# Lateral Thinking Puzzles. Let's do it again! **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [October 23, 2019, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193 "2019-10-23T21:32:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 119
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2361 "2020-02-28T21:10:12Z")
Did bob have a medical problem? **NO** Did getting charged help with it? **NO** Did getting charged help save Bob’s life? **YES** Was the crime that Bob was charged with an actual crime that had really been committed by somebody? If yes, does it matter who the real criminal was? \*\*Being very careful with my wording here… YES, an actual crime was committed YES, it matters who the criminal was NO to the statement that “Bob was charged with an actual crime that had really been committed by somebody” I stand by my earlier answer that there isn’t ‘wordplay’ associated with the original question - all the words mean what you think they mean. There is, however, obsessively nitpicky attention to the precise meanings of words…\*\* Did this happen in the US? **NO** If no, could it plausibly have happened in the US? **YES** Did / could this happen in the present day? **NO for the place it happened in, or for the US, but maybe somewhere** How was Bob’s life improved? Was he better off financially? **NO** Was he able to get medical help that he needed? **NO** Was he able to live with his family? **NO** Did he get publicity? **NO** Was Bob aware of the situation and looking for this result? **NO** Was someone else (besides the police) looking for this result? **NO** Was the case used as a way to provide care for a child who could not otherwise have received it?**YES We are very close, just need a bow to wrap this all up with…** ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2020, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2362 "2020-02-29T21:42:26Z")
Did this happen in the 20th century? 19th? 18th? Earlier? Was the crime that was committed… Theft? Kidnapping? Child abuse / neglect? Murder? Smuggling? Was Bob the victim of the crime? Was the criminal one of Bob’s parents? ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2020, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2363 "2020-03-01T06:09:27Z")
Did this happen in the 20th century? **YES** 19th? **YES** 18th? Earlier? Was the crime that was committed… Theft? Kidnapping? Child abuse / neglect? **YES** Murder? Smuggling? Was Bob the victim of the crime? **YES** Was the criminal one of Bob’s parents? **YES** I think this is basically solved with those questions, and I’m going to wrap it up. In Australia at least and, I’d assume, in some other jurisdictions, up until the 50’s the procedure for getting help for a child who was abandoned by their parents was to take them to court and charge them with the actual offence of “being an abandoned child”. [Here](https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/88961795?searchTerm=%22being%20an%20abandoned%20child%22&searchLimits=) is one of the examples on which “Bob” was based, from 1891 > [@Bendigo Advertiser](#): > > An infant in arms was charged with being an abandoned > child. Sergeant Fahey stated that the police had made every inquiry since the finding of > the child at Raywood, but no trace of its parents could be found. A resident of Raywood > had expressed a desire to adopt and rear the infant, and he therefore asked the bench to com > mit the child to her care. Constable Foley in reply to a question by the P.M., stated that the > person who desired to take charge of the child was in every way fitted for the task. Maria > Barrow, wife of a contractor living between Haywood and Kamarooka, stated that she was > prepared to adopt the child, and her husband was also agreeable to that course. Mr. Patter > son thought the wisest course would be to commit the child to the care of the Industrial > School authorities, and Mrs. Barrow could then have the infant transferred to her charge. An > order to this effect was made, and Sergeant Fahey was instructed that in the meantime the > child could be given into the care of Mrs. Barrow. The court then adjourned. Obviously an infant can’t “commit” the crime of abandoning himself, and since the 60’s some better ways of arranging care for abandoned children than this rather convoluted piece of legalese have been found ---
**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:** [March 1, 2020, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2364 "2020-03-01T18:33:41Z")
\*\*Liam and his friends/colleagues have a very odd daily routine. They climb a pole to the top every day, wait awhile, then climb back down and go about their business. Why is this? \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2020, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2365 "2020-03-01T20:45:04Z")
Are Liam and his friends all human? Is the pole more than two metres tall? More than ten metres? When Liam and his friends wait a while, are they waiting for a specific event to happen? For a certain amount of time to pass? Do they usually wait for more than ten minutes? More than an hour? ---
**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:** [March 1, 2020, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2366 "2020-03-01T22:21:36Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > Are Liam and his friends all human? > > YES > > Is the pole more than two metres tall? More than ten metres? > > More than 2. Probably less than 10, though I do not have an exact height. A pretty tall pole is how I would describe it. > > When Liam and his friends wait a while, are they waiting for a specific event to happen? For a certain amount of time to pass? > > They waited awhile. > They did not wait for a specific event to happen. > They did not, I think, have a certain amount of time to pass. > > Do they usually wait for more than ten minutes? More than an hour? > > I do not know. I’m picturing 10 minutes as about right. kk ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2020, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2367 "2020-03-01T22:25:12Z")
Did they do anything on top of the pole besides sit there? ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2020, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2368 "2020-03-01T22:35:35Z")
