# 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:** 88
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1741 "2017-10-04T21:32:35Z")
Was boy the name of the President’s dog? He asked him to play dead but then got called away on business so didn’t give the command for Boy to get back up. ---
**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:** [October 4, 2017, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1742 "2017-10-04T21:47:40Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > Was boy the name of the President’s dog? He asked him to play dead but then got called away on business so didn’t give the command for Boy to get back up. Heh heh. No to all. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1743 "2017-10-04T22:13:14Z")
Does the hobby involve something commonly used as a weapon? Does the hobby involve food or drink? Does the hobby involve animals? Does the hobby involve playing a sport or game? Does the hobby involve a vehicle? Does the hobby involve a watercraft? ---
**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:** [October 4, 2017, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1744 "2017-10-04T22:43:42Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Does the hobby involve something commonly used as a weapon? > Does the hobby involve food or drink? > Does the hobby involve animals? > Does the hobby involve playing a sport or game? > Does the hobby involve a vehicle? > Does the hobby involve a watercraft? Does the hobby involve something commonly used as a weapon? \*\*No \*\* Does the hobby involve food or drink? \*\*No \*\* Does the hobby involve animals? \*\*Yes \*\* Does the hobby involve playing a sport or game? \*\*No \*\* Does the hobby involve a vehicle? \*\*No \*\* Does the hobby involve a watercraft? \*\*No \*\* ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1745 "2017-10-04T23:41:07Z")
Does the hobby involve a pet or pets? If so, did the pet belong to the President? To the boy who died? Does the hobby involve wild animals? ---
**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:** [October 5, 2017, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1746 "2017-10-05T00:33:19Z")
So the president has a hobby involving animals. He fails to do something, a boy dies. Did he fail to lock a gate to an enclosure? Did he fail to otherwise confine or control an animal? Was the animal a horse? Was the animal a bird? Was the animal a fish? ---
**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:** [October 5, 2017, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1747 "2017-10-05T01:38:12Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Does the hobby involve a pet or pets? If so, did the pet belong to the President? To the boy who died? > > Does the hobby involve wild animals? Does the hobby involve a pet or pets? If so, did the pet belong to the President? To the boy who died? \*\*No to all \*\* Does the hobby involve wild animals? \*\*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:** [October 5, 2017, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1748 "2017-10-05T01:41:28Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > So the president has a hobby involving animals. He fails to do something, a boy dies. > > Did he fail to lock a gate to an enclosure? > Did he fail to otherwise confine or control an animal? > Was the animal a horse? > Was the animal a bird? > Was the animal a fish? So the president has a hobby involving animals. He fails to do something, a boy dies. \*\*Yes \*\* Did he fail to lock a gate to an enclosure? \*\*No \*\* Did he fail to otherwise confine or control an animal? \*\*Yes \*\* Was the animal a horse? \*\*No \*\* Was the animal a bird? \*\*No \*\* Was the animal a fish? \*\*No \*\* ---
**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:** [October 5, 2017, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1749 "2017-10-05T02:10:04Z")
Was the hobby beekeeping? ---
**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:** [October 5, 2017, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1750 "2017-10-05T02:16:02Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Was the hobby beekeeping? **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:** [October 5, 2017, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1751 "2017-10-05T02:19:36Z")
Is the boy verified to have actually existed? Was the death due to an allergic reaction? Was the animal a mammal? [del]Was the animal a horse?[/del]Didn’t notice this was already asked. ---
**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:** [October 5, 2017, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1752 "2017-10-05T02:31:52Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Is the boy verified to have actually existed? > > Was the death due to an allergic reaction? > > Was the animal a mammal? > > [del]Was the animal a horse?[/del]Didn’t notice this was already asked. Is the boy verified to have actually existed? **No. At least not by me. I tried Snopes and struck out.** Was the death due to an allergic reaction? **No.** Was the animal a mammal? \*\*Yes. \*\* ---
**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:** [October 5, 2017, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1753 "2017-10-05T02:37:47Z")
Is the boy verified to have actually existed? **The claim doesn’t seem to be doubted in any of the sources I googled… but it is the internet.** ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1754 "2017-10-05T06:03:45Z")
Was the animal a working animal? Was the animal a dog? ---
**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:** [October 5, 2017, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1755 "2017-10-05T07:10:45Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > Was the animal a working animal? > Was the animal a dog? Was the animal a working animal? \*\*No. \*\* Was the animal a dog? **No.** ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1756 "2017-10-05T07:21:24Z")
Damn. Obviously I’m obsessed with dogs. Was there only one animal or a number? Did this hobby specifically involve an animal or animals physically in the White House grounds? ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1757 "2017-10-05T07:22:42Z")
Was it Manimal? ---
**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:** [October 5, 2017, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1758 "2017-10-05T13:38:03Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > Damn. > > Obviously I’m obsessed with dogs. > > Was there only one animal or a number? > > Did this hobby specifically involve an animal or animals physically in the White House grounds? Was there only one animal or a number? \*\*Yes \*\* Did this hobby specifically involve an animal or animals physically in the White House grounds? \*\*Yes \*\* ---
**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:** [October 5, 2017, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1759 "2017-10-05T13:41:25Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > Was it Manimal? [\*\*No \*\*](http://www.vulture.com/2014/07/manimal-the-80s-show-turned-will-ferrell-film.html) ---
**Author:** ![Rhodes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhodes/32/273_2.png) [@Rhodes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhodes)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/1760 "2017-10-05T16:19:16Z")
The President’s hobby involves a mammal (or a number of animals) that is neither a pet nor a wild animal. Is the animal an exotic pet? …lion? …tiger? …bear? …fox? Is the animal a domesticated animal? …cow? …horse? Is the animal a pest? …rat? …mouse? Is the boy a White House resident? …child of the President? Do you say that the boy “supposedly” died because of the hobby, because the link between hobby and death is unconfirmed? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=87) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=89)