Lateral thinking puzzle: going broke

**soxfan**[$] · #1 10-02-2003, 02:39 PM

Another puzzle for y'all (a rare one that doesn't involve death). Again, if you know the answer, hold your peace, sit back, and enjoy the fun.

A man pushes his car to a hotel. As soon as he gets there, he knows he is bankrupt. Why?

Ailsa

**amykhar** · #2 10-02-2003, 02:42 PM

Does he own the hotel?

Is the car out of gas?

**theworm**[$] · #3 10-02-2003, 02:42 PM

Does that man own the hotel?

Is the hotel "damaged" (ie: burned down)?

**soxfan**[$] · #4 10-02-2003, 02:47 PM

Does he own the hotel? No.

Is the car out of gas? Not really.

Is the hotel "damaged" (ie: burned down)? No.

**amykhar** · #5 10-02-2003, 02:50 PM

Is he pushing the car to keep it quiet?

Is this a time of war?

**soxfan**[$] · #6 10-02-2003, 02:50 PM

Is he pushing the car to keep it quiet? No.

Is this a time of war? No.

**theworm**[$] · #7 10-02-2003, 02:52 PM

Did he plan on buying the hotel or aquiring it in another way?

**amykhar** · #8 10-02-2003, 02:53 PM

Is anybody inside the car?

Does the man think he is out of gas?

Is the hotel across a state or national border from where the man originated?

**theworm**[$] · #9 10-02-2003, 02:54 PM

Where there police waiting for him at the hotel?

**soxfan**[$] · #10 10-02-2003, 02:57 PM

Did he plan on buying the hotel or aquiring it in another way? No.

Is anybody inside the car? No.

Does the man think he is out of gas? No.

Is the hotel across a state or national border from where the man originated? No.

Where there police waiting for him at the hotel? No.

theeye · #11 10-02-2003, 03:01 PM

Was the hotel the man's original intended destination when he started pushing the car?

Was the car in full working order when he started pushing it?

**lynnzop**[$] · #12 10-02-2003, 03:05 PM

Is the car red?

**soxfan**[$] · #13 10-02-2003, 03:06 PM

Was the hotel the man's original intended destination when he started pushing the car? Yes.

Was the car in full working order when he started pushing it? So to speak.

Is the car red? Doesn't matter. But for you, I'll say yes.

theeye · #14 10-02-2003, 03:08 PM

Was the car an ordinary road-worthy automobile?

Or was it a toy car?

Or was it a railroad car?

Or some other sort of car?

**soxfan**[$] · #15 10-02-2003, 03:10 PM

Was the car an ordinary road-worthy automobile? No.

Or was it a toy car? Hmmmm ... I'll say yes.

Or was it a railroad car? No.

Or some other sort of car? No.

**theworm**[$] · #16 10-02-2003, 03:11 PM

Did he plan to sell the car?

**soxfan**[$] · #17 10-02-2003, 03:16 PM

Did he plan to sell the car? No.

theeye · #18 10-02-2003, 03:19 PM

Was he in a race?

When he arrived at the hotel, did he realize that someone else had arrived before him and was that how he knew he was bankrupt?

(If there was a race...) Had he bet on the result of the race?

**soxfan**[$] · #19 10-02-2003, 03:21 PM

Was he in a race? No.

When he arrived at the hotel, did he realize that someone else had arrived before him and was that how he knew he was bankrupt? No.

(If there was a race...) Had he bet on the result of the race? No.

theeye · #20 10-02-2003, 03:23 PM

Was the car small enough for a normal person to lift it?

Was the car at least as large as a typical economy class automobile?

Was the car carrying any passengers?

Any cargo?

**soxfan**[$] · #21 10-02-2003, 03:26 PM

Was the car small enough for a normal person to lift it? Yes.

Was the car at least as large as a typical economy class automobile? No.

Was the car carrying any passengers? No.

Any cargo? No.

**theworm**[$] · #22 10-02-2003, 03:27 PM

Was the car a collectors item?

**soxfan**[$] · #23 10-02-2003, 03:28 PM

Was the car a collectors item? No.