# 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:** 24
**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:** [July 17, 2017, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/461 "2017-07-17T15:22:48Z")
Not an original. One afternoon the pilot of a small plane is flying low over a wilderness area. He notices a single hiker below him with a white pack and dressed completely in white clothing. The man is carrying two white hiking poles and travelling a known trail through an open field that is blanketed in snow. The hiker does not signal distress and is not far from a village. However, though the pilot sees nothing else alarming, he quickly radios for help for the hiker. How did the pilot know the hiker was in danger? ---
**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 17, 2017, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/462 "2017-07-17T15:37:49Z")
Does the hiker know that he needs help, as of the moment the pilot sees him? Is the hiker heading for some hazard which is concealed by the snow? Is the danger from humans? Is the danger from non-human animals? Is the danger from some non-animal living thing? Is the danger from some nonliving aspect of the environment? Is the starting point of the hiker’s trail visible? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/463 "2017-07-17T15:38:58Z")
Avalanche? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/464 "2017-07-17T15:46:00Z")
Hmm, some better guesses: the hiker is camouflaged due to his outfit. There is something dangerous going on in the area–controlled demolition, artillery drills, etc.–which means nobody should be in the area; the pilot, realizing this is about to happen and that this fool was missed by previous scans due to his outfit, radios for help. In case that’s not right, a few questions: 1. Did the hiker’s outfit mean that he wasn’t seen previously? 2. Is the “help” radioed for to avoid a future event, not something that’s already happened? 3. Will the hiker want the help the pilot is radioing for? 4. Is the hiker deliberately camouflaged? ---
**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 17, 2017, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/465 "2017-07-17T15:46:10Z")
Does the pilot have any relevant information that he got in some way other than seeing it? For instance, having heard over the radio that there was a lost hiker in the area. ---
**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 17, 2017, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/466 "2017-07-17T15:47:25Z")
And let’s expand on **LHOD** ’s line of thinking: Did the fact that the man’s clothing was the same color as snow contribute to his danger? ---
**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:** [July 17, 2017, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/467 "2017-07-17T15:53:54Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Does the hiker know that he needs help, as of the moment the pilot sees him? > Is the hiker heading for some hazard which is concealed by the snow? > Is the danger from humans? > Is the danger from non-human animals? > Is the danger from some non-animal living thing? > Is the danger from some nonliving aspect of the environment? > Is the starting point of the hiker’s trail visible? Yes. No. No. Yes. No. No. Not relevant. ---
**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:** [July 17, 2017, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/468 "2017-07-17T15:56:34Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Avalanche? No. > [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Hmm, some better guesses: the hiker is camouflaged due to his outfit. There is something dangerous going on in the area–controlled demolition, artillery drills, etc.–which means nobody should be in the area; the pilot, realizing this is about to happen and that this fool was missed by previous scans due to his outfit, radios for help. > > In case that’s not right, a few questions: > > 1. Did the hiker’s outfit mean that he wasn’t seen previously? > 2. Is the “help” radioed for to avoid a future event, not something that’s already happened? > 3. Will the hiker want the help the pilot is radioing for? > 4. Is the hiker deliberately camouflaged? 1. No. 2. No. 3. Yes. 4. No ---
**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:** [July 17, 2017, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/469 "2017-07-17T15:57:52Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Does the pilot have any relevant information that he got in some way other than seeing it? For instance, having heard over the radio that there was a lost hiker in the area. No. > [@Chronos](#): > > And let’s expand on **LHOD** ’s line of thinking: > Did the fact that the man’s clothing was the same color as snow contribute to his danger? No. ---
**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 17, 2017, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/470 "2017-07-17T16:01:37Z")
OK, danger from non-human animals. Is the “known trail” the hiker is following frequented by humans? Is it frequented by dangerous animals? Is there physical evidence of such animals evident (for instance, prints)? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/471 "2017-07-17T16:02:48Z")
RECAP: One afternoon the pilot of a small plane is flying low over a wilderness area. He notices a single hiker below him with a white pack and dressed completely in white clothing. The man is carrying two white hiking poles and travelling a known trail through an open field that is blanketed in snow. The hiker does not signal distress and is not far from a village. However, though the pilot sees nothing else alarming, he quickly radios for help for the hiker. How did the pilot know the hiker was in danger? NEW INFORMATION: The hiker knows he needs help from nonhuman animals. His clothing color doesn’t contribute to the danger. The hiker isn’t intending to hide. The pilot has no additional information. 1. Does his clothing color clue the pilot in that the man needs help, in some way? 2. Does his location clue the pilot in that the man needs help? 3. Is the timing of the man’s presence on the trail indicative of his need for help (e.g., it’s at night)? 4. Is the man behaving in the manner of a normal recreational hiker? ---
**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:** [July 17, 2017, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/472 "2017-07-17T16:04:50Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > RECAP: > > One afternoon the pilot of a small plane is flying low over a wilderness area. He notices a single hiker below him with a white pack and dressed completely in white clothing. The man is carrying two white hiking poles and travelling a known trail through an open field that is blanketed in snow. The hiker does not signal distress and is not far from a village. However, though the pilot sees nothing else alarming, he quickly radios for help for the hiker. How did the pilot know the hiker was in danger? > > NEW INFORMATION: The hiker knows he needs help from nonhuman animals. His clothing color doesn’t contribute to the danger. The hiker isn’t intending to hide. The pilot has no additional information. > > 1. Does his clothing color clue the pilot in that the man needs help, in some way? > 2. Does his location clue the pilot in that the man needs help? > 3. Is the timing of the man’s presence on the trail indicative of his need for help (e.g., it’s at night)? > 4. Is the man behaving in the manner of a normal recreational hiker? 1. No. 2. No. 3. No. 4. Yes ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/473 "2017-07-17T16:09:44Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > 1. No. > 2. No. > 3. No. > 4. Yes Huh. 1. Is figuring out why he’s got the color scheme going on important for solving the puzzle? 2. Are the nonhuman animals that endanger the man normal-sized predators (e.g., leopards or wolves, not mosquitos or flatworms)? ---
**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 17, 2017, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/474 "2017-07-17T16:12:16Z")
Is the village the hiker is near dangerous? ---
**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:** [July 17, 2017, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/475 "2017-07-17T16:13:23Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Huh. > > 1. Is figuring out why he’s got the color scheme going on important for solving the puzzle? > 2. Are the nonhuman animals that endanger the man normal-sized predators (e.g., leopards or wolves, not mosquitos or flatworms)? 1. No… and yet… 2. Yes. ---
**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:** [July 17, 2017, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/476 "2017-07-17T16:14:31Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Is the village the hiker is near dangerous? 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 17, 2017, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/477 "2017-07-17T16:16:38Z")
Is there any reason the hiker would be well advised to not enter the nearby village? Would the hiker have died without the help provided? ---
**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:** [July 17, 2017, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/478 "2017-07-17T16:18:01Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Is there any reason the hiker would be well advised to not enter the nearby village? > > Would the hiker have died without the help provided? No. Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/479 "2017-07-17T16:18:10Z")
1. Are the nonhuman animals wild animals? 2. Can the hiker see the animals? 3. Can the pilot see the animals? 4. Is the man injured? 5. Is the clothing bloody? ---
**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:** [July 17, 2017, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/480 "2017-07-17T16:24:15Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > 1. Are the nonhuman animals wild animals? > 2. Can the hiker see the animals? > 3. Can the pilot see the animals? > 4. Is the man injured? > 5. Is the clothing bloody? 1. Yes. 2. Yes 3. Yes. 4. Unknown 5. Unknown [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=23) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=25)