# 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:** 39
**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 24, 2017, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/761 "2017-07-24T16:52:21Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Making sure I understand: > > 1. Just to be certain: does food have any relevance to the puzzle? > 2. Did these incidents happen at a theme park? > 3. Were real-world representations (statues or the like) of Popeye and/or Donald Duck involved? 1. No 2. No 3. 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 24, 2017, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/762 "2017-07-24T16:53:30Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Did Popeye splash people with water? Rephrase please. ---
**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 24, 2017, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/763 "2017-07-24T17:12:01Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Is the medium in which the fictional characters were presented relevant? (i.e., movie, TV show, comic book, etc.) > > Were the fictional characters presented in the same medium? > > Were the fictional characters presented in the same work? > > Did one or both of the events referenced involve a collaboration between the companies which own the two fictional characters? > > In all of the above questions, “the fictional characters” should be taken as referring to Popeye the Sailor Man and Donald Duck, not to any other fictional characters which might be incidentally involved. Actually, that suggests another couple of questions: > > Were any other fictional characters specifically relevant, other than Popeye and Donald? > Were any other fictional characters who do not routinely appear with Popeye and/or Donald relevant in any way? (that would include, for instance, Bugs Bunny, Daedelus, and Aragorn, but not Olive Oyl or Mickey Mouse). 1. Yes the medium is relevant. 2. Yes the medium is the same 3. Yes, the same “work” I suppose. I dither on how to answer this. 4. Not a collaboration of companies. No 5. No other characters directly involved in the specific unwanted showers. 6. I would say there is some relevance to other characters. Yes. Tangently. ---
**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 24, 2017, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/764 "2017-07-24T17:16:19Z")
And **LHOD** , the scenario recap you wrote in #758 is exactly right. ---
**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 24, 2017, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/765 "2017-07-24T17:26:21Z")
> [@](#): > > Rephrase please. 1: Did a physical representation of Popeye cause water to be in a place such that it collided with real-world people? > [@](#): > > 1. Not a collaboration of companies. No And yet, characters from two different companies were involved somehow. Thus: 2: Did one or both of the characters represent an unauthorized trademark violation? 3: Did one or both of the shower events occur in a venue featuring statues or other physical representations of many fictional characters? 4: Was it the same venue for both shower events? 5: Was the venue where one or both shower events occurred open to the public? ---
**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 24, 2017, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/766 "2017-07-24T17:33:22Z")
Were people wearing costumes involved in these events? ---
**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:** [July 24, 2017, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/767 "2017-07-24T17:38:14Z")
What are the rules again? Because I figured out the Donald/Popeye one but I did by Googling for clues. If that’s not allowed, I won’t share. ---
**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 24, 2017, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/768 "2017-07-24T17:41:09Z")
When you say “Both incidents were reported in the newspapers,” 1. Were the newspapers real? 2. If so, were these incidents reported in the form of printed articles? 3. Were these actual newspapers that have existed/still exist? 4. Were Popeye and Donald comic strips in these papers? ---
**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 24, 2017, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/769 "2017-07-24T18:04:45Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > What are the rules again? Because I figured out the Donald/Popeye one but I did by Googling for clues. If that’s not allowed, I won’t share. I trust that you got it. But I’d like others to get it in the traditional way if that’s ok. ---
**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 24, 2017, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/770 "2017-07-24T18:07:03Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > 1: Did a physical representation of Popeye cause water to be in a place such that it collided with real-world people? > > And yet, characters from two different companies were involved somehow. Thus: > 2: Did one or both of the characters represent an unauthorized trademark violation? > > 3: Did one or both of the shower events occur in a venue featuring statues or other physical representations of many fictional characters? > 4: Was it the same venue for both shower events? > 5: Was the venue where one or both shower events occurred open to the public? 1. Yes to rephrase. 2. No trademark violation 3. Yes. 4. Yes 5. 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 24, 2017, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/771 "2017-07-24T18:08:12Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Were people wearing costumes involved in these events? Yes. ---
**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 24, 2017, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/772 "2017-07-24T18:08:32Z")
Did this have anything to do with the recruiting and training films from WWII that featured Donald Duck in some and Popeye in others? ---
