# 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:** 166
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2018, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3302 "2018-09-10T00:12:20Z")
I’ll try another summary. Mahaloth, please correct if I’ve misstated something. \*\*Probably within the last twenty years or so, a man was misled by law enforcement authorities, who intentionally broadcast or published incorrect medical information about a third party. The third party was said to be sick, although we won’t find out what the disease was, except that it wasn’t pregnancy-related. \*\* \*\*As a result, the man comes out of hiding – probably to protect a stranger. Before that, the authorities could have arrested him if they could have found him. The man did not expect the police to be waiting to arrest him – but they were, and did. \*\* \*\*The crime was a serious one, but probably not violent. It “\*\*\*\*involve[d] the criminal ending up with something of value which legitimately belonged to someone else,” but was not robbery. \*\* ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2018, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3303 "2018-09-10T00:20:04Z")
Questions: 1. Was the false information broadcast, or published? 2. Was the crime _primarily_ a property crime, or only _incidentally_ one? (We heard it _involved_ the transfer of property, but that might have been incidental.) 3. Was the crime victim the same person as the “sick” person? 4. Was the “sick” person a man? ---
**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 10, 2018, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3304 "2018-09-10T06:06:53Z")
The guy was a serial burglar who robs people’s houses while they are in hospital. The police laid a trap for him. They published information saying that a particular person would be in hospital, then waited for our guy to arrive. ---
**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 10, 2018, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3305 "2018-09-10T13:44:37Z")
> [@snoe](#): > > I’ll try another summary. Mahaloth, please correct if I’ve misstated something. > > \*\*Probably within the last twenty years or so, a man was misled by law enforcement authorities, who intentionally broadcast or published incorrect medical information about a third party. The third party was said to be sick, although we won’t find out what the disease was, except that it wasn’t pregnancy-related. > \*\* > \*\*As a result, the man comes out of hiding – probably to protect a stranger. Before that, the authorities could have arrested him if they could have found him. The man did not expect the police to be waiting to arrest him – but they were, and did. > \*\* > > \*\*The crime was a serious one, but probably not violent. It “\*\*\*\*involve[d] the criminal ending up with something of value which legitimately belonged to someone else,” but was not robbery. > \*\* YES. A good summary and I wish there were points to correct or clarify, but you seem to have it. > [@snoe](#): > > Questions: > > 1. Was the false information broadcast, or published? **Broadcast** > 2. Was the crime _primarily_ a property crime, or only _incidentally_ one? (We heard it _involved_ the transfer of property, but that might have been incidental.) > NO > 3. Was the crime victim the same person as the “sick” person? YES > 4. Was the “sick” person a man?IRRELEVANT(could be male or female) > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > The guy was a serial burglar who robs people’s houses while they are in hospital. The police laid a trap for him. They published information saying that a particular person would be in hospital, then waited for our guy to arrive. NO ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2018, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3306 "2018-09-10T19:39:00Z")
> [@snoe](#): > > 1. Was the crime _primarily_ a property crime, or only _incidentally_ one? (We heard it _involved_ the transfer of property, but that might have been incidental.) Sorry, Mahaloth – you answered this one “NO,” but I didn’t phrase it as a yes/no question. (My bad there.) To be clear: 1. Was it primarily a property crime? 2. Was it only incidentally a property crime? 3. Are the previous two questions too vague as stated to answer yes/no?😛 About the “to protect a stranger” bit: 4. If the “sick” person really had been sick, and the criminal hadn’t come out of hiding, would someone have been hurt? 4a) Would it have been the “sick” person being hurt? 4b) Would it have been a third party singular? 4c) Third parties plural? ---
**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 10, 2018, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3307 "2018-09-10T20:51:40Z")
> [@snoe](#): > > Sorry, Mahaloth – you answered this one “NO,” but I didn’t phrase it as a yes/no question. (My bad there.) > To be clear: > > 1. Was it primarily a property crime? > 2. Was it only incidentally a property crime? > 3. Are the previous two questions too vague as stated to answer yes/no?😛 > > 3, they are too vague. I would say **it isn’t actually a property crime**. > About the “to protect a stranger” bit: > 4) If the “sick” person really had been sick, and the criminal hadn’t come out of hiding, would someone have been hurt? YES > 4a) Would it have been the “sick” person being hurt? YES > 4b) Would it have been a third party singular? NO > 4c) Third parties plural?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:** [September 10, 2018, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3308 "2018-09-10T21:33:47Z")
