If you’ve been following the Three Minute Mysteries threads, you know how this works. I’ve never known anyone to get the answer for this without hints, but I hope the SDMBers will do better than us and our RL friends.
A man was driving down the road. He pulled over to the side and killed himself. Why?
I’m hoping to get to bed by midnight, so let’s get those questions flowing.
Was he listening to the radio?
Am I reading Hippocrates right?
He’s not just a big box for storing large semi-aquatic mammals, is he?
He realized what a pointless misery life is?
Because he hit the tree that was there.
Now then:
A man is marrooned in the desert and has plenty of water. But he’s not worried about starvation. Why?
“Winners never quit and quitters never win, but those who never win and never quit are idiots.”
And
“This site is more addictive than caramel-covered crack!”
Because he has plenty of food, too?
Fippo-
Through our bleeding/We are one
Was he listening to the radio?
YES
He realized what a pointless misery life is?
NO
Because he hit the tree that was there.
NO
A man is marrooned in the desert and has plenty of water. But he’s not worried about starvation. Why?
BECAUSE OF THE SAND WHICH IS (SANDWICHES) THERE. THAT’S A WORD GAME, NOT A MYSTERY.
I’m off to (Internet-free) work now. Feel free to ponder the mystery and I’ll answer questions when I get home.
The odds against anything coming from Mars,
were a million to one.
But still they came
*
Russell
Did he commit suicide?
Was his death accidental?
The man heard something on the radio that greatly distressed him, so he killed himself.
i.e.
[ul]He found out his family was killed.
He found out that the police were after him.
He was supposed to kill himself when something specific was said on the radio.[/ul]
New and Improved
Enright3
These kind of puzzles are often called story games or linear thinking puzzles…there is a collection of them at www.eecg.toronto.edu/~bryn/HTML/Stories.html
My fave is Albatross Soup
Sure, when …
“OINK FLAP OINK FLAP”
----well I’ll be damned!
Simple (I hope.)
He was on a bridge when he pulled off of the side of it and off into the water.
… “mmmm albatross soup… reminds me of this divine dish I had while deserted on an island with a magnificent chef…”
–I am Soren Kierkegaard.–
“People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid.”
Another one that allows infinite possible stories:
He was listening to American Top 40 and they got to the Brittany Spears(sp?) song.
He pulled over to rest, left the motor running so he could listen to the radio, and the exhaust system in his 1972 Chevy Impala leaked, giving him CO poisoning.
He heard Eve Golden dedicate a song to someone else.
He heard a stock market report and realized he lost his shirt.
(Three and four are just variations of Enright’s guesses.)
He forgot he was driving in England, pulled over to the right and was clobbered by a lorry.
He forgot he was driving south on the Pacific Coast highway and plunged to a horrible fiery death off any otherwise scenic vista.
SwimmingRiddles asks:
Did he commit suicide?
YES.
Was his death accidental?
NO.
Enright3 asks:
The man heard something on the radio that greatly distressed him, so he killed himself.
BE MORE SPECIFIC
He found out his family was killed.
NO.
He found out that the police were after him.
NO.
He was supposed to kill himself when something specific was said on the radio.
NO.
danielnsmith asks:
He was on a bridge when he pulled off of the side of it and off into the water.
NO.
Finagle asks:
Another one that allows infinite possible stories:
THAT’S WHY YOU ASK QUESTIONS. THE IDEA IS NOT TO ASK RANDOM QUESTIONS HOPING TO COMPLETELY DESCRIBE THE INTENDED SCENARIO BY LUCK/CHANCE, BUT TO GET ENOUGH CLUES ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO SOLVE IT.
1. He was listening to American Top 40 and they got to the Brittany Spears(sp?) song.
NO
2. He pulled over to rest, left the motor running so he could listen to the radio, and the exhaust system in his 1972 Chevy Impala leaked, giving him CO poisoning.
NO.
3. He heard Eve Golden dedicate a song to someone else.
NO.
4. He heard a stock market report and realized he lost his shirt.
(Three and four are just variations of Enright’s guesses.)
YES, THEY ARE. THOSE ARE WRONG, TOO.
5. He forgot he was driving in England, pulled over to the right and was clobbered by a lorry.
NO.
6. He forgot he was driving south on the Pacific Coast highway and plunged to a horrible fiery death off any otherwise scenic vista.
NO.
Anyways, I’m back now. Any more questions?
Kat, I’ve sent an e-mail guess, as I think I’ve heard this one before…
-Pix
Question authority–just not mine.
Kat, I’ve sent an e-mail guess, as I think I’ve heard this one before…
-Pix
Question authority–just not mine.
Okay, the topic list says last post at 6:38. Just wondering if a new post will cause it to show up. Especially since I need to know if my long post made it in.
OK, so you weren’t amused by my guesses. The 3-minute mysteries I remember from my youth didn’t allow questions. You pretty much had to get them from the initial conditions.
Anyway: Did the man just hit someone?
ok, he was driving “down” the road, when his car hit the bottom it was like he killed himself, right??
whatever
Did the man just hit someone?
NO.
OK, so you weren’t amused by my guesses.
Well, I thought they were funny (especially the Brittany Spears one), but Stentorian-voiced Answerwoman wouldn’t let me get a word in edgewise. Oops, watch out, she’s comin’ back.
ok, he was driving “down” the road, when his car hit the bottom it was like he killed himself, right??
NO.