Braingle: 'The River' Brain Teaser

The River

Trick brain teasers appear difficult at first, but they have a trick that makes them really easy.

Puzzle ID:	#9290
Fun:	(2.84)
Difficulty:	(1.76)
Category:	Trick
Submitted By:	megan

Two people come to a river. There is a boat, however it can carry one person only. How can they each get to the other side of the river using the boat?

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Comments

electronjohn Jan 10, 2003	Good one. I was thinking of using a rope to pull it back but of course there was no rope listed.
zangel3000 Jan 10, 2003	One of them could swim across (it doesn't say they MUST use the boat).
singcan Jan 23, 2003	It doesn't say the water was deep either. They could both have dragg it across. Good one thought.
choogy Feb 07, 2003	i was thinking the river was only eight feet wide, thus using an eight foot boat. They simply walked across using the boat
megan Mar 09, 2003	Actually it does say that you must use the boat, it says "...using the boat..." and you can't imply anything else what is not already given in the teaser
jimbo Apr 08, 2003	I liked it. I thought that one would row to the other side then row back. Then the other one would row to the other side. They both got to the other side. It doesn't say they have to stay there!
(user deleted) May 04, 2003	Cute!
peterg May 25, 2003	pffft! they seem to be getting more and more far fetched!
luvupurple Aug 13, 2003	I liked it!
xiaobaby Sep 09, 2003	i thought the river may be rather narrow and they could sort of jump across but since it mentioned that the use of boat is a must, they could leave the boat in the center and jump to the boat and to the other side... thats still using the boat but this is after all a trick question
cnmne Jan 27, 2004	First, good teaser. It actually is a logic teaser, since there is no 'trick', no play on words, no misdirection. There really is a legitimate solution. Treating it as a trick teaser, though, I figured the river was not that wide and that the boat was used as a bridge. Still a good one.
sweetime May 30, 2005	yeah i used the boat as a bridge as well
MadDog72 Mar 19, 2006	I thought they just waded. The real answer is better though.
Quickq May 10, 2006	I said"they used the bridge"
OldChinaHand Oct 02, 2006	Not another 'there on the opposite bank I'll be' teaser...still fun.
Deedee123 Jan 26, 2008	they could have swam!
annvie9 Jun 26, 2008	Nice job! Got me on this one!
thisisme91 Dec 05, 2008	EVIL (but seriously FUN) Teaser
sashomarine Jan 15, 2010	Very original teaser to me! It was easy (For me) but fun!
sashomarine Jan 15, 2010	Also, he/she said "Using the boat." So, you couldn't of swam or used the nearby bridge.
J-Mac Mar 02, 2010	Lame. Jim
builder Mar 02, 2010	I first thought the same as another, they didn't have to stay there, but realized the "trick" part would be arriving from opposite sides.
doehead Mar 02, 2010	Another old but easy one.
auntiesis Mar 02, 2010	I pictured 1 of them rowing with the other one hanging onto the boat. Very interesting.
OldChinaHand Mar 02, 2010	Using the boat...I took it apart and made a plank bridge and we walked across the river.
FatHead Mar 02, 2010	Well, zangel and singcan are both right on that.
katie384 Mar 02, 2010	fun.
emma5799979 Mar 02, 2010	I thought that one of them would swim, or the river would be shallow andthey'd walk, or so narrow that they'd jump, but I'm happy with the answer.
SolarFlare Mar 12, 2010	I thought they'd use a rope attached to the boat. When the first had crossed the second would pull the boat back with the rope & then cross the river. The true answer was more lateral than that! Nice quiz, thanks.
gooberbaby1 Jun 10, 2010	soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo EASY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!