The "Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader" Brain-Teaser Chain Letter

[Dr. Winston O'Boogie]

Originally Posted by STF

Someone suggested to me that I was stupid for including the driver's legs, but typically when you get a riddle suggesting you're dumber than a 5th grader it has some sort of catch like that. I really figured there would be more to it than doing the math even though that was more complicated than I anticipated. I did it several times before I accounted for all the legs, but I was almost positive you'd have to include the driver's legs.

Yeah, but the driver isn't the catch. The question is "How many legs are on the bus?" Answer - 0. Busses don't have legs.

Originally Posted by STF

Someone suggested to me that I was stupid for including the driver's legs, but typically when you get a riddle suggesting you're dumber than a 5th grader it has some sort of catch like that. I really figured there would be more to it than doing the math even though that was more complicated than I anticipated. I did it several times before I accounted for all the legs, but I was almost positive you'd have to include the driver's legs.

By the strictest rules of story problems, it is stupid to include the driver - the assumption is supposed to be that all actors have been given and all circumstances have been outlined (hence the assumption that we have no amputees or freak 6 legged kittens on the buss).

But, you're right, most of these questions are tricks. This is the rare exception. I had a professor in college who would throw an extra credit question like that on every exam. In one of them, he listed the dimensions of the room and the approximate size of a basketball. "How many basketballs could be stored in this room if all furniture were first removed? List all assumptions and show all calculations."

The only way to get the full 10 points was, "None. Sporting goods may only be stored in the rec center."

[STF]

Originally Posted by Dr. Winston O'Boogie

Yeah, but the driver isn't the catch. The question is "How many legs are on the bus?" Answer - 0. Busses don't have legs.

When I got the actual email it was "in the bus" so it ruled out the "busses don't have legs answer." The one in the OP is phrased differently, but arrives at the same answer. I actually overthought it by adding the driver because that sounded like a typical riddle response.

[Pseudo_Croat]

Originally Posted by imjustasteph

As for the girls- having all those backpacks, and so many cats in them, doesn't bother me nearly so much as why they have them all on a bus.

Maybe it's the sequel to Snakes on a Plane?

- Pseudo "and this time, it's purrsonal" Croat