Was the main purpose of waiting, to recover from the exertion of the climb? Does this scenario happen in one specific location? In one specific country? Has this been going on for multiple years? Are Liam and his friends all under 50? Under 20? ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2020, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2369 "2020-03-01T22:43:24Z")
Are they paid to climb the pole? Does it matter where the pole is located? Can they see anything (relevant) from the top of the pole? ---
**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:** [March 1, 2020, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2370 "2020-03-01T22:45:47Z")
Is the climbing of the pole for purpose of a vantage point from which to see something? Is the climbing of the pole for purpose of exercise? Is the climbing of the pole for purpose of competition? Is the climbing of the pole for purpose of entertainment of someone? ---
**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:** [March 1, 2020, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2371 "2020-03-01T23:38:59Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > Did they do anything on top of the pole besides sit there? NO > [@Aspidistra](#): > > Was the main purpose of waiting, to recover from the exertion of the climb? > > NO > > Does this scenario happen in one specific location? In one specific country? > > YES > > Has this been going on for multiple years? > > YES > > Are Liam and his friends all under 50? Under 20? > > IRRELEVANT(probably various ages?) > [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > Are they paid to climb the pole? > > NO > > Does it matter where the pole is located? > > NO > > Can they see anything (relevant) from the top of the pole? > > NO > [@Chronos](#): > > Is the climbing of the pole for purpose of a vantage point from which to see something? > > NO > > Is the climbing of the pole for purpose of exercise? > > NO > > Is the climbing of the pole for purpose of competition? > > NO > > Is the climbing of the pole for purpose of entertainment of someone? > > NO kk ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2020, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2372 "2020-03-01T23:40:50Z")
Would something bad happen if they didn’t climb the pole? ---
**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:** [March 2, 2020, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2373 "2020-03-02T00:21:00Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > Would something bad happen if they didn’t climb the pole? NO ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2020, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2374 "2020-03-02T00:43:37Z")
Is there a relogious aspect to this? Is Liam Irish? ---
**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:** [March 2, 2020, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2375 "2020-03-02T00:51:42Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > Is there a relogious aspect to this? > > Is Liam Irish? No to both. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2020, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2376 "2020-03-02T05:40:57Z")
Is anything relevant happening at the bottom of the pole, while they are at or climbing to the top? Does anything happen to them as a result of going up the pole, that wouldn’t happen if they stayed on the ground? Is the pole in any way designed for climbing? Is it generally the same people climbing each day? Are there generally more than five of them? More than ten? ---
**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:** [March 2, 2020, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2377 "2020-03-02T12:21:46Z")
\*\*Liam and his friends/colleagues have a very odd daily routine. They climb a pole to the top every day, wait awhile, then climb back down and go about their business. Why is this? \*\* > [@Aspidistra](#): > > Is anything relevant happening at the bottom of the pole, while they are at or climbing to the top? > > NO > > Does anything happen to them as a result of going up the pole, that wouldn’t happen if they stayed on the ground? > > NO > > Is the pole in any way designed for climbing? > > YES - like a ladder > > Is it generally the same people climbing each day? > > YES > > Are there generally more than five of them? More than ten? > > MORE THAN TEN(I do not have an exact number) ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2020, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2378 "2020-03-02T13:04:00Z")
Is the pole climbing done for its own accord, or to bring the climber to a location that is only accessible via the pole? ---
**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:** [March 2, 2020, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2379 "2020-03-02T15:14:50Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Is the pole climbing done for its own accord, or to bring the climber to a location that is only accessible via the pole? I guess closer to “for its own accord”, though I may not be understanding that phrase the same way as you. _There is a purpose to it_, but it does not lead to a high up location they need to reach(like a shelf in a library or something). ---
**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:** [March 2, 2020, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/2380 "2020-03-02T15:46:17Z")
Are they carrying something relevant up with them to the top of the pole? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=118) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=120)