# 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:** 45
**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:** [August 9, 2017, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/881 "2017-08-09T02:58:21Z")
> [@snoe](#): > > Was the man blind? No. > [@snoe](#): > > I should’ve asked: did the man claim to be blind? 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:** [August 9, 2017, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/882 "2017-08-09T13:47:55Z")
1: Was part of the man’s story contradicted by the physical evidence? 2: Was there evidence for arson independent of the man’s story? (For instance, traces of accelerant found, origin point of the fire was far from obvious accidental fire-sources, etc.). 3: Assuming the answer to 1 is yes, was relevant physical evidence to be found by examination of the belongings? 4: Assuming 1 is yes, was relevant physical evidence to be found by examination of the bags the belongings were in? 5: Assuming 1 is yes, was relevant physical evidence to be found by examination of the cane? 6: Assuming 1 is yes, was relevant physical evidence to be found by examination of the window? ---
**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:** [August 9, 2017, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/883 "2017-08-09T19:30:15Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > 1: Was part of the man’s story contradicted by the physical evidence? > 2: Was there evidence for arson independent of the man’s story? (For instance, traces of accelerant found, origin point of the fire was far from obvious accidental fire-sources, etc.). > 3: Assuming the answer to 1 is yes, was relevant physical evidence to be found by examination of the belongings? > 4: Assuming 1 is yes, was relevant physical evidence to be found by examination of the bags the belongings were in? > 5: Assuming 1 is yes, was relevant physical evidence to be found by examination of the cane? > 6: Assuming 1 is yes, was relevant physical evidence to be found by examination of the window? 1. No. 2. No. 3. No. 4. No. 5. No. 6. No. ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/884 "2017-08-09T19:43:37Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > A man’s house burns down. The man claims that he was sleeping when the fire started and that he managed to save many of his belongings by stuffing them into bags, smashing the window with his cane, hurling the bags out of the window, followed by him climbing out of the window himself. > > There are no witnesses or cameras that could help investigators determine if it was arson for insurance purposes. > > However, one investigator does find something to prove it was arson(and it was, by the way). > > What did the investigator find? It sounds like the man’s story was internally inconsistent. (Not contradicted by physical evidence, no independent evidence of arson.) I’m a bit stuck, but let me try this: 1. did the man escape from the first/ground floor? 2. is the floor he escaped from relevant to the solution? ---
**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:** [August 9, 2017, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/885 "2017-08-09T19:54:44Z")
> [@](#): > > The man claims that he was sleeping when the fire started 1. Was he? > [@](#): > > and that he managed to save many of his belongings by stuffing them into bags 1. Did he actually do this after the fire started? > [@](#): > > smashing the window with his cane 1. Did he do this from inside the house after the fire started? > [@](#): > > hurling the bags out of the window 1. Did he do this after the fire started? > [@](#): > > followed by him climbing out of the window himself. 1. Did he do this after he threw bags out the window? > [@](#): > > However, one investigator does find something to prove it was arson(and it was, by the way). 1. Was the “thing” the investigator found an object? ---
**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:** [August 10, 2017, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/886 "2017-08-10T00:07:42Z")
Did the man need the cane to be able to walk? ---
**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:** [August 10, 2017, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/887 "2017-08-10T00:37:50Z")
> [@snoe](#): > > It sounds like the man’s story was internally inconsistent. (Not contradicted by physical evidence, no independent evidence of arson.) > > I’m a bit stuck, but let me try this: > > 1. did the man escape from the first/ground floor? > 2. is the floor he escaped from relevant to the solution? 1. Not important. 2. No. Let’s just say first or second floor, but not relevant. > [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > 1. Was he? > > 2. Did he actually do this after the fire started? > > 3. Did he do this from inside the house after the fire started? > > 4. Did he do this after the fire started? > > 5. Did he do this after he threw bags out the window? > > 6. Was the “thing” the investigator found an object? 1. No. 2. Yes 3. No. 4. Probably 5. Yes. 6. No, I don’t think so. > [@Chronos](#): > > Did the man need the cane to be able to walk? ---
**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:** [August 10, 2017, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/888 "2017-08-10T00:39:20Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Did the man need the cane to be able to walk? Yes, but I think he had some mobility without 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:** [August 10, 2017, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/889 "2017-08-10T02:11:27Z")
1. Was the window unlocked, and simply could have been opened, not smashed? 2. Is this one of those things where the broken glass projected inward, so the window had been smashed from the outside? 3. Had the bags been filled before the fire was set, and it was obvious to the investigator? ---