Well, I like **Peter Morris** ’s answer, even if it’s not right. ---
**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 10, 2018, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3309 "2018-09-10T22:45:24Z")
Honestly, just name a bunch of crimes to me and perhaps if you get what the crime is…it will fall into place. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2018, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3310 "2018-09-11T00:53:21Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Honestly, just name a bunch of crimes to me and perhaps if you get what the crime is…it will fall into place. Was the crime extortion? ---
**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 11, 2018, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3311 "2018-09-11T01:44:24Z")
> [@j666](#): > > Was the crime extortion? Maybe…but that isn’t the main crime. ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2018, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3312 "2018-09-11T22:27:29Z")
1. Was the criminal a doctor or other medical professional? 2. was the criminal representing the “victim’s” interests in a non-medical capacity? E.g., a lawyer, a teacher… ---
**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 11, 2018, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3313 "2018-09-11T22:35:07Z")
Was the crime theft? Was the crime identity theft? Was the crime fraud? Did the crime involve deception? Did the crime involve the criminal being in some place he shouldn’t have been? ---
**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 11, 2018, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3314 "2018-09-11T22:36:53Z")
> [@snoe](#): > > 1. Was the criminal a doctor or other medical professional? NO > 2. was the criminal representing the “victim’s” interests in a non-medical capacity? E.g., a lawyer, a teacher… NO > [@Chronos](#): > > Was the crime theft? In a way. I would not call it theft and charges filed would not say “theft” > Was the crime identity theft? NO > Was the crime fraud? NO > Did the crime involve deception? YES, probably(possibly?). > Did the crime involve the criminal being in some place he shouldn’t have been?I DON’T THINK SO kk ---
**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 11, 2018, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3315 "2018-09-11T22:38:00Z")
I think this is easier than people are making it. Yeah, just keep asking crimes and when you get the crime right, I think a lot will play out. I thought this was a quick-and-easy, but it just shows that you can NOT predict how these will go. Not judging anyone, I get that it seems tricky when you don’t know, I just didn’t realize this one would be a longer one. ---
**Author:** ![RadioWave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/91b2a8/32.png) [@RadioWave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadioWave)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2018, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3316 "2018-09-12T00:22:58Z")
Was the crime Murder? Arson? Regicide? Kidnapping? Grave robbing? Body snatching? Prostitution? Corrupting a minor? ---
**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 12, 2018, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3317 "2018-09-12T00:25:07Z")
> [@RadioWave](#): > > Was the crime > Murder? NO > Arson? NO > Regicide? NO > Kidnapping? YES > Grave robbing? NO > Body snatching? NO > Prostitution? NO > Corrupting a minor? 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 12, 2018, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3318 "2018-09-12T02:12:12Z")
So they lied that a parent was sick so the kidnapper would return the child? ---
**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 12, 2018, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3319 "2018-09-12T02:47:48Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > So they lied that a parent was sick so the kidnapper would return the child? NO ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2018, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3320 "2018-09-12T02:53:39Z")
Did the police broadcast that the kidnap victim had a highly contagious and likely fatal disease that could be spread by casual contact, and the kidnapper come forward to get life saving treatment? ---
**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 12, 2018, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3321 "2018-09-12T18:08:22Z")
> [@j666](#): > > Did the police broadcast that the kidnap victim had a highly contagious and likely fatal disease that could be spread by casual contact, and the kidnapper come forward to get life saving treatment? You overstepped and added too many details. J666 has the gist, but can someone simplify it from there and guess the details? If not by tonight, I can just consider it mainly solved. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=165) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=167)