# Lateral Thinking Puzzles - third time is best! **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [July 18, 2023, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214 "2023-07-18T13:39:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 220
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2026, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4381 "2026-04-09T00:26:26Z")
Did you want to reach some milestone with your payment? Like you wanted to set the record for largest sales? Did you get something of value out of this? Did someone else get something of value out of it, other than another ticket sale? ---
**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:** [April 9, 2026, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4382 "2026-04-09T00:35:04Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > Did you want to reach some milestone with your payment? Like you wanted to set the record for largest sales? No, nothing like that. > [@](#): > > Did you get something of value out of this? Did someone else get something of value out of it, other than another ticket sale? Near as I can tell, no (apart from my own satisfaction). ---
**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:** [April 9, 2026, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4383 "2026-04-09T00:43:06Z")
Getting back to this question, the show that you asked for had already ended. Was the show still in its run at this theater? Was the amount you paid the price the ticket would have cost, at the time of the show? Was it the amount a ticket for a current show would have cost? Or would those be the same? ---
**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:** [April 9, 2026, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4384 "2026-04-09T00:46:10Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Was the show still in its run at this theater? Yes. > [@](#): > > Was the amount you paid the price the ticket would have cost, at the time of the show? Was it the amount a ticket for a current show would have cost? Or would those be the same? Same. ---
**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:** [April 9, 2026, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4385 "2026-04-09T00:55:06Z")
If you had had the opportunity to buy a ticket in the usual way for this show, at the time it was actually running, would you have done so? If you would have done so, would you then have watched the show? ---
**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:** [April 9, 2026, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4386 "2026-04-09T00:57:42Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > If you had had the opportunity to buy a ticket in the usual way for this show, at the time it was actually running, would you have done so? > > If you would have done so, would you then have watched the show? Yes to both. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2026, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4387 "2026-04-09T01:02:49Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > College. (And, to answer the question from Chronos: that might be relevant.) Were you a college student at the time? ---
**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:** [April 9, 2026, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4388 "2026-04-09T01:03:36Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Were you a college student at the time? Yeah. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2026, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4389 "2026-04-09T01:04:34Z")
Was this a class assignment? ---
**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:** [April 9, 2026, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4390 "2026-04-09T01:04:48Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > I’m not exactly sure what you mean by “rhetorical”. I guess I mean a few different things, so I’ll break it down further. Did purchasing the ticket facilitate your ability to engage in persuasive speech of some sort? (For example, you’re about to advocate for defunding the Podunk College drama department, and you think it will be a better “look” if you can truthfully say you’ve supported them in the past.) Was the purchase _itself_ intended to make some sort of statement? (E.g., “That dude standing outside with a ‘God Hates Musicals’ sign does not represent my values.”) Did the purchase give you access to some physical object that you used to make a statement? (“I’m burning my _Guys and Dolls_ program in protest of … something.”) ---
**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:** [April 9, 2026, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4391 "2026-04-09T01:07:28Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Was this a class assignment? Not for me. (I don’t really know the details of being a theater major; maybe putting on a play is how they earn credits? Is that a thing?) ---
**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:** [April 9, 2026, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4392 "2026-04-09T01:14:32Z")
Is the reason why you didn’t have the opportunity to buy a ticket normally relevant? ---
**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:** [April 9, 2026, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4393 "2026-04-09T01:17:57Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > Did purchasing the ticket facilitate your ability to engage in persuasive speech of some sort? (For example, you’re about to advocate for defunding the Podunk College drama department, and you think it will be a better “look” if you can truthfully say you’ve supported them in the past.) > > Was the purchase _itself_ intended to make some sort of statement? (E.g., “That dude standing outside with a ‘God Hates Musicals’ sign does not represent my values.”) > > Did the purchase give you access to some physical object that you used to make a statement? (“I’m burning my _Guys and Dolls_ program in protest of … something.”) No to the second and third. The first one — again, I feel like it’d be misleading to flatly say either ‘yes’ or ‘no’. I mean, I _could_ mention it to refute a claim, and I _have,_ but I think I would’ve done the same thing regardless. ---
**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:** [April 9, 2026, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4394 "2026-04-09T01:19:21Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Is the reason why you didn’t have the opportunity to buy a ticket normally relevant? Yeah. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2026, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4395 "2026-04-09T17:36:04Z")
Were you a participant in the show? ---
**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:** [April 9, 2026, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4396 "2026-04-09T20:42:07Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#): > > Were you a participant in the show? Nope. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2026, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4397 "2026-04-10T17:56:56Z")
Were you playing a game like _Truth or Dare_ Were you drunk ? High? Delirious from sleep deprivation? ---
**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:** [April 10, 2026, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4398 "2026-04-10T20:58:29Z")
This was a college production, correct, and you were also a student at the time? At the same college? You said it wasn’t for a class assignment, but did you have some other commitment or obligation that made you feel like you were supposed to see the show? Or at least make it look like you tried to see it? Is a romantic relationship involved? Is a bet involved? ---
**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:** [April 10, 2026, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4399 "2026-04-10T21:42:02Z")
> [@Eureka](#): > > Were you playing a game like _Truth or Dare_ > > Were you drunk? > > High? > > Delirious from sleep deprivation? No to all; I was clear-minded, and no one else knew that I was planning to do this. ---
**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:** [April 10, 2026, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/4400 "2026-04-10T22:15:02Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > This was a college production, correct, and you were also a student at the time? At the same college? Yes to all. > [@](#): > > You said it wasn’t for a class assignment, but did you have some other commitment or obligation that made you feel like you were supposed to see the show? Or at least make it look like you tried to see it? When I handed the guy the cash, I didn’t feel there was any reason for me to see the show or make it look like I tried to see it. > [@](#): > > Is a romantic relationship involved? Is a bet involved? No bet. But — ugh, I’ve made this unnecessarily complicated by trying to simplify it, and now I can’t think of a graceful way to untangle it. So here’s my awkward attempt at clarifying. I sometimes tell a version of this story built around every detail I’ve mentioned: I say that I handed the guy enough money to buy a ticket, and that I selected a particular sold-out showing, and so on — and I figured that telling the story that way would suffice for this thread. I still have unusually good reason to think it’s solvable in that form, and that adding in other true details just adds complexity. But in the full version of the story, I hand the guy enough cash to buy _two_ tickets: I still leave with zero tickets (and no receipt; and, indeed, nothing tangible gained, for the money handed over, and so on). But in that version (where I either come off better or worse, and I’ve never been able to figure out which), a romantic relationship is involved. (All apologies if this labored explanation drains the fun away.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=219) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=221)