# 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:** 179
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2018, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3562 "2018-09-25T00:03:05Z")
The second brother’s cat is very loud? ---
**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 25, 2018, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3563 "2018-09-25T00:21:38Z")
> [@j666](#): > > The second brother’s cat is very loud? Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2018, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3564 "2018-09-25T03:06:47Z")
Was one of the cat’s deaf? In particular, the second brother’s cat (i.e. the louder one)? ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2018, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3565 "2018-09-25T03:37:24Z")
Were that cats in question _Felis x catus_, your basic house cat? Are both cats alive? ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2018, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3566 "2018-09-25T05:54:18Z")
The second brother’s cat is at the first brother’s house (i.e., not his home) hence the mewling? ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2018, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3567 "2018-09-25T10:18:03Z")
_Another_ one from Futility Closet, **Mahaloth**? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2018, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3568 "2018-09-25T11:57:09Z")
Does this occur immediately after the brothers pick up the cats? ---
**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 25, 2018, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3569 "2018-09-25T12:35:56Z")
> [@Hoopy\_Frood](#): > > Was one of the cat’s deaf? > > In particular, the second brother’s cat (i.e. the louder one)? I misread that. I might as well ask it. Was one of the cats _dead_? (As for deafness, wouldn’t it be more likely the deaf one is quiet? Just asking as a scientific point, not part of the riddle.) ---
**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 25, 2018, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3570 "2018-09-25T14:33:11Z")
Is one of the brothers deaf? ---
**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 25, 2018, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3571 "2018-09-25T19:48:13Z")
> [@Hoopy\_Frood](#): > > Was one of the cat’s deaf? > > In particular, the second brother’s cat (i.e. the louder one)? Yes, or at least hard of hearing. > [@j666](#): > > Were that cats in question _Felis x catus_, your basic house cat? > > Are both cats alive? Yes to both. > [@Isamu](#): > > The second brother’s cat is at the first brother’s house (i.e., not his home) hence the mewling? No. > [@hammos1](#): > > _Another_ one from Futility Closet, **Mahaloth**? 😉 Yes, I love their podcast. > [@j666](#): > > Does this occur immediately after the brothers pick up the cats? No. > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > I misread that. I might as well ask it. Was one of the cats _dead_? No. 🙂 > (As for deafness, wouldn’t it be more likely the deaf one is quiet? Just asking as a scientific point, not part of the riddle.) Neither cat is deaf, but one is hard of hearing. > [@Folly](#): > > Is one of the brothers deaf? Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2018, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3572 "2018-09-25T20:32:00Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > (As for deafness, wouldn’t it be more likely the deaf one is quiet? Just asking as a scientific point, not part of the riddle.) Nope. Cats don’t really meow at each other. (A kitten’s mew is really an alert to its mother that its there. Once they separate from the mother, they stop.) Meowing is a domesticated response to get human attention to fulfill some need of the cat. Cats communicate with each other through mostly body language, scent, and touch. Cats will react to threats with hissing and such, but they only really meow at humans. It’s considered to be something they instinctually do instead of a learned thing. So deaf cats meow. And because they can’t hear themselves, they tend to meow loudly. ---
**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 25, 2018, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3573 "2018-09-25T20:44:02Z")
> [@Hoopy\_Frood](#): > > Nope. > > Cats don’t really meow at each other. (A kitten’s mew is really an alert to its mother that its there. Once they separate from the mother, they stop.) > > Meowing is a domesticated response to get human attention to fulfill some need of the cat. Cats communicate with each other through mostly body language, scent, and touch. Cats will react to threats with hissing and such, but they only really meow at humans. > > It’s considered to be something they instinctually do instead of a learned thing. > > So deaf cats meow. And because they can’t hear themselves, they tend to meow loudly. OK, so this one is over because you guys annihilated it. The hard-of-hearing cat meows loud to hear itself. The silent cat does not meow because his owner is deaf and does not speak. Cats do not meow unless they are around owners who speak and they realize they can get our attention that way. ---
**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 25, 2018, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3574 "2018-09-25T20:45:29Z")
The first brother is deaf and his cat has given up on meowing to get his attention. The second brother is not deaf, but his own cat is hard of hearing and therefore doesn’t realize he is meowing louder than necessary to get the second brother’s attention. ETA: seconds late! 🙂 ---
**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 25, 2018, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3575 "2018-09-25T22:42:50Z")
> [@Hoopy\_Frood](#): > > Nope. > > Cats don’t really meow at each other. (A kitten’s mew is really an alert to its mother that its there. Once they separate from the mother, they stop.) > > Meowing is a domesticated response to get human attention to fulfill some need of the cat. Cats communicate with each other through mostly body language, scent, and touch. Cats will react to threats with hissing and such, but they only really meow at humans. > > It’s considered to be something they instinctually do instead of a learned thing. > > So deaf cats meow. And because they can’t hear themselves, they tend to meow loudly. Interesting. Thanks. ---
**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:** [June 5, 2019, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3576 "2019-06-05T16:08:15Z")
Lesson: Riddles do not always get love. Politics and ethics may not mix. **I recently attended a gathering. There I asked a group of strangers a question about Virginia state politics. That was OK because they all knew the answer to my question and the question was (mostly) warmly received. But when I later asked the same group an ethical question, one to which I am sure no one knew the answer, I was told to go away and not come back. How had I offended?** ---
**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:** [June 5, 2019, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3577 "2019-06-05T16:57:03Z")
BTW, the above story/LT puzzle is not actually true. It is just a riddle. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3578 "2019-06-05T23:01:12Z")
Was either of the questions related to abortion? ---
**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:** [June 6, 2019, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3579 "2019-06-06T01:32:29Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Was either of the questions related to abortion? **No** ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3580 "2019-06-06T01:36:48Z")
- Is it something specific to Virginia state politics? - Would the puzzle work if the word “Virginia” was instead, say, “Alaska”? ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/3581 "2019-06-06T01:47:45Z")
Do you know the answer to the 2nd question? If not, does anybody? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=178) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=180)