# 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:** 165
**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:** [September 6, 2018, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3282 "2018-09-06T00:59:34Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Did the crime involve sex? NO > Did it involve deception? NO > Did it involve money? I think so, YES > > Was the medical misinformation a deliberate ploy by law enforcement, in order to make the arrest? YES > > Prior to the medical misinformation, and absent any concern about the law or police ethics, were the police capable of making the arrest? Capable? YES, I THINK THEY WERE CAPABLE. > > Prior to the medical misinformation, and absent any concern about practicalities, were the police legally allowed to make the arrest? YES If you want to re-ask or re-phrase that “capable” question, go ahead. I am saying that the police were capable to _eventually_ make the arrest, they just hadn’t been able to up to that point. ---
**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:** [September 6, 2018, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3283 "2018-09-06T02:04:04Z")
I meant as in, were they capable _at that time_. In other words, if the DA had asked “Can you arrest this person right now?”, what would they have said? Did the crime involve the criminal ending up with something of value which legitimately belonged to someone else? Did the crime involve destruction of someone else’s property, and/or of the value of that property? ---
**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:** [September 6, 2018, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3284 "2018-09-06T02:11:36Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I meant as in, were they capable _at that time_. In other words, if the DA had asked “Can you arrest this person right now?”, what would they have said? YES > > Did the crime involve the criminal ending up with something of value which legitimately belonged to someone else? YES > > Did the crime involve destruction of someone else’s property, and/or of the value of that property?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:** [September 6, 2018, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3285 "2018-09-06T02:18:28Z")
Was the giving of false medical information a deliberate trap to entice the guy to come forward? ---
**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:** [September 6, 2018, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3286 "2018-09-06T02:37:29Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Was the giving of false medical information a deliberate trap to entice the guy to come forward? A deliberate trap? YES To get him to come forward? Uh…to catch him, yes. ---
**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:** [September 6, 2018, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3287 "2018-09-06T12:55:11Z")
Does it take more than a week between the offense and the arrest? More than a year? Are biker gangs 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:** [September 6, 2018, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3288 "2018-09-06T16:27:41Z")
Was the criminal in hiding with a new identity? Did the man come out of hiding for fear of his own safety? Did the man come out of hiding to obtain wealth? Did the man come out of hiding because of a guilty conscience? Did the man come out of hiding to help or protect someone else? Was the man told directly about the illness? Was the information published or broadcast in such a way that the man heard about it? Is anyone involved in this story famous? Is the crime serious? Did this happen in North America? Central America? South America? Europe? Africa? Asia? Elsewhere than the above? ---
**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:** [September 6, 2018, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3289 "2018-09-06T20:11:28Z")
Did the criminal have a fear of the person the medical information was about? ---
**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:** [September 6, 2018, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3290 "2018-09-06T20:33:51Z")
> [@kk\_fusion](#): > > Does it take more than a week between the offense and the arrest? More than a year? No and No. > > Are biker gangs relevant? NO > [@Biotop](#): > > Was the criminal in hiding with a new identity? NO > > Did the man come out of hiding for fear of his own safety? NO > Did the man come out of hiding to obtain wealth? NO > Did the man come out of hiding because of a guilty conscience? NO > Did the man come out of hiding to help or protect someone else? YES > > Was the man told directly about the illness? NO > Was the information published or broadcast in such a way that the man heard about it? YES > > Is anyone involved in this story famous? NO > > Is the crime serious? YES > > Did this happen in North America? YES > Central America? > South America? > Europe? > Africa? > Asia? > Elsewhere than the above? > [@Chronos](#): > > Did the criminal have a fear of the person the medical information was about? NO kk ---
**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:** [September 6, 2018, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3291 "2018-09-06T20:45:39Z")
Did the person come out of hiding to protect someone else from getting sick? ---
**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:** [September 6, 2018, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3292 "2018-09-06T20:48:07Z")
Did the person know they would be arrested when they came out of hiding? ---
**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:** [September 6, 2018, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3293 "2018-09-06T21:22:18Z")
> [@biotop](#): > > did the person come out of hiding to protect someone else from getting sick? no > [@biotop](#): > > did the person know they would be arrested when they came out of hiding? no. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2018, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3294 "2018-09-06T22:46:48Z")
Oh, I think I remember this, but I don’t remember the details He heard that a relative needed an organ or tissue donation and he came forwarded to be tested? Or was told he **was** a match because he was already registered as a donor. ---
**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:** [September 6, 2018, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3295 "2018-09-06T23:58:18Z")
> [@j666](#): > > Oh, I think I remember this, but I don’t remember the details > > He heard that a relative needed an organ or tissue donation and he came forwarded to be tested? Or was told he **was** a match because he was already registered as a donor. 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:** [September 7, 2018, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3296 "2018-09-07T01:47:47Z")
So the man was “in hiding”, but it would still have been possible for the police to arrest him even before they flushed him out? Was he in some sort of sanctuary situation, where his arrest would have been possible but bad politics/PR? ---
**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:** [September 7, 2018, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3297 "2018-09-07T03:57:41Z")
So the man didn’t realize he would be arrested when he came out of hiding. Is this because He was not hiding from the police? He didn’t expect the police to be at wherever he was going? He didn’t know the police were aware of his crime? +++++++ Did he come out of hiding to protect a relative? a friend? a stranger? an animal? Did the man plan to go back into hiding after doing whatever he did? ---
**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:** [September 7, 2018, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3298 "2018-09-07T20:33:00Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > So the man was “in hiding”, but it would still have been possible for the police to arrest him even before they flushed him out? Was he in some sort of sanctuary situation, where his arrest would have been possible but bad politics/PR? No, if they found him and knew he was the one they wanted, they could have arrested him. > [@Biotop](#): > > So the man didn’t realize he would be arrested when he came out of hiding. Is this because > > He was not hiding from the police? NO > He didn’t expect the police to be at wherever he was going? YES(I think so) > He didn’t know the police were aware of his crime? NO > > +++++++ > Did he come out of hiding to protect > > a relative? no > a friend? no > a stranger? probably(?) > an animal? no > > Did the man plan to go back into hiding after doing whatever he did? YES kk ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2018, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3299 "2018-09-07T21:38:15Z")
Is the medical condition involved … Contagious? Sexually transmitted? Associated with substance abuse? Typically fatal without treatment? A condition that causes sensory impairment (blindness, deafness, etc.)? A condition that causes impaired mobility? Was the person who supposedly had the condition one of the arresting officers? Was this person aware that an attempt to arrest the criminal was going on? Did the attempt require this person’s collaboration? ---
**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:** [September 7, 2018, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3300 "2018-09-07T22:33:58Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > Is the medical condition involved … > > Contagious? > > Sexually transmitted? > Associated with substance abuse? > Typically fatal without treatment? > A condition that causes sensory impairment (blindness, deafness, etc.)? > A condition that causes impaired mobility? > > :shrugs: to all above > > Was the person who supposedly had the condition one of the arresting officers? NO > > Was this person aware that an attempt to arrest the criminal was going on? NO > > Did the attempt require this person’s collaboration? NO I know almost nothing about the medical condition. Not even the details of what it was supposed to be. ---
**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:** [September 8, 2018, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3301 "2018-09-08T22:38:46Z")
Ask about the crime, not just the incorrect medical information. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=164) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=166)