The Man in the Elevator
The Man in the Elevator
“The Man in the Elevator” question is probably the best known and most celebrated of all lateral thinking logic puzzles. It is a true classic. Although there are many possible solutions which fit the initial conditions, only the canonical answer is truly satisfying.
The Man in the Elevator
A man lives on the tenth floor of a building. Every morning he takes the elevator down to the lobby and leaves the building. In the evening, he gets into the elevator, and, if there is someone else in the elevator - or if it was raining that day - he goes back to his floor directly. Otherwise, he goes to the seventh floor and walks up three flights of stairs to his apartment.
Question: How come?
Brianna Leuck said,
July 24, 2008 @ 11:58 am
The classic answer is that the man is either in a wheelchair or of very small stature, and while alone, cannot reach the tenth floor button. When others are with him, they press the button, or if it was raining, he had an umbrella to assist him.
(Personally, I like the more devious answer. Going to the seventh floor and walking up three flights of stairs IS the most direct route, and this question is just to trick you into thinking up fantastical explanations. Hey, they never said that he rode the elevator an extra three flights up. They just let you think that’s what they mean.)