# 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:** 64
**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:** [September 5, 2017, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1261 "2017-09-05T04:18:57Z")
> [@Lord\_Mondegreen](#): > > Was she a flight attendant? 😉 > > (If it’s the one I’m thinking of, there has been some question in recent years whether the accident happened as reported, but being in the former USSR I don’t think the truth will ever be certain. ) > > I’d search for a link but I’m at work and on my phone, so it’s all too difficult. [You got it](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesna_Vulovi%25C4%2587&ved=0ahUKEwj3s7_xlo3WAhWENSYKHbgzCNIQFghhMAc&usg=AFQjCNHZJDv3cIe_NNXiMVFv87PCUaquJA). It was in Czechoslovakia. ---
**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:** [September 5, 2017, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1262 "2017-09-05T13:21:02Z")
Actually, she was _not_ at work when she set the record, having left her place of work without permission from her supervisor a few minutes beforehand. ---
**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:** [September 5, 2017, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1263 "2017-09-05T16:05:25Z")
Dude, she fell over 6 miles and survived. I think her work status is relatively insignificant. ---
**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:** [September 5, 2017, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1264 "2017-09-05T16:10:25Z")
At least one report says she survived in part because she was pinned inside the fuselage by a drink cart and didn’t get sucked out. ---
**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:** [September 11, 2017, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1265 "2017-09-11T07:22:51Z")
Here’s an oddity: We all know George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Abraham Lincoln. They all have good reasons for appearing on American money. They were, after all, great U.S. historical figures. But Spenser M. Clark was also once portrayed on American money. And for a very unique reason. Who was he and why was his portrait once on U.S. paper currency ? No fair googling! ---
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2017, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1266 "2017-09-11T07:30:28Z")
Was Clark affiliated with the U.S. treasury? Was he on the $1 bill? $5? $10? $20? $100? Some uncommon denomination? Were the bills in broad currency? Do collectors still have some? ---
**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:** [September 11, 2017, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1267 "2017-09-11T07:50:47Z")
Was Clark affiliated with the U.S. treasury? \*\*Yes \*\* Was he on the $1 bill? $5? $10? $20? $100? \*\*No \*\* Some uncommon denomination? \*\*Yes \*\* Were the bills in broad currency? Do collectors still have some? \*\*Yes \*\* ---
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2017, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1268 "2017-09-11T07:56:51Z")
Was he some sort of placeholder until they could get a portrait of the person they actually wanted to have on the bills? ---
**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:** [September 11, 2017, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1269 "2017-09-11T08:04:51Z")
> [@kk\_fusion](#): > > Was he some sort of placeholder until they could get a portrait of the person they actually wanted to have on the bills? \*\*No \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Tread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Tread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tread)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2017, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1270 "2017-09-11T08:37:07Z")
Was it an extremely large denomination similar to Salmon P Chase on the $10,000 ? Or a very low denomination, of a few cents? ---
**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:** [September 11, 2017, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1271 "2017-09-11T08:46:05Z")
Was it an extremely large denomination similar to Salmon P Chase on the $10,000 ? **No.** Or a very low denomination, of a few cents? \*\*Yes \*\* ---
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2017, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1272 "2017-09-11T14:00:34Z")
Was Clark the head of the Treasury at the time? Was he speaker/press secretary? Some other appointed position? Is the specific value of the bills relevant? Is it the amount of change typically given to visitors/customers? ---
**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:** [September 11, 2017, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1273 "2017-09-11T14:48:01Z")
Was the denomination 1/10th of a cent, or one mill? If so, was it for some kind of Wall Street purpose? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2017, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1274 "2017-09-11T15:23:15Z")
Was he the central portrait on the front of the bill or was he featured elsewhere on the note? Was it intended to be a picture of Clark or was the wrong picture used, either accidentally or on purpose? ---
**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:** [September 11, 2017, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1275 "2017-09-11T16:17:45Z")
Was Clark the head of the Treasury at the time? \*\*No \*\* Was he speaker/press secretary? \*\*No \*\* Some other appointed position? \*\*Yes \*\* Is the specific value of the bills relevant? \*\*No \*\* (but kind of interesting) Is it the amount of change typically given to visitors/customers? \*\*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:** [September 11, 2017, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1276 "2017-09-11T16:19:13Z")
Was the denomination 1/10th of a cent, or one mill? \*\*No \*\* If so, was it for some kind of Wall Street purpose? \*\*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:** [September 11, 2017, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1277 "2017-09-11T16:21:20Z")
Was he the central portrait on the front of the bill or was he featured elsewhere on the note? \*\*Yes \*\* Was it intended to be a picture of Clark or was the wrong picture used, either accidentally or on purpose? \*\*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:** [September 11, 2017, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1278 "2017-09-11T16:25:24Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Was he the central portrait on the front of the bill or was he featured elsewhere on the note? > > \*\*Yes \*\* Har de har har. 1. Was he the central portrait on the front of the bill? 2. Was he featured elsewhere on the note? 3. Was it intended to be a picture of Clark? 4. Was the wrong picture used accidentally? 5. Was the wrong picture used on purpose? ---
**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:** [September 11, 2017, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1279 "2017-09-11T16:31:38Z")
Har de har har. _Just trying to answer the best way I can. 😉_ 1. Was he the central portrait on the front of the bill? \*\*Yes \*\* 1. Was he featured elsewhere on the note? \*\*No \*\* 1. Was it intended to be a picture of Clark? \*\*Yes \*\* 1. Was the wrong picture used accidentally? \*\*No \*\* 1. Was the wrong picture used on purpose? \*\*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:** [September 11, 2017, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1280 "2017-09-11T16:39:29Z")
Was this currency issued in the 18th century? The 19th? The 20th? The 21st? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=63) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=65)