Apr 06, 2024
Time for a new puzzler.
Here we go.
Three guys check into a motel in the middle of nowhere. They are running from the law and they have to lay low for a night.
They are really strapped for cash so they decide to share one room. The approach the front desk clerk and he tells them that one room will be $30. This is the cheapest motel ever.
So, they each give the clerk $10 and then they go to the room.
After they leave, the clerk realizes that he overcharged them. They were having a special on rooms, and the price was supposed to be $25, not $30. So, he gives the bellboy $5 and asks him to return this to the three guys, since he overcharged them.
So the bellboy takes the $5, and as he is heading to the room, he thinks to himself, "Well, there are three guys, and $5. They won't be able to split this evenly, so I'm going to keep $2, and give them $3." So that's what he does.
He says to them, "Here's $3. You were overcharged for the room." And they say, "Thank you very much." He leaves having pocketed $2.
So here is the question.
They each spent $10 to start off with. Then they each get back $1. So they each spent $9 on the room. And 9 times 3 is 27. Plus the $2 that the bellboy stole. That all equals $29.
So, what happened to the other dollar? Since they originally spent $30?
Good luck.
So, what happened to the other dollar?
They started with $30. They got $3 back. That is $9 each. Which is $27. The bellboy took $2, so what happened to the other dollar?
And the answer is, there is no other dollar.
This puzzler is guilty of obfuscation and being very misleading. We do that from time to time.
So, it was a trick question and it is all in how you say it.
They spent $25 for the room, total. And $2 for the bellboy. Which leaves $3, which is what they each got back. And when you say it that way, you get $30 total.
A little obfuscation... Sorry about that!