# Can you solve this riddle? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 3, 2015, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181 "2015-05-03T22:18:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [May 3, 2015, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/1 "2015-05-03T22:18:12Z")
Can you solve the riddle from the information given? No outside help or googling allowed. Please no hints or spoilers until the poll closes. Comments that do not give away the solution are quite welcome. Only three family members out of eighteen solved it before the answer was revealed this past Saturday. * * * You have been convicted of a crime and receive a harsh but limited sentence. You will be locked in a sealed room for 1 hour. You may only carry up to four special items into the room along with your clothes. These items are: a fully-loaded squirt gun, a baseball, a book of your choosing and/or a set of keys that fit none of the locks of the rooms. You are generously allowed to select the windowless room to spend your hour from among these three: 1. Room One is filled with burning fires. The walls will not burn to set you free. There is no ventilation and there will be much smoke. The sadistic guard who seals you in will spray lighter fluid on your feet. This room is about the size of your average garage. 2. Room Two is the same size as the first. There are no fires, but there are three trained ninja assassins who will be trying to kill you to earn a bounty. These are cold-blooded killers. The sadistic guard will paint targets on you before you enter so that these ninjas can easily zap you with the variety of dangerous weapons they carry. 3. Room Three is just slightly larger than the others in order to accommodate the fifteen fully-grown African lions that await you. These dreadful large cats have not eaten for three years and all have killed humans before. Your sadistic guard will baste you in a mixture of catnip, blood and butter before thrusting you into this room. Which room do you choose and what do you take with you to survive? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2015, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/2 "2015-05-03T22:23:56Z")
Don’t see the point of banning SPOILER tags, but, yeah, I think I have it. ---
**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:** [May 3, 2015, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/3 "2015-05-03T22:32:32Z")
I am just curious to see how many people can solve it quickly without help. That was quite fast **The Other Waldo Pepper**! Kudos! ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2015, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/4 "2015-05-03T22:32:44Z")
Yeah, got it. (In fairness, I think I’ve seen this basic riddle somewhere before, though I don’t remember where.) ---
**Author:** ![Telperion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telperion/32/509_2.png) [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2015, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/5 "2015-05-03T22:33:30Z")
I certainly know what I’d pick, and but how do you know if I can’t talk about it? ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2015, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/6 "2015-05-03T22:34:54Z")
Yes, I’d survive. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2015, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/7 "2015-05-03T22:39:04Z")
I would most certainly survive. I think I was quite young the first time I was given this riddle (or one similar) to solve. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2015, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/8 "2015-05-03T22:41:35Z")
I know which room I’d choose, but could I change one of my special items to an industrial strength air freshener? ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2015, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/9 "2015-05-03T22:45:46Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > I know which room I’d choose, but could I change one of my special items to an industrial strength air freshener? +1 ---
**Author:** ![Telperion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telperion/32/509_2.png) [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2015, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/10 "2015-05-03T22:48:43Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > I know which room I’d choose, but could I change one of my special items to an industrial strength air freshener? I figured that’s what the keys were for. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Hen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@Small\_Hen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Hen)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2015, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/11 "2015-05-03T22:57:57Z")
I did not get it, and looked up the answer. Edit to erase possible spoiler. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2015, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/12 "2015-05-03T22:58:35Z")
I’m pretty sure I’ve got it, but I won’t know until you confirm it in a spoiler or something. ---
**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:** [May 3, 2015, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/13 "2015-05-03T23:03:53Z")
I’m good if it’s the air freshener related thing. Quite obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2015, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/14 "2015-05-03T23:16:27Z")
Very clear. ---
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2015, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/15 "2015-05-03T23:32:13Z")
Without looking at any other replies. This is a very easy answer (to me anyway). Unless there is a typo in the details of the easily survivable room. ---
**Author:** ![wellanuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@wellanuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wellanuff)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2015, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/16 "2015-05-03T23:34:11Z")
Can solve. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2015, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/17 "2015-05-03T23:38:21Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Yeah, got it. (In fairness, I think I’ve seen this basic riddle somewhere before, though I don’t remember where.) Ditto. Took me a while to figure it out, though. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2015, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/18 "2015-05-03T23:38:37Z")
> [@GreedySmurf](#): > > Without looking at any other replies. This is a very easy answer (to me anyway). Unless there is a typo in the details of the easily survivable room. This is basically what I was going to post. One of the experiences would be _unpleasant_ but not at all life-threatening. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2015, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/19 "2015-05-03T23:47:55Z")
I was familiar with the riddle, but I got it the first time, too. ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2015, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/20 "2015-05-03T23:54:12Z")
I wasn’t familiar with it, once I read the question carefully a couple of times to make sure I got all the detail, the answer was obvious. I think. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181.md?page=2)