that produced the paperwork the same entity that required the paperwork? Would the paperwork be recognized as legitimate by the US government? ---
**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 22, 2018, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3235 "2018-06-22T18:20:25Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The entity that produced the paperwork: Did it do so in order to make some piece of information known to someone else? > > YES > > Did it do so in order to gather some sort of information? > > I’d say NO. > > Is the entity that produced the paperwork the same entity that required the paperwork? > > YES > > Would the paperwork be recognized as legitimate by the US government? > > IRRELEVANT. KK ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2018, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3236 "2018-06-24T19:01:24Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > One little piece of paperwork ended up costing over $100,000 dollars. Does this mean $100,000 dollars was paid **BECAUSE OR** the piece of paperwork? Was punctuation involved? If yes, was the punctuation a comma? ---
**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 24, 2018, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3237 "2018-06-24T19:43:14Z")
> [@j666](#): > > Does this mean $100,000 dollars was paid **BECAUSE OR** the piece of paperwork? > > I assume you mean “because or for”. It was **because** > > Was punctuation involved? NO > > If yes, was the punctuation a comma? NO 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:** [June 25, 2018, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3238 "2018-06-25T13:27:34Z")
Was the paperwork some sort of advertisement? ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2018, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3239 "2018-06-25T14:21:58Z")
Was this a food related promotion? ---
**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 25, 2018, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3240 "2018-06-25T16:04:16Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Was the paperwork some sort of advertisement? > [@Paintcharge](#): > > Was this a food related promotion? No to both. ---
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2018, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3241 "2018-06-29T13:55:32Z")
Was the money paid to more than 10 recipients? More than 1000? Were all recipients private citizens? Did they all receive the same sum? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=161) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=163)