# 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:** 30
**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 18, 2017, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/581 "2017-07-18T20:16:13Z")
1. Was the non-smoking car dark? 2. Did his unusual medical condition interact with light and darkness? 3. Was he human? 4. Was he a vampire? 5. Were the curtains open or opened in the non-smoking car? 6. Is his actual location relevant? ---
**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 18, 2017, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/582 "2017-07-18T20:20:28Z")
> [@Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](#): > > 1. Was the non-smoking car dark? > 2. Did his unusual medical condition interact with light and darkness? > 3. Was he human? > 4. Was he a vampire? > 5. Were the curtains open or opened in the non-smoking car? 1. Sometimes. 2. Yes. 3. yes. 4. No. 5. Irrelevant. ---
**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 18, 2017, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/583 "2017-07-18T20:23:25Z")
1. Is the issue when the car went through a tunnel? 2. Is it the light from the lit cigarettes that saved him? 3. Is he so terrified of the dark that he would’ve gotten himself killed in complete darkness? 4. Would he, more generally speaking, have killed himself in complete darkness? ---
**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 18, 2017, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/584 "2017-07-18T20:29:14Z")
1. Is the fact that he wasn’t in the smoking car relevant, apart from not being the non-smoking car? 2. Would knowing the specific location he was in be relevant, apart from not being in the non-smoking car? ---
**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 18, 2017, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/585 "2017-07-18T20:32:16Z")
1. Would complete darkness have caused his death? (even more generally speaking) ---
**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 18, 2017, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/586 "2017-07-18T21:18:35Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > 1. Is the issue when the car went through a tunnel? > 2. Is it the light from the lit cigarettes that saved him? > 3. Is he so terrified of the dark that he would’ve gotten himself killed in complete darkness? > 4. Would he, more generally speaking, have killed himself in complete darkness? 1. Yes. 2. Yes. 3. No 4. Yes. > [@Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](#): > > 1. Is the fact that he wasn’t in the smoking car relevant, apart from not being the non-smoking car? > 2. Would knowing the specific location he was in be relevant, apart from not being in the non-smoking car? 1. He was in the smoking car. 2. No. > [@Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](#): > > 1. Would complete darkness have caused his death? (even more generally speaking) No. ---
**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 18, 2017, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/587 "2017-07-18T21:26:22Z")
> [@mahaloth](#): > > 1. No. > [@mahaloth](#): > > 1. He was in the smoking car. Huh? ---
**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 18, 2017, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/588 "2017-07-18T21:28:39Z")
Ah, I have a correction to make. **He was in the smoking car.** I apologize for my misread. ---
**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 18, 2017, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/589 "2017-07-18T21:29:50Z")
1. Did his medical condition require him to do some task that required light? 2. Would he have accidentally killed himself had he been in the non-smoking car? 3. Would he have mis-medicated himself had he been in the non-smoking car? ---
**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 18, 2017, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/590 "2017-07-18T21:38:47Z")
Need to generalize those questions: 4. Did his medical condition require someone to do a task that required light? 5. Would he have died accidentally had he been in the non-smoking car? 6. Would he have been mis-medicated had he been in the non-smoking car? 7. Would he have gone unmedicated had he been in the non-smoking car? ---
**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 18, 2017, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/591 "2017-07-18T21:40:17Z")
> [@Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](#): > > 1. Did his medical condition require him to do some task that required light? > 2. Would he have accidentally killed himself had he been in the non-smoking car? > 3. Would he have mis-medicated himself had he been in the non-smoking car? 1. No. 2. No. 3. No. > [@Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](#): > > Need to generalize those last two questions: > 4. Would he have died accidentally had he been in the non-smoking car? > 5. Would he have been mis-medicated had he been in the non-smoking car? 1. No. 2. No. ---
**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 18, 2017, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/592 "2017-07-18T21:43:16Z")
I probably should just post fresh rather than doing late edits… 1. Did his medical condition require someone to do a task that required light? 2. Would he have gone unmedicated had he been in the non-smoking car? ---
**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 18, 2017, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/593 "2017-07-18T21:46:07Z")
1. Would darkness have made him (and/or a caregiver) unaware of a change in his medical condition? ---
**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 18, 2017, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/594 "2017-07-18T21:46:16Z")
> [@Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](#): > > I probably should just post fresh rather than doing late edits… > > 1. Did his medical condition require someone to do a task that required light? > 2. Would he have gone unmedicated had he been in the non-smoking car? 1. No. 2. 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 18, 2017, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/595 "2017-07-18T21:47:30Z")
As the trip actually occurred, did he attempt to commit suicide? If he had not been in the smoking car, would he have deliberately committed suicide? At the time that he would have died, would he have been in his seat? I’m thinking that he was moving about for some reason, and almost mistook a door to the outside with a door that led back to his seat. ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/596 "2017-07-18T21:47:44Z")
Recap: He had an unusual medical condition, and he would have committed suicide if not in the smoking car. It’s relevant that the train went through a tunnel. The light from other people’s cigarettes saved him, but a candle flame would have worked, too. Did he think he’d gone blind when the train went through the tunnel? ---
**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 18, 2017, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/597 "2017-07-18T21:51:36Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > 1. As the trip actually occurred, did he attempt to commit suicide? > 2. If he had not been in the smoking car, would he have deliberately committed suicide? > 3. At the time that he would have died, would he have been in his seat? > > I’m thinking that he was moving about for some reason, and almost mistook a door to the outside with a door that led back to his seat. 1. No. 2. Yes. 3. Yes. > [@snoe](#): > > Recap: He had an unusual medical condition, and he would have committed suicide if not in the smoking car. It’s relevant that the train went through a tunnel. The light from other people’s cigarettes saved him, but a candle flame would have worked, too. > > Did he think he’d gone blind when the train went through the tunnel? 1. No. ---
**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 18, 2017, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/598 "2017-07-18T21:58:28Z")
1. Is the method that he would have used to commit suicide relevant? 2. Was he insane? 3. Was his medical condition purely psychological? 4. Was his medical condition not at all psychological? ---
**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 18, 2017, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/599 "2017-07-18T21:58:50Z")
**snoe** , I don’t think that’s quite the question you meant to ask. I’ll rephrase it: Would he have thought he’d gone blind when the train went through the tunnel, if he hadn’t seen the cigarettes? And I’ll generalize: If he had committed suicide, would it have been due to any mistake of fact? If so, did the light from the lit cigarettes give him the correct information which prevented that mistake? ---
**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 18, 2017, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/600 "2017-07-18T22:01:36Z")
> [@Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](#): > > 1. Is the method that he would have used to commit suicide relevant? > 2. Was he insane? > 3. Was his medical condition purely psychological? > 4. Was his medical condition not at all psychological? 1. No. 2. No. 3. No. 4. Yes. > [@Chronos](#): > > **snoe** , I don’t think that’s quite the question you meant to ask. I’ll rephrase it: > > 1. Would he have thought he’d gone blind when the train went through the tunnel, if he hadn’t seen the cigarettes? > > And I’ll generalize: > If he had committed suicide, would it have been due to any mistake of fact? > If so, did the light from the lit cigarettes give him the correct information which prevented that mistake? 1. Yes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=29) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=31)