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Topic: Overtaken (Read 765 times) |
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Miles
Junior Member
Cambridge, England
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Diana was already outside the house, waiting behind the wheel with her engine running, when Steve pulled up alongside in his car. They wound down their windows.
“OK, you’ve got my map,” said Steve, “but it’s very straightforward – basically, one main road from here, no junctions or turnings all the way there. It just looks worse because it’s one of those bendy country roads – if you get stuck behind a tractor, well…”
Diana nodded. “No chances to overtake. Anyway, once I’m the other side of the railway line, it looks like another mile and then I’ll see Grandma’s new house.”
“That’s right,” Steve replied. There are plenty of trains at this time of day so you’ll know when you’re about to reach the railway. You head off first and I’ll set off right behind.”
“OK. I want to get to Grandma’s as quickly as possible, so see you there in about half an hour.” With that, Diana rolled up her window and drove off.
Steve and Diana spoke truthfully, and neither had a breakdown or got lost. Yet Steve arrived at Grandma’s new house first. Why?
The explanation depends on something unusual that I have actually seen.
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Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
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Sorry Goose, it's time to buzz a tower.
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Re: Overtaken
« Reply #1 on: Dec 4th, 2007, 3:35pm » |
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Steve drove alongside the railroad tracks until the next time they crossed the road.
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| « Last Edit: Dec 4th, 2007, 3:35pm by Whiskey Tango Foxtrot » |
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"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use." - Galileo Galilei
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denis
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Re: Overtaken
« Reply #2 on: Dec 4th, 2007, 7:50pm » |
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Diana had to stop at the railroad crossing when a train was coming through. After the train passed, Steve was just arriving at the crossing and need not slow down by overtaking Diana on the left side (who was still basically starting up from a standstill).
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mikedagr8
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Re: Overtaken
« Reply #3 on: Dec 5th, 2007, 12:11am » |
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Since Diana is a female, and we all know females are poor drivers (   ), she was in a manual (stick) and stalled the engine. This doesn't count as breaking down does it?
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"It's not that I'm correct, it's that you're just not correct, and so; I am right." - M.P.E.
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Miles
Junior Member
Cambridge, England
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Re: Overtaken
« Reply #4 on: Dec 5th, 2007, 6:07am » |
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None of the above were what I had in mind. I like Denis's suggestion, but we would expect vehicles to be coming the other way if the crossing had just been down.
Denis is right to focus on crossing the railway although I didn't actually mention what we call a level crossing in Britain - ie where vehicles have to stop because a train is coming, but I'm not saying there isn't one 
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Grimbal
wu::riddles Moderator
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Re: Overtaken
« Reply #5 on: Dec 5th, 2007, 6:24am » |
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Diana is a perfectly normal driver in a a normal car. She stops when the train blocks the road.
Steve is a perfectly crazy driver in a not so usual car. He drives a sports car that is so flat that, he decided in a split-second, fits under a wagon. Steve overtook Diana and crossed the tracks under the passing train. To his complete amazement, completely unhurt.
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| « Last Edit: Dec 5th, 2007, 6:31am by Grimbal » |
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Miles
Junior Member
Cambridge, England
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Re: Overtaken
« Reply #6 on: Dec 5th, 2007, 6:29am » |
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Well, it made me laugh, but again, not what I had in mind - I've certainly not seen this in real life (in the movies, perhaps...).
However, (hint) thinking about the relative heights of their vehicles is relevant
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denis
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Re: Overtaken
« Reply #7 on: Dec 5th, 2007, 8:23am » |
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After the train passed, the gate at the level crossing got stuck. Diane's car could not fit under so she had to make a detour. Steve's car however, was one of those small cars (e.g. Austin Mini or flat sport car like Grimbal describes) that could fit under the stuck gate.
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| « Last Edit: Dec 5th, 2007, 8:24am by denis » |
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Miles
Junior Member
Cambridge, England
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Re: Overtaken
« Reply #8 on: Dec 5th, 2007, 9:19am » |
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You're getting a little closer. When I said in the original post, that it is something I have seen, I am not talking about a one-off event, it is something about a particular road that is there all the time and could at certain times have the effect I am describing. I will even post a Google Maps link when the solution is revealed.
When did I ever say that Diana was driving a car?
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Ghost Sniper
Senior Riddler
Do not hide. It is useless.
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Re: Overtaken
« Reply #9 on: Dec 5th, 2007, 10:15am » |
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You did say that whatever she was riding on had an engine, and that she had a window on whatever she was riding on to roll up.
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*sob* I miss my mommy... *blows nose* huh, I'm on? oh right.
(thinks to self) Time for my speech to these college kids.
"Reason is more important than all emotions..."
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Miles
Junior Member
Cambridge, England
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Re: Overtaken
« Reply #10 on: Dec 5th, 2007, 10:41am » |
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on Dec 5th, 2007, 10:15am, Ghost Sniper wrote:| You did say that whatever she was riding on had an engine, and that she had a window on whatever she was riding on to roll up. |
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Indeed, but no good riddler on these forums would deduce that she was therefore driving a car.
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Ghost Sniper
Senior Riddler
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Re: Overtaken
« Reply #11 on: Dec 5th, 2007, 11:52am » |
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I know, but it does take out many motor vehicles, including motorcycles, mopeds, etc.
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*sob* I miss my mommy... *blows nose* huh, I'm on? oh right.
(thinks to self) Time for my speech to these college kids.
"Reason is more important than all emotions..."
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towr
wu::riddles Moderator
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Re: Overtaken
« Reply #12 on: Dec 5th, 2007, 12:00pm » |
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Probably a truck that can't pass through the nearby tunnel under the rails; whereas Steve's regular car can.
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towr
wu::riddles Moderator
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Re: Overtaken
« Reply #14 on: Dec 5th, 2007, 1:55pm » |
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on Dec 5th, 2007, 1:05pm, Miles wrote:Towr, you make it look so easy.   |
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It is easy ... once everyone else did the hard work of soliciting more clues
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Random Lack of Squiggily Lines
Senior Riddler
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Re: Overtaken
« Reply #15 on: Dec 7th, 2007, 10:22am » |
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stev is on a bicicle, and as he appproaches the train(AT high speeds due to the huill) he sees dianna.
he climbs of his bike, walks over the pedestrian bridge, and continues on as diana counts 456 cars.
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You can only believe i what you can prove, and since you have nothing proven to cmpare to, you can believe in nothing.
I have ~50 posts to hack a "R" into a "D". Which one?
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Random Lack of Squiggily Lines
Senior Riddler
Everything before 7/1/2008 is now irrelevant.
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Re: Overtaken
« Reply #16 on: Dec 7th, 2007, 10:23am » |
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or Diana dies wile going through a tunnel, and her grandma owns a cemetary.
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You can only believe i what you can prove, and since you have nothing proven to cmpare to, you can believe in nothing.
I have ~50 posts to hack a "R" into a "D". Which one?
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