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        riddles >> what happened >> The Safe
        
(Message started by: denis on Mar 21^st, 2008, 11:34am)

Title: The Safe
Post by denis on Mar 21^st, 2008, 11:34am

John, Gary and Peter's father passed away. He kept his valuables in standard mechanical safe with rotating combination knob with numbers 1 to 30 and a lever to open the door. The will contained the following note:

I leave all the valuables to the first one of my children who can open the safe. Here is the combination: l3r27l6. My children each get one try starting with John, then Gary and finally Peter. If neither can open the safe even when I give them the combination, it is only fitting that all my valuables go to charity

John goes first. He guesses that the 'r' means to turn the knob to the right - clockwise and that is applies to the 27: He turns the knob counterclockwise to 13 then clockwise to 27 then counterclockwise to 16. He turns the lever. CLUNK! The lever did not open the safe.

Gary laughed, saying "You're supposed to go over the second number at least once. Allow me to demonstrate". He turns the knob counterclockwise to 13 then clockwise a full revolution past 27, stops the next time he arrives at 27 then counterclockwise to 16. He turns the lever. CLUNK! It did not open the safe.

Peter did his turn dialing the knob back and forth while hiding with the other hand what he was doing. Finally, he turned the lever. CLANG! The safe is opened! How did he do it?

Title: Re: The Safe
Post by Ghost Sniper on Mar 21^st, 2008, 2:53pm

[hide]For the first number, you turn clockwise twice or more past it, then stop on it. After that, you turn counterclockwise once past the second number, then stop at it the second time around. Lastly, you turn clockwise and stop at the third number[/hide]

Title: Re: The Safe
Post by denis on Mar 21^st, 2008, 3:16pm

on 03/21/08 at 14:53:50, Ghost Sniper wrote:

CLUNK! the safe does not open.

Title: Re: The Safe
Post by Ghost Sniper on Mar 21^st, 2008, 6:04pm

Hehe... just trying normal locker combinations.

Title: Re: The Safe
Post by FiBsTeR on Mar 22^nd, 2008, 8:32am

Perhaps [hide]'r2' refers to Gary's idea of going past the second number twice, so start by going counterclockwise to 13, then past 7 clockwise, then stop again on 7 the second time, then finally counterclockwise to 16.[/hide]

EDIT: Or [hide]'3r' refers to going past the second number three times, so counterclockwise to 1, past 27 twice then stopping on it the third time, then counterclockwise to 16.[/hide] Why stop there? [hide]'r27' could refer to going past a second number 27 times, and the combination is 13-1-6 or 1-3-16. Or 'r271' and the combination is 1-3-6[/hide]. :P

But then again, I should only get one try. :-X

Title: Re: The Safe
Post by denis on Mar 22^nd, 2008, 9:33am

on 03/22/08 at 08:32:37, FiBsTeR wrote:

CLUNK! The safe does not open.

on 03/22/08 at 08:32:37, FiBsTeR wrote:

EDIT: Or [hide]'3r' refers to going past the second number three times, so counterclockwise to 1, past 27 twice then stopping on it the third time, then counterclockwise to 16.[/hide]

CLUNK! the safe does not open.

on 03/22/08 at 08:32:37, FiBsTeR wrote:

Why stop there? [hide]'r27' could refer to going past a second number 27 times, and the combination is 13-1-6[/hide]

CLUNK! the safe does not open.

on 03/22/08 at 08:32:37, FiBsTeR wrote:

[hide] or 1-3-16.[/hide]

CLUNK! the safe does not open.

on 03/22/08 at 08:32:37, FiBsTeR wrote:

[hide] Or 'r271' and the combination is 1-3-6[/hide]. :P

CLUNK! the safe does not open.

on 03/22/08 at 08:32:37, FiBsTeR wrote:

But then again, I should only get one try. :-X

There are no imposed limits to the riddlers in this community. Shoot away at will. The limit applied only to the three sons in the riddle.

Title: Re: The Safe
Post by denis on Mar 22^nd, 2008, 9:35am

on 03/22/08 at 07:37:24, Iceman wrote:

Is time essential?

Time is not relevant here.

Title: Re: The Safe
Post by Grimbal on Mar 22^nd, 2008, 3:57pm

Can't you guys read?
[hide]left 2 turns to 3, right 1 turn and some to 27, left to 6 and [/hide] and CLANG!

Title: Re: The Safe
Post by denis on Mar 22^nd, 2008, 7:33pm

on 03/22/08 at 15:57:24, Grimbal wrote:

Can't you guys read?
[hide]left 2 turns to 3, right 1 turn and some to 27, left to 6 and [/hide] and CLANG!

CLANG! The safe is opened!

Title: Re: The Safe
Post by mikedagr8 on Mar 23^rd, 2008, 12:12am

I'm confused how you got that. :-[

Title: Re: The Safe
Post by Grimbal on Mar 23^rd, 2008, 5:34am

on 03/21/08 at 11:34:37, denis wrote:

... [hide]Here is the combination: l3r27l6.[/hide] ...

Title: Re: The Safe
Post by FiBsTeR on Mar 23^rd, 2008, 7:34am

Gah, curse you teletype font! :-[

Nice trick, btw; gives me second thoughts about my literacy.

EDIT: Ignore this: 1 l L

Title: Re: The Safe
Post by Iceman on Mar 23^rd, 2008, 7:47am

I like it. Font can be funny after all. It reminds me of cynicism of Heinrich Heine.

Title: Re: The Safe
Post by denis on Mar 23^rd, 2008, 11:59am

The idea came from an Isaac Asimov short mystery story called "The Three Numbers". Basically, the combination was written on a old typewriter where the 1 and lower case L share the same symbol.

Title: Re: The Safe
Post by Iceman on Mar 28^th, 2008, 7:54am

Are you talking to me? Have you ever been to Lolland? Btw, you sound like a nice bloke, so here is my number: 098/l67lll99l. :P

Title: Re: The Safe
Post by gotit on Mar 28^th, 2008, 8:09am

on 03/28/08 at 07:54:56, Iceman wrote:

so here is my number: 098/l67lll99l. :P

What's that. This seems to be the Courier New font.
And it does not have the same symbol for 1 and l

Did you note the difference? :)