Linear Thinking Riddle

There are four people in a house. A fireman, an athlete, an old woman, and a drunk guy. The house catches fire and before the fact is known, it is too late. All they know is that the entire house is in flames and it will collapse exactly after twelve minutes. Now they can move out of the house but for that, they will have to pass the hallway which is entirely blazing with flames. Thus to move, one must carry a fire extinguisher to keep the flames away. Seeking the burnt wooden floor, only two people can run through that hallway at one time. But for others to go, one must return back with the fire extinguisher. The fireman is trained for such tasks and can run through the hallway in a minute. The athlete can make it in a couple of minutes. The old woman can run slowly and will cover the hallway in four minutes. The drunk guy will take five minutes to run through it. If all of them can make it through the hallway in twelve minutes, all of them will be saved. When two move together, they will run at the speed of the slower ones.

How will all four of them manage to run to safety?




Similar Riddles

What building has the most stories?

Asked by Neha on 21 Feb 2022


A mile-long train is moving at sixty miles an hour when it reaches a mile-long tunnel. How long does it take the entire train to pass through the tunnel?

Asked by Neha on 27 Apr 2022

Can you circle exactly four of these numbers such that the total is twelve?

1 6 1
6 1 6
1 6 1
6 1 6

Asked by Neha on 27 Apr 2023


You are trapped into a death trap by the famous jigsaw killer. As usual, a screen flashes in front of you and explains you the trap game. There are 100 pearls kept in a bowl in front of you and an empty bowl. Among the 100 pearls, 50 are white and 50 are black. You can divide them as you like into the two bowls. Once you are done, you will pull a lever, which will turn the room pitch black. The bowls will move and shuffle around. In the dark, you have to pick up one pearl from any bowl. Once you do that, the room will flood with lights again. If the peral you have in your hand is white, you will be allowed to live, but if the pearl you picked is black, the room will be filled with poisonous gas and you will die. How will divide the pearls to increase your chances of survival?

Asked by Neha on 03 Sep 2024

A spy was in Canada trying to steal insider information on how to set up new Maple Syrup factories in their country. He was introduced to the operations manager of the biggest factory in Canada. However, the manager was suspicious and decided to test him with a question before he trusted him. So he asked, “What would you be sure to find in the middle of Toronto?” The spy thought fast and came up with an answer for the manager. What was his answer?

Asked by Neha on 04 Jun 2025

With pointed fangs I sit and wait; with piercing force I crunch out fate; grabbing victims, proclaiming might; physically joining with a single bite. What am I?

Asked by Neha on 13 Mar 2025


What is both possible and impossible at the same time?

Asked by Neha on 15 Apr 2022

I get hot but I never sweat,
I cook food but I am not a chef,
I have a door but you can't enter me,
I have a light but I am not a lamp.
Who am I?

Asked by Neha on 15 Feb 2021

There is a square of a particular number which when doubled, becomes 7 more than its quarter.

Can you find the number?

Asked by Neha on 17 Jul 2023


Consider all the numbers between 1 and 1 million. Among all these numbers, there is something very special about the number 8 and the number 2202. What is it?

Asked by Neha on 14 Jan 2025

Hot Articles

Amazing Facts

Crossword

The day before the 1996 U.S. presidential election, the NYT Crossword contained the clue “Lead story in tomorrow’s newspaper,” the puzzle was built so that both electoral outcomes were correct answers, requiring 7 other clues to have dual responses.