# 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:** 164
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2020, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3262 "2020-06-26T16:22:33Z")
Is train “robbing” an accurate term? Train embezzlement or burglary happens, but the last genuine train robbery, where bandits boarded a train and robbed the passengers, happened about 50 years before 1976. ---
**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:** [June 26, 2020, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3263 "2020-06-26T16:38:34Z")
reply to RivkahChaya: Is train “robbing” an accurate term? Train embezzlement or burglary happens, but the last genuine train robbery, where bandits boarded a train and robbed the passengers, happened about 50 years before 1976. Wikipedia calls Elmer a “train robber.” ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2020, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3264 "2020-06-26T16:49:12Z")
So did Elmer spend a very long time in hiding? ---
**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:** [June 26, 2020, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3265 "2020-06-26T16:51:51Z")
Yes. And no. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2020, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3266 "2020-06-26T16:52:23Z")
That’s not a fair answer. ---
**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:** [June 26, 2020, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3267 "2020-06-26T17:03:51Z")
reply to RivkahChaya That’s not a fair answer Ok. Elmer was in hiding a few times. One account I read he was able once to hide from his pursuers in a farmer’s haystack! The last time in hiding, from what I can gather, was from around 1968 to 1976. He was actually in a low-budget movie in 1967! ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2020, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3268 "2020-06-26T17:04:09Z")
Was the fact that this was the Bicentennial significant? and what bomber was this? The Rockwell B-1 Lancer? What did the spies hope to accomplish, since the plane was already in manufacture? IIRC, the only other newish bomber plane in 1976 the US used was manufactured in Canada. --Wait…did this happen in Canada? ---
**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:** [June 26, 2020, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3269 "2020-06-26T17:10:56Z")
Is the age of the penny relevant because of its mostly-copper composition? Did Elmer deliberately put the coin in his mouth? If so, did he do so in the belief that it would make it easier for him to commit a crime? Did he do so in the belief that it would make it harder for him to be caught? Was the coin, when it was found, in a condition which would leave it unremarkable among other coins? ---
**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:** [June 26, 2020, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3270 "2020-06-26T17:13:37Z")
reply to RivkahChaya: Was the fact that this was the Bicentennial significant? and what bomber was this? The Rockwell B-1 Lancer? What did the spies hope to accomplish, since the plane was already in manufacture? IIRC, the only other newish bomber plane in 1976 the US used was manufactured in Canada. --Wait…did this happen in Canada? This happened in the United States. The Bicentennial is not significant. All I know is the spies were supposedly going to blow up an experimental B-1 plane. Or something like that. It’s not important. Who knows why these villainous spies do what they do? I am sure there was a plausible reason. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2020, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3271 "2020-06-26T17:16:13Z")
Wait-- did this happen as part of a movie? Was Elmer appearing in another movie about spies, but was recognized? was “Steve” a character in the movie? ---
**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:** [June 26, 2020, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3272 "2020-06-26T17:17:43Z")
reply to Chronos: Is the age of the penny relevant because of its mostly-copper composition? No. Did Elmer deliberately put the coin in his mouth? If so, did he do so in the belief that it would make it easier for him to commit a crime? Did he do so in the belief that it would make it harder for him to be caught? Elmer did not put the coin deliberately in his mouth. Was the coin, when it was found, in a condition which would leave it unremarkable among other coins? Coin condition is unremarkable. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2020, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3273 "2020-06-26T17:18:58Z")
Was the exact date or mint mark, or both, of the penny significant? ---
**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:** [June 26, 2020, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3274 "2020-06-26T17:23:51Z")
reply toRivkahChaya Wait-- did this happen as part of a movie? Was Elmer appearing in another movie about spies, but was recognized? was “Steve” a character in the movie? The riddle, as presented, actually happened. “Steve” here, however, is a character. And Elmer indeed was to appear. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2020, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3275 "2020-06-26T17:24:56Z")
So, were the spies real, or also characters? ---
**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:** [June 26, 2020, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3276 "2020-06-26T17:27:01Z")
reply to RivkahChaya: Was the exact date or mint mark, or both, of the penny significant? No, but it was telling in explaining the situation. ---
**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:** [June 26, 2020, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3277 "2020-06-26T17:28:06Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > So, were the spies real, or also characters? Characters ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2020, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3278 "2020-06-26T17:30:06Z")
Did Elmer commit the very last train robbery, and was the penny from that year? Otherwise, if Elmer did not put the penny in his own mouth, did it have fingerprints on it that were tracked down, and led to an arrest? Did Elmer die during the capture? or was he somehow otherwise incapacitated and unable to tell his story? ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2020, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3279 "2020-06-26T17:34:02Z")
Was “Steve” perhaps “Steve Trevor” on the _Wonder Woman_ TV show that was on in 1976? ---
**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:** [June 26, 2020, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3280 "2020-06-26T17:40:37Z")
reply to RivkahChaya: Did Elmer commit the very last train robbery, and was the penny from that year? No. Otherwise, if Elmer did not put the penny in his own mouth, did it have fingerprints on it that were tracked down, and led to an arrest? No. Did Elmer die during the capture? Yes or was he somehow otherwise incapacitated and unable to tell his story? Dead men tell no tales. ---
**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:** [June 26, 2020, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3281 "2020-06-26T17:42:58Z")
No to Steve Trevor. I have to go to work, alas. I am sure someone can explain the significance of the penny. If you get that, you get the whole thing! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=163) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=165)