# 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:** 66
**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, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1301 "2017-09-11T19:36:41Z")
Hmm. Was a battle important to the story? ---
**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, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1302 "2017-09-11T19:39:54Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Hmm. Was a battle important to the story? \*\*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, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1303 "2017-09-11T19:47:06Z")
\*\*Okay, this somewhat unbelievable story has pretty much been solved: Spenser M. Clark was in charge of the office that designed the new bills and without much (if any) authorization he put his own face on the new 5-cent currency. End of story. And he was not even fired for it.\*\* [Spencer Clark](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spencer_M._Clark&ved=0ahUKEwi3zoXg6Z3WAhXs7oMKHTlRCGoQFggpMAE&usg=AFQjCNFh-bizT7IBBSmqGiAJ9lKHXV7-dg) was supervisor of the National Currency Bureau. Due to shortage of metals in the Civil War, Congress authorized certain low denomination currencies to be printed. One story goes that Congress intended for William Clark (of Lewis & Clark fame) to be put on the bill. But since they only said “Clark” on their order, Spencer decided that meant himself. [More details here](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://blog.moaf.org/%3Fp%3D135&ved=0ahUKEwi3zoXg6Z3WAhXs7oMKHTlRCGoQFgglMAA&usg=AFQjCNG3du89Ef1pyC31DsgrmADS3WgBkg). In any case, The bill was mass produced and is still legal tender today. Congress was so outraged by this incident that they passed a law saying only the dead could be on U.S. currency. This guy put his own face on legal U.S. currency and is now my new hero. ---
**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:** [September 11, 2017, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1304 "2017-09-11T19:53:59Z")
[del] Was the bill for less than 1 dollar? Was the bill for an integer amount of dollars? Was the bill for X dollars and Y cents? (neither number being zero) [/del] NM ---
**Author:** ![RadioWave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/91b2a8/32.png) [@RadioWave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadioWave)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2017, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1305 "2017-09-11T19:55:23Z")
Never mind. ---
**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, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1306 "2017-09-11T20:00:17Z")
If I posted the solution too early, I am sorry. But dang it, the craziness of the story is that there is not much more to it. The guy was in charge of the printing and just went and printed his own face on the new money. ---
**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, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1307 "2017-09-11T21:21:05Z")
That’s a great story–thanks! ---
**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:** [September 11, 2017, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1308 "2017-09-11T21:34:08Z")
**There is a town in Europe that has something rather odd. It has a bus stop that no buses ever stop at. Even so, people still wait at the bus stop trying to get home and they do eventually arrive that their destination. What is 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:** [September 11, 2017, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1309 "2017-09-11T21:58:10Z")
Do the people arrive at their destination via bus? Do buses pick up passengers at that location? Do buses drop off passengers at that location? Does the stop include a moving platform of some sort for boarding buses? ---
**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:** [September 11, 2017, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1310 "2017-09-11T22:07:31Z")
Are passengers taken to their destination by public transport (such as train, tram)? Are passengers taken to their destination by private transport (such as taxi, rickshaw)? Do passengers reach their destination by their own means, without direct assistance by anyone else? ---
**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:** [September 11, 2017, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1311 "2017-09-11T22:30:27Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Do the people arrive at their destination via bus? > > Do buses pick up passengers at that location? > > Do buses drop off passengers at that location? > > Does the stop include a moving platform of some sort for boarding buses? 1. Possible, but I believe no. Let’s go with “No” as the official answer. 2. No. 3. No. 4. No. > [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#): > > Are passengers taken to their destination by public transport (such as train, tram)? > Are passengers taken to their destination by private transport (such as taxi, rickshaw)? > Do passengers reach their destination by their own means, without direct assistance by anyone else? 1. No. 2. Yes. 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:** [September 11, 2017, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1312 "2017-09-11T23:03:18Z")
Do the passengers ride something other than buses? Were buses used at that location before? Does “bus” mean something else in the location’s language? ---
**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:** [September 11, 2017, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1313 "2017-09-11T23:15:03Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Do the passengers ride something other than buses? > Were buses used at that location before? > Does “bus” mean something else in the location’s language? 1. Yes, I think so. 2. No. 3. 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:** [September 12, 2017, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1314 "2017-09-12T01:13:33Z")
Are the people transported from the bus stop by one type of transport in particular? ---
**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 12, 2017, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1315 "2017-09-12T01:35:28Z")
Did buses ever stop at the bus stop? Is the bus stop at an amusement park? ---
**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:** [September 12, 2017, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1316 "2017-09-12T01:43:57Z")
Is the city Venice? ---
**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:** [September 12, 2017, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1317 "2017-09-12T02:10:33Z")
> [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#): > > Are the people transported from the bus stop by one type of transport in particular? No, I don’t think so. > [@Biotop](#): > > Did buses ever stop at the bus stop? > > Is the bus stop at an amusement park? No to both. > [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#): > > Is the city Venice? 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 12, 2017, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1318 "2017-09-12T02:20:01Z")
Do people come to the “bus stop” solely to get picked up by private transportation? Is the name “bus stop” here not to be taken literally, but simply the name given to a place because it is where people get picked up for their rides? ---
**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:** [September 12, 2017, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1319 "2017-09-12T02:22:00Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Do people come to the “bus stop” solely to get picked up by private transportation? > > Is the name “bus stop” here not to be taken literally, but simply the name given to a place because it is where people get picked up for their rides? 1. No. 2. 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 12, 2017, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1320 "2017-09-12T02:51:15Z")
Do people come to this bus stop for other reasons than simply to obtain transportation? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=65) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=67)