The Steep Climb

Puzzler time. This one is an automotive puzzler. Here we go.

Years ago, a customer came into the shop.

The customer complained about the following problem. He said, "When I try to climb a long, rather steep hill, about a third of the way up the hill, or maybe more, the car starts to behave peculiarly, as if someone has turned the key off, and then it turns it right back on. It comes back on and turns off, comes back on... So the car lurches severely. On level ground, I have no problem, and I can drive the car perfectly okay, at any speed I want."

And I was writing this down when one of my guys is standing behind me, listening, and the customer says, "Oh, one other thing. If I try to climb a much steeper hill, but shorter, doesn't happen. It doesn't happen at all."

And the mechanic behind me says, "I got it. I got it exactly. You don't have a fuel injected car, do you?"

And the customer said, "No, I don't."

How did he know that? And what was wrong with his car?

Good luck.

Answer the Puzzler »

Remember last week's puzzler?

The Long Walk Home

Time for today's puzzler.

Here we go.

We will make this one about my brother.

Back in the old days, my brother used to have his wife drive him to the train station, and then he'd take the train and go to work.

So he would work for an hour or two, not very long honestly!

Anyway after work, he would leave and walk to the train station. He'd take the train, and his wife would meet him there, and they would drive home.

Well, one day, he decides to leave work an hour early. Even earlier than usual. So, of course he gets to the train station an hour early. So, rather than call his wife, he decides to start walking. It's a nice day, so he starts walking in the direction he knows she will take to come pick him up.

So, he starts walking for a bit. Then he sees his wife coming up the road. She sees him by the side of the road. She stops. He gets in the car, they drive home, and they arrive home 20 minutes earlier than they usually do.

How long was he walking before they met?

So, I know we didn't give any details like how fast she drives, how fast he walks, which train he takes home, or any of the distances.

But the puzzler question still is, how long was he walking before she picked him up?