# 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:** 177
**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 22, 2018, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3522 "2018-09-22T05:09:20Z")
I like the postage stamp idea. Is it because the lawyers had to decide whether silver surfer and wolverine counted as portrayals of living people on a US stamp? ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2018, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3523 "2018-09-22T07:43:57Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Is it some law restricting the use of images of humans? **No** > > Are postage stamps involved? **No** AIQ. ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2018, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3524 "2018-09-22T07:45:02Z")
> [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](#): > > Did it have to do with the Silver Surfer’s resemblance to a real living (or dead) human? **No** AIQ. ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2018, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3525 "2018-09-22T07:48:17Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > I like the postage stamp idea. Is it because the lawyers had to decide whether silver surfer and wolverine counted as portrayals of living people on a US stamp? **No** AIQ. ---
**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, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3526 "2018-09-22T13:10:00Z")
What’s “AIQ” mean? ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2018, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3527 "2018-09-22T13:20:38Z")
Answer in quote ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2018, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3528 "2018-09-22T13:23:24Z")
Did the discussion involve copyright? Did the discussion that place in (a) courtroom(s)? Were the discussions legal or business negotiations? Did the discussion include artist(s) or copywriters(s)? ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2018, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3529 "2018-09-22T13:41:05Z")
> [@j666](#): > > Did the discussion involve copyright? **No** > > Did the discussion that place in (a) courtroom(s)? **Yes** > > Were the discussions legal or business negotiations? **Both** > > Did the discussion include artist(s) or copywriters(s)? **No** Answers in quote (AIQ!). ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2018, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3530 "2018-09-22T13:47:38Z")
To clarify on ‘Were the discussions legal or business negotiations?’, the discussions were legal in nature (and took place in a courtroom), but were business related. ---
**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, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3531 "2018-09-22T15:15:18Z")
Was the scene you described real? (As opposed to taking place in a movie/comic book/etc.) ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2018, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3532 "2018-09-22T15:18:23Z")
> [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](#): > > Was the scene you described real? (As opposed to taking place in a movie/comic book/etc.) **Yes, it was real** AIQ. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2018, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3533 "2018-09-22T22:09:50Z")
Where the discussions part of an actual court case? (As opposed to something like moot court) Did the discussion concern royalties? Did the discussion concern pornography, public decency, or privacy? (If the answer is yes, I will come back to break that down - if that’s allowed by the rules) ---
**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 22, 2018, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3534 "2018-09-22T22:55:45Z")
Was the debate about who created the character? Was the debate about if Silver Surfer is an X-men? Did the creator of X-men think Surfer is one and wants money? ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2018, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3535 "2018-09-22T23:21:32Z")
> [@j666](#): > > Where the discussions part of an actual court case? > (As opposed to something like moot court) **Yes, an actual court case.** > > Did the discussion concern royalties? **No** > > Did the discussion concern pornography, public decency, or privacy? **No** > (If the answer is yes, I will come back to break that down - if that’s allowed by the rules) AIQ. ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2018, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3536 "2018-09-22T23:23:13Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Was the debate about who created the character? **No** > > Was the debate about if Silver Surfer is an X-men? **No** > > Did the creator of X-men think Surfer is one and wants money? **No** AIQ. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2018, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3537 "2018-09-23T03:38:01Z")
Was the case a criminal case? ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2018, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3538 "2018-09-23T03:38:37Z")
Was there an existing contract referring to human beings, and the court case was to decide whether Silver Surfer counted under the contract? Was there a law referring to human beings, and the court case was to decide whether Silver Surfer counted under the law? ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2018, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3539 "2018-09-23T09:03:38Z")
> [@j666](#): > > Was the case a criminal case? **No** AIQ. ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2018, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3540 "2018-09-23T09:04:50Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Was there an existing contract referring to human beings, and the court case was to decide whether Silver Surfer counted under the contract? **No** > > Was there a law referring to human beings, and the court case was to decide whether Silver Surfer counted under the law? **Yes** AIQ. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2018, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3541 "2018-09-23T12:05:12Z")
A business case that involved a law that referred to human beings, concerning whether Silver Surfer was a human, that did not involve pornography. Or copyright. Or royalties. Did the case refer specifically and only to the Silver Surfer? Did the case involve cigarette endorsements? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=176) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=178)