The 33 1/3 second mystery #14 - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

kazoo · 03-20-2004, 10:29 AM

Oscar Mudge, a traveling salesman, was a man of habit. During 1997, wherever he was in the US, he could effect the same purchase of $3.84 with a $5.00 bill and receive back four coins in change every time. What did Oscar buy?

cliche · 03-20-2004, 10:58 AM

some stamps from an automated machine? And gets $1, 10c, 5c, 1c

kazoo · 03-20-2004, 11:40 AM

cliche claims another fuzzy bunny. Good work for someone across the pond!

balderdash111 · 04-01-2004, 12:06 PM

Um.... I know I'm very late to this one, but it seems to me the amount of change you receive has absolutely nothing to do with (a) how often you go, and (b) what you are buying.

Whatever you buy for 3.84 in a vending machine is going to give you 4 coins in change, assuming the use of dollar coins

Seems to me the answer could have been "a pack of cigarettes" or "a sandwich" or one of about a million other things you might find in a vending machine.

Which leads me to ask the following: how the hell did you know it was a book of stamps?

Rangsk · 04-01-2004, 06:12 PM

Well, he was anywhere in the US, which means that the price is fixed and isn't taxed. Not many choices for that.

ChickenNinja · 04-02-2004, 01:17 PM

also i think they started using dollar coins again in '97. something like that.

kutulu · 04-02-2004, 02:08 PM

Also very few vending machines will give you pennies.

03-20-2004, 10:29 AM	#1 (permalink)
kazoo Psycho Location: Where the night things are	The 33 1/3 second mystery #14 Oscar Mudge, a traveling salesman, was a man of habit. During 1997, wherever he was in the US, he could effect the same purchase of $3.84 with a $5.00 bill and receive back four coins in change every time. What did Oscar buy? __________________ There ain't nothin' more powerful than the odor of mendacity -Big Daddy

03-20-2004, 10:58 AM	#2 (permalink)
cliche Rookie Location: Oxford, UK	some stamps from an automated machine? And gets $1, 10c, 5c, 1c __________________ I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones. -- John Cage (1912 - 1992)

03-20-2004, 11:40 AM	#3 (permalink)
kazoo Psycho Location: Where the night things are	cliche claims another fuzzy bunny. Good work for someone across the pond! __________________ There ain't nothin' more powerful than the odor of mendacity -Big Daddy

04-01-2004, 06:12 PM	#5 (permalink)
Rangsk Crazy Location: San Diego, CA	Well, he was anywhere in the US, which means that the price is fixed and isn't taxed. Not many choices for that. __________________ "Don't believe everything you read on the internet. Except this. Well, including this, I suppose." -- Douglas Adams

04-02-2004, 01:17 PM	#6 (permalink)
ChickenNinja Crazy	also i think they started using dollar coins again in '97. something like that. __________________ Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.

04-01-2004, 12:06 PM	#4 (permalink)
balderdash111 Psycho	Um.... I know I'm very late to this one, but it seems to me the amount of change you receive has absolutely nothing to do with (a) how often you go, and (b) what you are buying. Whatever you buy for 3.84 in a vending machine is going to give you 4 coins in change, assuming the use of dollar coins Seems to me the answer could have been "a pack of cigarettes" or "a sandwich" or one of about a million other things you might find in a vending machine. Which leads me to ask the following: how the hell did you know it was a book of stamps?

04-02-2004, 02:08 PM	#7 (permalink)
kutulu Junkie	Also very few vending machines will give you pennies.