Henry Ernest Dudeney/Modern Puzzles/37 - A Side-car Problem

Modern Puzzles by Henry Ernest Dudeney: $37$

A Side-car Problem

Atkins, Baldwin and Clarke had to go a journey of $52$ miles across country.

Atkins had a motor-bicycle with sidecar for one passenger.

How was he to take one of his companions a certain distance,

drop him on the road to walk the remainder of the way,

and return to pick up the second friend,

so that they should all arrive at their destination at exactly the same time?

The motor-bicycle could do $20$ miles per hour,

Baldwin could walk $5$ miles per hour,

and Clarke could walk $4$ miles per hour.

Of course, each went at his proper speed throughout and there was no waiting.

I might have complicated the problem by giving more passengers,

but I have purposely made it easy,

and all the distances are an exact number of miles -- without fractions.

Sources

• 1926: Henry Ernest Dudeney: Modern Puzzles ... (previous) ... (next): Arithmetical and Algebraical Problems: Locomotion and Speed Puzzles: $37$. -- A Side-car Problem
• 1968: Henry Ernest Dudeney: 536 Puzzles & Curious Problems ... (previous) ... (next): Arithmetical and Algebraical Problems: Speed & Distance Puzzles: $65$. A Sidecar Problem