**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:** [August 10, 2017, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/890 "2017-08-10T02:47:42Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > 1. Was the window unlocked, and simply could have been opened, not smashed? > > 2. Is this one of those things where the broken glass projected inward, so the window had been smashed from the outside? > > 3. Had the bags been filled before the fire was set, and it was obvious to the investigator? 1. No. 2. No. 3. No. ---
**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:** [August 10, 2017, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/891 "2017-08-10T03:09:25Z")
My first thought was that fragments of glass were found on top of the bags, which showed they had been moved outside \*before \*the window was broken. Something similar happened in an episode of Columbo, hence my earlier question. I take it my hypothesis was wrong, then? ---
**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:** [August 10, 2017, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/892 "2017-08-10T03:37:01Z")
Was the cane used for anything else besides a walking aid and glass breaker? Were the belongings he rescued highly valuable? Was the glass actually broken by some other means besides the cane? ---
**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:** [August 10, 2017, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/893 "2017-08-10T14:14:48Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > My first thought was that fragments of glass were found on top of the bags, which showed they had been moved outside \*before \*the window was broken. Something similar happened in an episode of Columbo, hence my earlier question. > > I take it my hypothesis was wrong, then? Your hypothesis was wrong. > [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > 1. Was the cane used for anything else besides a walking aid and glass breaker? > 2. Were the belongings he rescued highly valuable? > 3. Was the glass actually broken by some other means besides the cane? 1. No. 2. No(irrelevant, actually). 3. No. ---
**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:** [August 10, 2017, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/894 "2017-08-10T16:11:16Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > A man’s house burns down. The man claims that he was sleeping when the fire started and that he managed to save many of his belongings by stuffing them into bags, smashing the window with his cane, hurling the bags out of the window, followed by him climbing out of the window himself. > > There are no witnesses or cameras that could help investigators determine if it was arson for insurance purposes. > > However, one investigator does find something to prove it was arson(and it was, by the way). > > What did the investigator find? 1. Did the fire start in the same room where the man was sleeping? 2. Did the investigator find the incriminating evidence in this room? 3. Did the window smashing occur before the fire started? ---
**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:** [August 10, 2017, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/895 "2017-08-10T16:22:06Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > 1. Did the fire start in the same room where the man was sleeping? > 2. Did the investigator find the incriminating evidence in this room? > 3. Did the window smashing occur before the fire started? 1. Yes. 2. No. 3. Yes. ---
**Author:** ![RadioWave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/91b2a8/32.png) [@RadioWave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadioWave)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/896 "2017-08-10T16:38:24Z")
1. Is this a normal house we’re talking about here? One in which the man could live? 2. Were the filled bags too big to pass through the smashed window? 3. Is there something that would have prevented the man from crawling through the window after the bags were thrown through it? 4. Could the fire have started without the window having been broken before hand (e.g. was there oxygen in the room)? ---
**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:** [August 10, 2017, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/897 "2017-08-10T17:13:48Z")
> [@RadioWave](#): > > 1. Is this a normal house we’re talking about here? One in which the man could live? > 2. Were the filled bags too big to pass through the smashed window? > 3. Is there something that would have prevented the man from crawling through the window after the bags were thrown through it? > 4. Could the fire have started without the window having been broken before hand (e.g. was there oxygen in the room)? 1. Yes. Yes. 2. No. 3. No. 4. Yes. ---
**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:** [August 10, 2017, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/898 "2017-08-10T18:18:47Z")
1. Was the incriminating evidence electronic in nature? 2. Was the room in which the evidence was found the kitchen? 3. The basement? 4. The garage? 5. The attic? 6. A bathroom? 7. In either the living room, den, another bedroom, or a hallway? ---
**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:** [August 10, 2017, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/899 "2017-08-10T19:30:10Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > 1. Was the incriminating evidence electronic in nature? > 2. Was the room in which the evidence was found the kitchen? > 3. The basement? > 4. The garage? > 5. The attic? > 6. A bathroom? > 7. In either the living room, den, another bedroom, or a hallway? 1. Yes. 2. No. 3. No. 4. No. 5. No 6. No 7. No. ---
**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:** [August 10, 2017, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/900 "2017-08-10T19:42:52Z")
Was the evidence found on the perp’s body (e.g., a lack of injuries from broken glass)? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=44) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=46)