# 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:** 57
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1121 "2017-08-29T02:53:34Z")
- Had he locked himself out and was breaking the window to get back in? ---
**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 29, 2017, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1122 "2017-08-29T03:07:19Z")
> [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#): > > - Had he locked himself out and was breaking the window to get back in? 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:** [August 29, 2017, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1123 "2017-08-29T03:16:44Z")
Had he been locked in the store, and was breaking out? ---
**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 29, 2017, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1124 "2017-08-29T03:21:54Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Had he been locked in the store, and was breaking out? No. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1125 "2017-08-29T03:26:58Z")
- Was the damage done for damage’s sake, such as an act of vandalism (rather than serving a purpose, such as gaining access)? - Did the man have some link to the building (place of work etc)? ---
**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:** [August 29, 2017, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1126 "2017-08-29T03:44:09Z")
Are the wares of the shop 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:** [August 29, 2017, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1127 "2017-08-29T03:49:40Z")
> [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#): > > - Was the damage done for damage’s sake, such as an act of vandalism (rather than serving a purpose, such as gaining access)? > > - Did the man have some link to the building (place of work etc)? 1. Yes. Damage/destruction was the goal. 2. No. > [@Biotop](#): > > Are the wares of the shop relevant? 1. Not really. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1128 "2017-08-29T03:58:20Z")
- Is there some kind of misunderstanding or error involved somewhere in this incident? ETA: If so, who: - the man? - the shop-owner? - the police? (I presume, yes) ---
**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 29, 2017, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1129 "2017-08-29T11:20:04Z")
> [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#): > > - Is there some kind of misunderstanding or error involved somewhere in this incident? > > ETA: If so, who: > > - the man? > - the shop-owner? > - the police? (I presume, yes) 1. Yes. 2. The man? Yes. 3. The shop-owner? Yes, kind of. 4. The police? 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 29, 2017, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1130 "2017-08-29T11:28:57Z")
Was there some sort of design or wording on the glass? If so, is that what angered the man? ---
**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 29, 2017, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1131 "2017-08-29T13:44:06Z")
1: Would the man have broken the windows if the shop had not been empty? 2: Were the windows smashed the windows of the shop? 3: Were the owners of the shop upset about the situation? 4: Would the owners of the shop have been upset if the situation had been otherwise unchanged, but the man had not broken the windows? ---
**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 29, 2017, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1132 "2017-08-29T14:09:55Z")
Was he upset at finding the shop empty? Had it been emptied by the shop’s owners? Was it his shop? (leased from the owners) ---
**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:** [August 29, 2017, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1133 "2017-08-29T14:27:17Z")
1. Was the shop actually empty? 2. Was the shop empty of people? 3. Was the shop empty of everything? 4. Was a reflection involved in the misunderstanding or error? ---
**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 29, 2017, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1134 "2017-08-29T18:49:32Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Was there some sort of design or wording on the glass? > If so, is that what angered the man? 1. Yes. 2. Yes. > [@Chronos](#): > > 1: Would the man have broken the windows if the shop had not been empty? > 2: Were the windows smashed the windows of the shop? > 3: Were the owners of the shop upset about the situation? > 4: Would the owners of the shop have been upset if the situation had been otherwise unchanged, but the man had not broken the windows? 1. Probably. 2. Yes. 3. Yes, initially. 4. No. > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Was he upset at finding the shop empty? > > Had it been emptied by the shop’s owners? > > Was it his shop? (leased from the owners) 1. No. 2. Yes. 3. No. > [@Folly](#): > > 1. Was the shop actually empty? > 2. Was the shop empty of people? > 3. Was the shop empty of everything? > 4. Was a reflection involved in the misunderstanding or error? 1. Yes. 2. Yes. 3. Yes. 4. No. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1135 "2017-08-29T19:03:48Z")
Did the glass say to break it in case of an emergency? Did the guy think there was an emergency going on? ---
**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 29, 2017, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1136 "2017-08-29T19:13:53Z")
Following on from **Knowed Out** : Was the man upset by wording on the glass? Was there wording on the glass that meant something different from what the man thought it meant? Was there wording on the glass in a language that the man didn’t know fluently? I’m thinking something like a sign saying “pediatrician”, and the guy thought it meant “pedophile”. ---
**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 29, 2017, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1137 "2017-08-29T20:16:38Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Did the glass say to break it in case of an emergency? > Did the guy think there was an emergency going on? 1. No. 2. No. > [@Chronos](#): > > Following on from **Knowed Out** : > > Was the man upset by wording on the glass? > Was there wording on the glass that meant something different from what the man thought it meant? > Was there wording on the glass in a language that the man didn’t know fluently? > > I’m thinking something like a sign saying “pediatrician”, and the guy thought it meant “pedophile”. 1. Yes. 2. Yes. 3. No, I don’t think so. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1138 "2017-08-30T00:34:57Z")
Was his name Bill Stickers or Bill Posters? ---
**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 30, 2017, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1139 "2017-08-30T00:39:47Z")
> [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#): > > Was his name Bill Stickers or Bill Posters? No. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1140 "2017-08-30T01:47:27Z")
- Was it a sign attached to the window, like a poster (as opposed to writing on the window itself)? - Was the writing or related to the shop being empty (like a “To Let” sign or other notice)? About the man’s anger - did he feel personally slighted: - as an individual (i.e. no-one else but him would have been enraged)? - as part of a group of individuals to which he belonged? - on behalf of another individual or group to which he did not belong? - on behalf of everybody? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=56) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=58)