A man lives in town A. One day he goes to town B for an appointment.
After the appointment he returns to town A by train.

On the way back on the train he commits suicide.

If he had been in the Smoking Department of the train as opposed to
the Non-smoking department he would not have committed suicide.

Please explain the train of events (pardon the pun) leading up to his suicide.

Sincerely

DPRK007

Howdy DPRK007,

The following is a combination of some of the variations of this situation
puzzle, with dramatic embellishments of my own.

The man, a famous artist, who was blinded, is returning from his medical
appointment intended to restore his vision.  This is an operation for which
he has spent his last dime, and is a one time shot at restoring his sight.

It appears that the operation has been a success for the man can actually
see, although somewhat poorly, at the doctor's office.  There is to be a
recovery period, naturally, so the man's eyes are bandaged.

Full of bravado, he has taken a familiar bus route to the appointment, but
because of scheduling, decides to take an unfamiliar train ride home.

Although he has been warned not to remove the bandages lest the operation
would be more likely to fail, when the train stops, he panics and he takes
the bandages off.

He finds himself unable to see, so he thinks that the operation has failed,
and that he is now permanently blind!  Thinking of how he is penniless and
will never see nor paint again, he is grief stricken and commits suicide!

Alas, if he had only realized that the train car lights did not work when
the train was stopped, and that this particular train stopped in a long
tunnel to let another train pass, plunging the cars in total darkness at
this point every trip.

Alas, even more, that he, because of concerns of irritation of his eyes,
had ridden in a non-smoking compartment.  For if he had ridden in a car
that had allowed smoking, he would have at least seen the glow of the lit
cigarettes around him, assuring him that his sight was still restored!

A sad story indeed.

If you need any clarification, please feel free to ask.


Search strategy: I was a contributer to the rec.puzzles newsgroup, and
live on in an archive.  I like cabins on the sides of mountains and the
number 13.

For more, see "rec.puzzles Archive (logic), part 25 of 35"
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/puzzles/archive/logic/part4/

Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher

---

Clarification of Answer by denco-ga on 17 Oct 2006 12:43 PDT

Howdy DPRK007,

Here is the abridged answer.

A man, who is blind, travels from Town A to Town B for his appointmnet to
have his vision restored.  Post operation, with eyes bandaged, he gets on
a train to return home.  The train stops, he takes off the bandages, and
can't see.  Heartbroken that the operation did not work, he kills himself.

Seems the train cars have no lights, and the train stopped in a tunnel. If
he had traveled in a smoking compartment, he would have seen lit cigarettes.

Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher

---

Clarification of Answer by denco-ga on 17 Oct 2006 22:05 PDT

Apologies on not providing my search strategy, DPRK007.

Indeed, as you noted in the comments, and not silly at all, the answer was
from personal experience, which I should have specifically noted.

Over the past 30 years I have edited, rewritten, refined, contributed and
otherwise perpetuated several examples of this style of puzzle.

Yours is one of my favorites.  Thanks!

Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher

Great Answer denco!  Just one point of curiosity What was your search strategy?
Kind Regards

DPRK007

Unable to get a seat in the 'Smokers', he has to sit in the 'Nons'.

Craving for a fag, he sticks his head out of the window and indulges.

Unfortunately, the train enters a tunnel and he is decapitated.

It is considered suicide because he ignored the warning notices.

Nice one Bryan!

I?m more familiar with the one told by Bryan. This is a very, very old
problem. I remember my father telling me it circa 1960. Goes back to
the days of individual train compartments and the large drop down
windows in the doors. There was a notice at the top of the window 'Do
not lean out of the window' or words to that effect. As a kid you
would ignore it and stick your head out of the window and withdraw it
at the last second before going into a tunnel. The compartment would
then also be filled with smoke and fumes much to annoyance of other
passengers. In fact, I seem to recall my favourite spot was Clayton
Tunnel which Bryan will know very well.

The only drawback is the "It is considered suicide because he ignored
the warning notices" part.  What you describe is called "death by
misadventure,"
also known as "death by stupidty," and not suicide.

Must... get... sleep.  That muck should have read:

The only drawback is the "It is considered suicide because he ignored the
warning notices" part.  What you describe is called "death by misadventure,"
also known as "death by stupidity," and not suicide.

