# 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:** 176
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2018, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3502 "2018-09-20T20:04:47Z")
Replying to **Ignotus** : Did opening the window put anyone in danger, at least potentially? **No** Was the bar inside a fixed structure, or a vehicle? **Fixed structure** Was the bar several floors above the ground? **No** Did the man move the table closer to or farther away from the window? **Not relevant** Did the man’s last action involve climbing up onto the table? **No** Did someone else climb up onto the table? **No** ---
**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 20, 2018, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3503 "2018-09-20T23:39:29Z")
Does this involve sports? Was the table a table you eat or drink at? Was the table a sports table? Was the table a ping-pong table? Was the man playing a sport? Was the man spectating a sport? Is there any wordplay in this puzzle? Was the window in the wall? Ceiling? ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2018, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3504 "2018-09-20T23:43:06Z")
Does the man let a ball fly out of the window? Does he let a dart fly out of the window? Does he let a bird fly out of the window? Does he let some other animal fly or be thrown out of the window? Does he let some other inanimate object fly or be thrown out of the window? ---
**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 21, 2018, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3505 "2018-09-21T00:50:08Z")
Was anyone injured by what went out the window? Was the man participating in the sport? Were the bar patrons participating in the sport? Were the bar patrons merely spectators of the sport? Is gambling involved? ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2018, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3506 "2018-09-21T08:16:43Z")
Replying to **Mahaloth** : Does this involve sports? **Yes** Was the table a table you eat or drink at? **Yes** Was the table a sports table? **No** Was the table a ping-pong table? **No** Was the man playing a sport? **Yes** Was the man spectating a sport? **No** Is there any wordplay in this puzzle? **No** Was the window in the wall? Ceiling? **Wall** ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2018, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3507 "2018-09-21T08:19:56Z")
Replying to **SpoilerVirgin** : Does the man let a ball fly out of the window? **Yes** Does he let a dart fly out of the window? **No** Does he let a bird fly out of the window? **No** Does he let some other animal fly or be thrown out of the window? **No** Does he let some other inanimate object fly or be thrown out of the window? **No (i.e. it was a ball)** ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2018, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3508 "2018-09-21T08:23:49Z")
Replying to **Biotop** : Was anyone injured by what went out the window? **No** Was the man participating in the sport? **Yes** Were the bar patrons participating in the sport? **No** Were the bar patrons merely spectators of the sport? **Yes** Is gambling involved? **No** ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2018, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3509 "2018-09-21T08:34:23Z")
Was it at the golf clubhouse? Playing through? ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2018, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3510 "2018-09-21T08:50:57Z")
So he played a bad shot into the club bar, walked in found his ball, moved a chair and a table out of the way, opened the desired window, chipped out the window back on to the fairway. And I guess he got in trouble because (something something rules of golf about moving obstructions). ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2018, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3511 "2018-09-21T09:45:41Z")
\*\*Isamu \*\*got it- the bar at the 18th was in bounds (for some reason). The table and chairs were movable obstructions and so could be moved out of the way, but the window was not (being part of an immovable obstruction), hence a 2 stroke penalty. A pity, as the shot through the window landed 12 feet from the hole and he made par. More info [here](https://www.nationalclubgolfer.com/news/club-denham-famous-shot-clubhouse/). ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2018, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3512 "2018-09-21T17:34:49Z")
A few years ago, several people met to discuss the following question: Is the Silver Surfer a human being? The people having the discussion were all being well paid for their time. What was going on? ---
**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 21, 2018, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3513 "2018-09-21T18:09:13Z")
Let’s get the obvious stuff out of the way: Are they fiction writers? Were they discussing whether the character of S. S. should in any way be constrained by human physiology? Is copyright law involved? ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2018, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3514 "2018-09-21T18:12:58Z")
> [@kk\_fusion](#): > > Let’s get the obvious stuff out of the way: > > Are they fiction writers? **No** > Were they discussing whether the character of S. S. should in any way be constrained by human physiology? **No** > Is copyright law involved? **No** Answers in quote. ---
**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 21, 2018, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3515 "2018-09-21T18:20:44Z")
But does Silver Surfer refer to the Marvel character? Were the people paid by Marvel? Were they discussing comic book scripts at all? ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2018, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3516 "2018-09-21T18:29:01Z")
Were the people lawyers? ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2018, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3517 "2018-09-21T18:44:33Z")
> [@kk\_fusion](#): > > But does Silver Surfer refer to the Marvel character? **Yes** > Were the people paid by Marvel? **No** > Were they discussing comic book scripts at all? **No** Answers in quote. ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2018, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3518 "2018-09-21T18:45:49Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Were the people lawyers? **Yes** Answer in quote. ---
**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 22, 2018, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3519 "2018-09-22T00:36:52Z")
I know this one, so I’ll stay out of it, other than to note that Wolverine was also under contention. ---
**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 22, 2018, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3520 "2018-09-22T03:26:25Z")
Is it some law restricting the use of images of humans? Are postage stamps involved? ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2018, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3521 "2018-09-22T03:59:12Z")
Did it have to do with the Silver Surfer’s resemblance to a real living (or dead) human? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=175) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=177)