A Puzzle

[martindtanderson]

I was sent this little puzzle in an e-mail...
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3 men go into a motel.
The man behind the desk said the room is $30, so each man paid $10 and went to the room.

A while later, the man realised the room was only $25, so he sent the Bellboy to the 3 guys' room with $5.

On the way, the Bellboy couldn't figure out how to share out $5 evenly between between 3 men, so he gave each of them &1 and kept the other $2 for himself.

This ment that the 3 men each paid $9 for the room, which is a total of $27, add the $2 that the Bellboy kept =$29.

Where is the other dollar?

[Gavin Scott]

Where is the other dollar? Nowhere. A dollar only goes "missing" because the statement "each man paid $9 for the room" is wrong -- each of three men paid out a total of $9, but that $9 included both the room charge and the bellboy's tip. All in all, each man paid out a total of $9 and had $1 left over, completely accounting for the $30 they started with.

The room cost $25, so each man paid one-third of that cost ($8.33). The bellboy kept a tip of $2, so each man paid one-third of that cost ($0.67) as well. Overall, each man paid out $9 ($8.33 + $0.67) and had a dollar left over: (3 x $9) + (3 x $1) = $27 + $3 = $30.

Any dollars still left unaccounted for may be sent to me for proper disposal.

[martindtanderson]

Nice little puzzle at face value...

[mikejprz]

Smart Arse!

[Gavin Scott]

Thanks, although I wouldn't have said it was my *best* feature.

[Sput]

Thanks, although I wouldn't have said it was my *best* feature.

Oh lord. I remember it well. It's in your trousers, bulging away to itself - ready to explode with a treat for me!

It is, of course, your wallet Gav! I'd like to get my hands on that!