Accessible Gardening: #21 Practical Matters for Phsically Challenged Gardeners, 1 by Agavegirl1

Agavegirl1 wrote:
O.K. after racking my brain for hours and hours and hours and 3 glasses of wine (TEE-HEE) this is what I came up with:

There were 64 people on the train originally.

64 people originally
-19 off
______
45 people on train

45 people on train
+17 people who get on
________
62 people on the train

62 people on the train
+ 1 conductor*
__________
63 people on the train NOW

They want to know how many people are on the train originally.
My thinking is \"Who cares\" as long as the answer comes out to 63 NOW.
The problem says there are 63 people on the train now!

Now my logic also went 19 people got off at the 1st stop. Big deal. First stop for these 19 people does not mean they got off right when the 17 people got on. They could have gotten off after the 17 people got on. The 17 people and the 19 people could be making the trip together originally from the station to the \'first stop\' where the 19 people got on.

Second point is 17 people got on. O.K. where and when did these 17 people get on? Before the train reached the station? At the first stop when the 19 got off? did they transfer over from one train to this one at the station?
Who cares.
All we know, regardless of where and when is 19 people are getting on and off.

The problem focuses on the word \"NOW\"

There are 63 people on the train \"NOW\".
Well you can use infinite amount of possibilities 19 off and 17 on and then 8 more jumped on at the first stop and 10 more at the second stop (no mention of a second stop so does not eliminate the possibility of additional stops anywhere).

All that matters is any combination of numbers that makes up for the lack of 2 people on the train is all that counts. You have to make these 2 missing bodies \'appear\' somehow. (19 off -17 on)


The other word was \'originally\'. Well conductor neither got on or off the train at the station or first stop.

I honestly think there is NO right number.
For example I can say originally there were 100 people on the train

100 originally - 19 off at first stop = 81 people on train.
81 people on train + 17 who get on = 98 people on the train now.
34 people decide to get off at the 2nd stop (remember it doesn\'t say there were no other stops, transfers, etc.)
98 people on train and 35 more get off at that 2nd stop so 98 - 35 = 63
63 people can just be passengers or passengers + the 1 conductor

I can\'t tell you if your answer is right.
NOBODY KNOWS.
That was why it was in a national and world newspaper looking for an answer because the parents whose children were given this question in school can\'t answer it themselves and neither can anyone else.

Now don\'t we all feel smarter than a 5th grader?