Puzzler for the Masses

Time for the newest, slightly automotive puzzler.

I stole this one from a listener. I adapted it, actually. A listener wrote in with this many years ago. So, it just seems like it is time to bring it back.

We got this letter from a fan. It said, "As one of your longtime listeners, I can honestly say that I have never been able to solve even one of your puzzlers. Although I'm not proud of this accomplishment or lack thereof, I am certain I am not alone. Undoubtedly, there are others like me who would like to wear a Car Talk baseball cap but have been denied the opportunity because of the requirements of having to solve one of your difficult puzzles. On behalf of the many other listeners like me, I'd like to ask that you present a puzzler for stupid people so that we too, can experience the thrill of victory."

So, that is what we have today. A not difficult puzzler. A puzzler for the masses, you could say. Here it is.

Many years ago, we all used to go to drive-in movie theaters. Many of you remember that. They don't have them anymore these days. Anyway, you had to wait until the sun went down, until dark, and then you could go drive in and park and watch a movie at the drive-in.

So, when you get there and it is getting dark, you have to get your popcorn and your soda. Get all the things for your movie. And while it's getting dark and we are preparing for the movie, something began to happen, which was about to threaten the show. In other words, something was happening that was going to prevent us from seeing the movie.

We all sat in the car saying, "Ah, shucks, we're gonna have to leave. What a disappointment."

Then all of a sudden, the manager of the drive-in comes over the PA system and says, "May I have your attention, please? Could everyone please start his or her engine?"

So the question is, what was happening and why did starting all our engines prevent it from happening and allow us to see the movie?

Good luck!

Answer the Puzzler »

Remember last week's puzzler?

The Mixed Bag

It is time for the new puzzler. This one isn't really automotive in nature. But we will set it in the back seat of a car, so that way, it will be kind of automotive. Quasi-automotive, if you will.

This is a cute little puzzler, I think. A wonderful little riddle, kind of.

So, you're in the back seat and have three little felt drawstring bags. In each of these bags, you have 10 marbles. 10 marbles total, in each bag.

One bag is filled with 10 black marbles.

One bag is filled with 10 white marbles.

And the last bag is filled with half and half, 5 black and 5 white.

Each bag has a little label on it. However, the labels are incorrect. None of them are right.

So, you are allowed to reach your hand into a bag, but you are not allowed to look at the colors of the marbles in the bags. You are allowed to reach in and remove one marble from a bag, and then you can look at that marble. But then you have to return that marble back to its bag without looking at the rest of them. You can only have one marble out of a bag at a time. So, you take one out, look at it, then return it. You are then allowed to pull a marble from another bag, look at it, and then return it. And so on and so on.

So, here is the question.

How many times do you have to do this to identify each bag? In other words, how many peeks do you get of one marble from one bag at a time, before you can clearly identify which bag is the all black bag, which is the all white and which is the mixed bag?

Good luck my friends.