# 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:** 20
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/381 "2017-07-16T00:55:06Z")
Speaking of death, here’s a vid of bicycle that, once it gets going, gets traction without the use of gravity.[spoiler][Cyclone Jake rides a fixie bicycle in The Wall of Death - YouTube](https://youtu.be/G4stCyHqAu4%5B/spoiler%5D) How does it do it? ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/382 "2017-07-16T01:03:03Z")
Here’s a pretty easy one I’ll bet we can solve before the evening is over: A man dropped his hat in front of a hotel, at which point, he realized he was bankrupt. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/383 "2017-07-16T01:16:43Z")
I wish you guys would quit with “gosh, this one’s so easy, you guys are going to guess it” comments. It has yet to apply to me. 1. Does the type of hat matter? 2. Did dropping the hat enable the man to see something he hadn’t noticed earlier? 3. Did he invest all his money in drop-proof hats? ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/384 "2017-07-16T01:21:21Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > I wish you guys would quit with “gosh, this one’s so easy, you guys are going to guess it” comments. It has yet to apply to me. > > 1. Does the type of hat matter? > 2. Did dropping the hat enable the man to see something he hadn’t noticed earlier? > 3. Did he invest all his money in drop-proof hats? 1. yes, very much, it’s a special hat 2. no 3. 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:** [July 16, 2017, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/385 "2017-07-16T01:25:50Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > I wish you guys would quit with “gosh, this one’s so easy, you guys are going to guess it” comments. It has yet to apply to me. Sorry, I did that with my last one. I think they seem obvious when you know the solution and it is hard to give them without thinking people will get them. ---
**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:** [July 16, 2017, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/386 "2017-07-16T01:27:43Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Here’s a pretty easy one I’ll bet we can solve before the evening is over: > > A man dropped his hat in front of a hotel, at which point, he realized he was bankrupt. Is he playing a game of Monopoly as the hat and he landed in front of someone else’s hotel and went bankrupt? ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/387 "2017-07-16T01:38:38Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Is he playing a game of Monopoly as the hat and he landed in front of someone else’s hotel and went bankrupt? Yup. See, I knew it was easy. I wanted to slip a little lemon sherbet among all that meat and potatoes. ---
**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:** [July 16, 2017, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/388 "2017-07-16T01:44:17Z")
OK, I’m going to get one out of the way here. If you know it, don’t spoiler-post the solution, please. If everyone knows it, we can skip it. It’s the most famous one and the very first one I ever heard. My brother told me it. Again, we can skip it if everyone knows it. **A man walks into a bar and heads up to the bar. The bartender comes up to him and the man says, “I would like a glass of water.” The bartender pulls a gun on him. The man says, “Thanks,” and leaves. Explain.** I listen to a pocasts about lateral thinking puzzles and do have some fresher ones if people would like. I just feel if anyone hasn’t worked the above one, they really should. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/389 "2017-07-16T01:53:51Z")
Is the gun a bar gun through which pop and water are poured? ---
**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:** [July 16, 2017, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/390 "2017-07-16T01:55:02Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Is the gun a bar gun through which pop and water are poured? No. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/391 "2017-07-16T02:05:49Z")
Heard it before, so recusing myself. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/392 "2017-07-16T02:06:48Z")
Did the bartender scare the hiccups out of the guy? ---
**Author:** ![Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Some_Call_Me.Tim)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/393 "2017-07-16T02:07:57Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > OK, I’m going to get one out of the way here. If you know it, don’t spoiler-post the solution, please. If everyone knows it, we can skip it. It’s the most famous one and the very first one I ever heard. My brother told me it. Again, we can skip it if everyone knows it. > > **A man walks into a bar and heads up to the bar. The bartender comes up to him and the man says, “I would like a glass of water.” The bartender pulls a gun on him. The man says, “Thanks,” and leaves. Explain.** > > I listen to a pocasts about lateral thinking puzzles and do have some fresher ones if people would like. I just feel if anyone hasn’t worked the above one, they really should. I acknowledge that you requested no spoilers, but I’m still compelled to point out that this one was already asked and answered on the first page of this thread. ---
**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:** [July 16, 2017, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/394 "2017-07-16T02:15:06Z")
> [@Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](#): > > I acknowledge that you requested no spoilers, but I’m still compelled to point out that this one was already asked and answered on the first page of this thread. Thanks. :smack::smack: Next! ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/395 "2017-07-16T02:24:54Z")
Hehe, I actually forgot about that one. A man was slowly counting, but unfortunately he miscounted. A minute later he felt a sharp pain in his back. Why? ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/396 "2017-07-16T02:25:44Z")
This Sunday, a woman is going to marry someone she has known for a long time. A month ago, she married someone else, but she will not be charged with bigamy, and it is perfectly legal for her to do this. In fact, she has married several other people, including one person who was he cousin. All but one wedding went very smoothly. The exception was one where the groom was not Jewish. That one almost didn’t happen. All her weddings took place in the US, in the 21st century. How is this possible? ETA: Knowed Out and I simulposted. I think we can run both games. Put a K in the corner for questions regarding Knowed Out’s puzzle, and an R in the corner for mine. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/397 "2017-07-16T02:31:17Z")
K > [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Hehe, I actually forgot about that one. > > A man was slowly counting, but unfortunately he miscounted. A minute later he felt a sharp pain in his back. Why? 1. Does he have some kind of traps set, and counts his steps to avoid them? did he undercount by one or two? 2. Does he take pain pills, and undercounted the number he needed to take? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/398 "2017-07-16T02:38:29Z")
R Does the woman officiate weddings? ---
**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:** [July 16, 2017, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/399 "2017-07-16T02:45:38Z")
K Let’s break down that question some more and forget about traps. Was what he was counting steps? Was what he was counting physical objects of some sort? Was what he was counting a measure of time? Was his miscount an undercount? Was his miscount an overcount? Does it matter whether his miscount was an overcount or undercount? Was the sharp pain he felt the result of some other human’s actions? Would he have felt the pain if he had counted correctly? ---
**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:** [July 16, 2017, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/400 "2017-07-16T02:50:16Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Hehe, I actually forgot about that one. > > A man was slowly counting, but unfortunately he miscounted. A minute later he felt a sharp pain in his back. Why? 1. is he one of a group of people? 2. If so, are they all holding weapons? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=19) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=21)