[Furthermore]

The puzzle calls for the person to "commit suicide," and not for the death
to be ruled suicide.  Also, what of the "One day he goes to town B for an
appointment" part of the puzzle?  It is there for a reason.

This variant sounds more urban legend than puzzle answer.

Hi All

I wasn't aware of the urban legend - Honest!

I just made a stab at a likely story.

I didn't reckon the 'appointment' aspect as important but, looking
forward, I bow to Denco's superior wisdom in such matters.

Nevertheless ... I find it hard to believe that our hero would have
committed suicide in the circumstances given in D's version.

Whether or not it was suicide in my scenario is, I submit, a matter
for the Coroner's Inquest ...

And you've got to remember that, in the case of an accident, the
Railway Company could be liable for damages.

So, pressure would be applied to ensure a suicide verdict.

In the real world, that's how things are done.

(I think)

Bryo

Situation puzzles are rarely all that likely or real world.

The "midget in the elevator" and the variations of being shot with an ice
bullet or stabbed with a icicle, well, they are just plain silly.

They are just puzzles to get people to think outside the box.

I thought yours was a good stab, Bryon, as you are rarely boxed in.

I also doubt the Railway Company would be liable for death by stupidity.

D-

>There was a notice at the top of the window 'Do
not lean out of the window' or words to that effect.

Those are the exact words - they were often changed to 'Do not clean
soot off the window'.

Ian G.

OK .... All objections noted!

So here's a new scenario which I am proud to dedicate to The Colorado
Kid humself ... Two-Gun Denco ... the fastest draw ever.

The Colorado Kid and Belle Pinkerton Floyd, his floozy, were going
through a tough time. As always, The Kid was short of readies and, as
always, Belle was having to make all the dough to keep him in baccy,
rye and blackjack stakes ... We need not go into details.

Anyway, Belle gave The Kid an ultimatum: either he got some dough
double quick or she'd catch the next stage coach to Hollywood where
she planned to make it big.

The Kid took this on board and he immediately sent a carrier pigeon to
Tulsa and asked his contact there to make an appointment for him at
the Chase Manhattan. This was how The Kid always operated: make an
appointment with the Bank Manager and then ...

The following day, The Kid caught the Orient Express to Tulsa,
travelling as was his wont in a smoking car.

When he arrived in Tulsa, he found the Bank closed. He had forgotten
it was Christmas Day.

He just managed to catch the next Orient Express back to Denver but he
was horrified to discover that all the smoker seats were already
taken. There was no alternative: he had to travel in a Non coach.

He was already suicidal at screwing up on the planned bank job and now this!

He made his displeasure known to his fellow passengers, one of whom
kindly suggested that he take a suicide pill.

The Kid replied he would if only he had one.

Whereupon each of his fellow passengers offered him one of theirs.

Without any more ado, he swallowed the lot.

At the inquest, the Coroner had no hesitation in pronouncing that it
was clearly a case of Suicide on the Orient Express.

Looking Forward

Con-Ed

Denco

Apologies for my rather silly question about the search strategy. It
looks like you are already very familiar with this type of puzzle

Many Thanks again

DPRK007

I want to know that Denco Researcher has broken the mold and moved out
of the one digit questions and how he did it without a single
hyperlink.  Congratulations!
Myoarin commenter ;-)

Much thanks for the kind comment, 5 star rating and the question in the
first place, DPRK007.

Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher

Great question; great answer ...

And great fun, too!

I just loved The Colorado Kid.

Looking forward

Nayrb

Bryan - I would think that the bank would have been closed for Boxing Day.

If Agatha Christie had only lived in the old west, she could have written
a story about a man from China riding on a train known for the peculiarly
scarlet colored alcoholic drink served on board.

She could have written, using the vernacular of the time ...

"Orient on the Red Rum Express"

Myoarin - Well, one hyperlink snuck in, but the sentiment is greatly and
sincerely appreciated.

Bryan - The only time in my life I ever had a nickname was during the few
years I spent in Chicago, doing "errands" for some guys whose names had
lots of vowels.  Around these fellows, I was always called "The Kid."