# 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:** 184
**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:** [August 6, 2020, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3663 "2020-08-06T01:04:39Z")
Was the emergency related to the functioning of the emergency number? Did someone tell Nigel that 999 was being shut down? ---
**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:** [August 6, 2020, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3664 "2020-08-06T01:59:04Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Was Nigel lost and needed to be told his location? Perhaps, fundamentally his problem was the inability to call someone. The who isn’t really important. ---
**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:** [August 6, 2020, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3665 "2020-08-06T01:59:43Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Was the emergency related to the functioning of the emergency number? Did someone tell Nigel that 999 was being shut down? **No.** **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:** [August 7, 2020, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3666 "2020-08-07T05:47:45Z")
Is Nigel’s age relevant? Location? Did he call by accident? Had Nigel lost his phone? ---
**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:** [August 7, 2020, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3667 "2020-08-07T06:27:30Z")
**Nigel had an emergency of sorts. He was able to solve his emergency by calling the emergency number (999 as it so happens in this case). However, he immediately hung up after they answered, why?** > [@Biotop](#): > > Is Nigel’s age relevant? > Location? > > Did he call by accident? > Had Nigel lost his phone **No** to all. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3668 "2020-08-07T14:04:09Z")
Was Nigel so lost that he didn’t know what country he was in, and upon hearing that 999 answered, he confirmed that he was in the UK? ---
**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:** [August 7, 2020, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3669 "2020-08-07T14:21:13Z")
> [@gonzoron](#): > > Was Nigel so lost that he didn’t know what country he was in, and upon hearing that 999 answered, he confirmed that he was in the UK?.. **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:** [August 7, 2020, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3670 "2020-08-07T16:29:27Z")
Is the response to calling 999 the important thing? A return call? Emergency personnel dispatched? Was Nigel able to talk? ---
**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:** [August 7, 2020, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3671 "2020-08-07T16:51:51Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Is the response… Is the response to calling 999 the important thing? **No** A return call? **No** (although there probably was one) Emergency personnel dispatched? **No** Was Nigel able to talk? **Yes** ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3672 "2020-08-07T16:59:29Z")
Is Nigel a human? - Adult? - Teenager? - preteen child? - very young child? Is Nigel an animal? A bird? A parrot? ---
**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:** [August 7, 2020, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3673 "2020-08-07T17:02:23Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Is Nigel a human? > > - Adult? > - Teenager? > - preteen child? > - very young child? > > Is Nigel an animal? A bird? A parrot?.. Nigel is a contrived person who is a mix of many people that this did/could have happened to. Most likely to be a teenager or adult. ---
**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:** [August 7, 2020, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3674 "2020-08-07T17:09:22Z")
Was Nigel calling in the dark? Would the 999 folks be OK with the reason Nigel called? ---
**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:** [August 7, 2020, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3675 "2020-08-07T17:10:43Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Was Nigel… Was Nigel calling in the dark? **N/A** , probably not Would the 999 folks be OK with the reason Nigel called? **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:** [August 7, 2020, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3676 "2020-08-07T17:34:14Z")
If Nigel had been in a different country with a different emergency number, could he have gotten the same result by calling that country’s emergency number (for instance, calling 911 in the US)? In such a situation, could he have gotten the same result by calling 999 (even though, in the US, that’s not the emergency number)? ---
**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:** [August 7, 2020, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3677 "2020-08-07T19:06:57Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > If Nigel had been in a diffe If Nigel had been in a different country with a different emergency number, could he have gotten the same result by calling that country’s emergency number (for instance, calling 911 in the US)? **Yes** (99% sure the answer is yes, having trouble independently confirming) In such a situation, could he have gotten the same result by calling 999 (even though, in the US, that’s not the emergency number)? Not sure about this one. Possibly. ---
**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:** [August 9, 2020, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3678 "2020-08-09T11:51:19Z")
Was Nigel checking that his phone’s speaker was working correctly after being unable to hear anyone at a ‘normal’ number? ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2020, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3679 "2020-08-09T12:00:09Z")
Was Nigel pretending to phone someone other than the emergency services? ---
**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:** [August 9, 2020, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3680 "2020-08-09T14:08:08Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > Was Nigel checking that his phone’s speaker was working correctly after being unable to hear anyone at a ‘normal’ number? **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:** [August 9, 2020, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3681 "2020-08-09T14:08:29Z")
> [@Teuton](#): > > Was Nigel pretending to phone someone other than the emergency services? **No.** ---
**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:** [August 10, 2020, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3682 "2020-08-10T01:35:04Z")
Did 999 dispatch emergency personnel to Nigel after he hung up? Did those personnel solve Nigel’s emergency? Was Nigel afraid to talk, or did he think talking would cause him further distress due to his emergency situation? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=183) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=185)