**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 24, 2017, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/773 "2017-07-24T18:11:26Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > When you say “Both incidents were reported in the newspapers,” > > 1. Were the newspapers real? > 2. If so, were these incidents reported in the form of printed articles? > 3. Were these actual newspapers that have existed/still exist? > 4. Were Popeye and Donald comic strips in these papers? 1. Yes 2. Yes. 3. Yes 4. Irrelevant ---
**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 24, 2017, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/774 "2017-07-24T18:13:33Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Did this have anything to do with the recruiting and training films from WWII that featured Donald Duck in some and Popeye in others? 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 24, 2017, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/775 "2017-07-24T19:11:04Z")
1: Did the costumes include costumes of Donald Duck and Popeye the Sailor? 2: If so, were said costumes the only (or only relevant) physical representations of said characters? 3: Was the venue a costume party? 4: Was the water involved in the cold showers sufficiently pure that it would typically be called “water” (as opposed to, say, punch, or soda, or beer)? It sounds like we’re on the home stretch now, but I think we still haven’t figured out “stuffed”. Hmm… 5: Did one of the costumes involve a significant amount of padding? 6: Did a person wearing a padded costume, and unaccustomed to such padding, accidentally upset some container? 7: Did a person wearing (or who would eventually be wearing) a Popeye costume help a person wearing a Donald costume to stuff padding into the costume? I’m picturing someone accidentally knocking over a punchbowl, or the like. ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/776 "2017-07-24T19:13:23Z")
WAG: were parades involved? ---
**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 24, 2017, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/777 "2017-07-24T19:16:14Z")
Actually, I’m still not sure why this would be reported in newspapers, especially the first time it happened. 1: Were any of the people wearing the costumes famous prior to the first incident? 2: Were any of them famous for reasons other than wearing said costumes? 3: Were any of the people who got showered famous prior to the first incident? If yes, then if necessary, we can try to narrow down why they were famous. ---
**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 24, 2017, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/778 "2017-07-24T19:16:52Z")
Actually, I’m still not sure why this would be reported in newspapers, especially the first time it happened. 1: Were any of the people wearing the costumes famous prior to the first incident? 2: Were any of them famous for reasons other than wearing said costumes? 3: Were any of the people who got showered famous prior to the first incident? If yes, then if necessary, we can try to narrow down why they were famous. ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/779 "2017-07-24T19:20:02Z")
Yeah, it’s gotta be parades. 1. not in the comic/cartoon medium 2. trademarked characters from different companies without legal issues 3. people literally got wet (implies outdoors) 4. repeated incidents 5 years apart 5. newsworthy I’ll make a more specific guess: Macy’s parade. ETA: balloon-related ---
**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 24, 2017, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/780 "2017-07-24T19:40:06Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > 1: Did the costumes include costumes of Donald Duck and Popeye the Sailor? > 2: If so, were said costumes the only (or only relevant) physical representations of said characters? > 3: Was the venue a costume party? > 4: Was the water involved in the cold showers sufficiently pure that it would typically be called “water” (as opposed to, say, punch, or soda, or beer)? > > It sounds like we’re on the home stretch now, but I think we still haven’t figured out “stuffed”. > > Hmm… > 5: Did one of the costumes involve a significant amount of padding? > 6: Did a person wearing a padded costume, and unaccustomed to such padding, accidentally upset some container? > 7: Did a person wearing (or who would eventually be wearing) a Popeye costume help a person wearing a Donald costume to stuff padding into the costume? > > I’m picturing someone accidentally knocking over a punchbowl, or the like. 1. No 2. No per #1 3. No 4. Yes 5. No 6. No 7. No [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=38) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=40)