FILE No.6Unsolved
Hayato and Mei, married two months, both work to save for a home of their own. They leave for work at the same time.
Their apartment is exactly halfway between Station A and Station B on a private railway line, about 10 minutes by bicycle from either. Both of their workplaces are near Station C, a terminal in the neighboring city. Station B is closer to Station C.
Yet every morning Mei rides to Station B, while Hayato, for some reason, pedals to the farther Station A.
On the way home, too, the two meet near work and enjoy shopping and a meal before taking the train. But Mei gets off at Station A and rides home on the bicycle Hayato rode in the morning. Hayato gets off at Station B and rides home on the bicycle Mei rode in the morning.
What is behind why the two do this?
If you get stuck, open the hints one at a time, in order.
In the morning and the evening, their destinations swap. What is being swapped?
The distance is the same, about 10 minutes either way. What differs is what about the road?
Imagine that something about Mei’s health has changed recently.
What is behind why the two do this?
Choose the answer closest to the truth.
A steep slope
The answer is “a steep slope.”
The road from the apartment to Station A is a steep climb, while the road to Station B is a gentle downhill. In the morning Mei heads for Station B downhill and Hayato for Station A uphill. In the evening Mei gets off at Station A and rides home downhill from there, while Hayato gets off at Station B and rides home uphill. Mei recently learned she is expecting a baby. Hayato was taking the uphill rides on himself so that Mei would not have to pedal them.
You tend to think about the reason for going to the farther station in terms of numbers like time and cost. A difference in height along the road is hard to see in the text alone, so it is overlooked.
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