# 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:** 253
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2022, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5043 "2022-02-22T14:34:26Z")
Does the incident involve one or more well-known people? Is the incident unusual enough to be of interest even if the participants are unknown to the public? Did the bouncer bring these people together in the romantic sense? ---
**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:** [February 22, 2022, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5044 "2022-02-22T14:42:15Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Does the incident involve one or more well-known people? > Is the incident unusual enough to be of interest even if the participants are unknown to the public? > Did the bouncer bring these people together in the romantic sense? 1. No, no one is famous in this. 2. I think so, yes. 3. No, not romantic. ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2022, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5045 "2022-02-22T17:13:44Z")
Were his duties as a bouncer a necessary part of why this event happened, or was his being a bouncer just a coincidence? ---
**Author:** ![Ana\_Byrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ana\_Byrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ana_Byrd)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2022, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5046 "2022-02-22T17:16:04Z")
Was the kicking people out part of the job important? The letting people in or not part? Something else? Was this a case of “Never mind, I’ll start my own party!”? Was discrimination involved? ---
**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:** [February 22, 2022, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5047 "2022-02-22T17:16:14Z")
> [@Hoopy\_Frood](#): > > …Were his duties as a bouncer a necessary part of why this event happened, or was his being a bouncer just a coincidence? I’m not sure I know what you mean, so feel free to rephrase and ask again. My answer for now is: Just a coincidence. His “bouncer” job was not the purpose of the event. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2022, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5048 "2022-02-22T17:27:29Z")
When these people were brought together, did it result in …an artistic or entertainment collaboration? …a business deal? …political activity? ---
**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:** [February 22, 2022, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5049 "2022-02-22T17:30:57Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > did it result in > …an artistic or entertainment collaboration? > …a business deal? > …political activity? 1. No to artistic/entertainment 2. No to a business deal 3. Yes, it actually kind of did lead to a political activity. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2022, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5050 "2022-02-23T00:30:04Z")
Was his presence what helped bring people together? Or specifically his absence at a particular event? (e.g. was he supposed to be in the bar, but wasn’t) ---
**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:** [February 23, 2022, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5051 "2022-02-23T01:02:38Z")
> [@Zyada](#): > > Was his presence what helped bring people together? > Or specifically his absence at a particular event? **I’d say “no” to both.** ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2022, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5052 "2022-02-23T01:35:48Z")
Were police involved? ---
**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:** [February 23, 2022, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5053 "2022-02-23T01:38:57Z")
Nope. ---
**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:** [February 23, 2022, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5054 "2022-02-23T04:09:00Z")
When you say “brought people together,” do you mean socially? I figure that’s the normal meaning, but he could also bring people together by, say, physically knocking their heads together. More broadly, is it an accurate rephrasing of the scenario to say, “A guard at a fun social gathering once brought people into a closer social arrangement, but did not mean to do so in the way that they did”? ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2022, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5055 "2022-02-23T07:06:59Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > > [@Hoopy\_Frood](#): > > > > …Were his duties as a bouncer a necessary part of why this event happened, or was his being a bouncer just a coincidence? > > I’m not sure I know what you mean, so feel free to rephrase and ask again. My answer for now is: > > Just a coincidence. His “bouncer” job was not the purpose of the event. My meaning was: Could someone who wasn’t a bouncer just as easily accomplished the same thing? Did being a bouncer give him advantages or authority to accomplish this that someone else who wasn’t a bouncer would have had more difficulty pulling off? ---
**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:** [February 23, 2022, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5056 "2022-02-23T12:10:21Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > When you say “brought people together,” do you mean socially? I figure that’s the normal meaning, but he could also bring people together by, say, physically knocking their heads together. Yes, he brought people together socially, but perhaps not how you think “socially” means. But yes, socially. ---
**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:** [February 23, 2022, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5057 "2022-02-23T12:10:45Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > More broadly, is it an accurate rephrasing of the scenario to say, “A guard at a fun social gathering once brought people into a closer social arrangement, but did not mean to do so in the way that they did”? Yes, I think that more or less works. ---
**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:** [February 23, 2022, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5058 "2022-02-23T12:12:31Z")
> [@Hoopy\_Frood](#): > > 1. Could someone who wasn’t a bouncer just as easily accomplished the same thing? > > Did being a bouncer give him advantages or authority to accomplish this that someone else who wasn’t a bouncer would have had more difficulty pulling off? 1. Possibly. I guess so, but this is how it was. 2. Sure, I’d say “yes”, but more accurately I can’t answer this one. I think it might assume too much to the point where “yes/no” doesn’t work. Perhaps take a few steps back from the image/story and try asking some basic questions? Just a thought. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2022, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5059 "2022-02-23T12:25:04Z")
Were people brought together in the sense that a widespread awareness of, or support for, some sort of cause was sparked? ---
**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:** [February 23, 2022, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5060 "2022-02-23T12:54:37Z")
> [@dirtball](#): > > Were people brought together in the sense that a widespread awareness of, or support for, some sort of cause was sparked? Yes, this is much better and closer to the correct understanding. ---
**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:** [February 23, 2022, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5061 "2022-02-23T12:55:41Z")
How many people were brought together? Was it more than 2? more than 10? more than 100? ---
**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:** [February 23, 2022, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/5062 "2022-02-23T12:59:26Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > How many people were brought together? More than 100. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=252) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=254)