# 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:** 7
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2017, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/121 "2017-07-12T22:03:09Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > That was quick! Yeah, the story goes, police dogs are often trained in a language not commonly spoken where they are deployed so as to reduce the chance the criminal can mess with the dog. That’s more than a riddle - it’s a really interesting thing to learn. I confess to a little skepticism though. I would think dogs are sensitive as much to the identity of their owner as to the words being spoken? ---
**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 12, 2017, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/122 "2017-07-12T22:25:25Z")
> [@](#): > > Part of a police manual gives instructions in a language that none of the police officers speak. Why? Already answered, but even without the dogs, it makes perfect sense that a manual would contain some such instructions. The police doubtless have not-infrequent occasion to give instructions to suspects who do not share a common language with any of the officers on the scene, and so it would be quite reasonable for them to have a phrasebook with some of the more common such instructions. The need for such a phrasebook would be all the greater for a language spoken by none of the officers. On the matter of commands given to police dogs, they need not even be in a language at all. Horses are traditionally given the commands “gee” and “haw”, instead of “right” and “left”, so as to not confuse the horse with unrelated conversation. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2017, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/123 "2017-07-12T22:30:30Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > That’s more than a riddle - it’s a really interesting thing to learn. I confess to a little skepticism though. I would think dogs are sensitive as much to the identity of their owner as to the words being spoken? I don’t know and I wonder if it depends on the sort of training the dog goes through. I imagine police dogs are trained very firmly to respond only to select people. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2017, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/124 "2017-07-12T22:37:56Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > …Horses are traditionally given the commands “gee” and “haw”, instead of “right” and “left”, so as to not confuse the horse with unrelated conversation. But it seems to me that the phonemes “gee” and “haw” are probably just as common in conversation a “left” and “right”? ---
**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 12, 2017, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/125 "2017-07-12T23:54:48Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > [You got it!](https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-na.ssl-images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F819VjUcHPKL._SX355_.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FEduca-Amsterdam-Bike-Puzzle-3000-Piece%2Fdp%2FB00I03R7UA&docid=A4viqliIie0xRM&tbnid=tAZRJyye0hEarM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwjAhKL3l4TVAhUJPj4KHVgWCiAQMwg6KAEwAQ..i&w=355&h=262&client=ms-android-verizon&bih=560&biw=360&q=educa%20bicycle%203000%20puzzle&ved=0ahUKEwjAhKL3l4TVAhUJPj4KHVgWCiAQMwg6KAEwAQ&iact=mrc&uact=8) You had too much fun with this. ---
**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:** [July 13, 2017, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/126 "2017-07-13T00:38:29Z")
I’ll add one, this one also googleable. Please don’t spoil for those who are trying to solve! 🙂 **The music stopped and then she died. Why?** I believe some heard this with alternate solutions, but I have a specific one in mind, the original I heard in the late 80’s. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/127 "2017-07-13T00:49:43Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > **The music stopped and then she died. Why?** Is “she” human? Is it significant that she is female? ---
**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 13, 2017, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/128 "2017-07-13T00:52:26Z")
Is the “she” a (formerly) living human person? Does “died” refer to a cessation of biological processes? Was the stopping of the music the cause of her death? Did the stopping of the music share a common cause with her death? This one sounds really familiar, but I can’t remember the solution. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/129 "2017-07-13T00:53:04Z")
She was an opera singer. ---
**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:** [July 13, 2017, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/130 "2017-07-13T01:06:05Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > 1. Is “she” human? > 2. Is it significant that she is female? 1. Yes. 2. No. > [@Chronos](#): > > 1. Is the “she” a (formerly) living human person? > 2. Does “died” refer to a cessation of biological processes? > 3. Was the stopping of the music the cause of her death? > 4. Did the stopping of the music share a common cause with her death? 1. Yes. 2. Yes. 3. Yes. 4. No. > [@Muffin](#): > > She was an opera singer. No. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/131 "2017-07-13T01:09:00Z")
Because the radio fell in the bathtub she was 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:** [July 13, 2017, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/132 "2017-07-13T01:10:17Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Because the radio fell in the bathtub she was in. No. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/133 "2017-07-13T01:17:48Z")
Is she a specific historical figure, i.e. are we talking about a well known historical event? ---
**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:** [July 13, 2017, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/134 "2017-07-13T01:20:58Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Is she a specific historical figure, i.e. are we talking about a well known historical event? 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:** [July 13, 2017, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/135 "2017-07-13T01:48:36Z")
Does the music stopping/death have anything to do with loss of electric power? ---
**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 13, 2017, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/136 "2017-07-13T01:50:23Z")
Russian roulette musical chairs? ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/137 "2017-07-13T01:55:08Z")
Just a note that i love these. I do specifically recall the answer to this one. So i won’t answer. ---
**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:** [July 13, 2017, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/138 "2017-07-13T02:04:27Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Does the music stopping/death have anything to do with loss of electric power? Unsure, but possibly. > [@Biotop](#): > > Russian roulette musical chairs? No. > [@raventhief](#): > > Just a note that i love these. I do specifically recall the answer to this one. So i won’t answer. I do love these as well and it is fun to answer ones and give ones with a fresh group. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/139 "2017-07-13T02:07:12Z")
So, to be clear, the music stopping is the direct _cause_ of her death, right? ---
**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:** [July 13, 2017, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/140 "2017-07-13T02:31:10Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > So, to be clear, the music stopping is the direct _cause_ of her death, right? Yes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=8)