A man works on the top floor of in a multistory office building.  Some days he takes the elevator all the way to the top.  Other days he takes the elevator halfway and climbs the stairs the rest of the way.  Very rarely, he will forgo the elevator completely and use just the stairs despite the physical toll.  Can you explain the man's behavior?

Does the elevator go under repair and no one is able to take it?

No, others use the elevator without a problem when the man is not using it

Does the direction in which he uses the stairs (up or down) matter?

Is this some new spin on the old one where the guy's a dwarf and can't reach the buttons?

@SK: I've never heard that one

The riddle is only referring to his morning elevator/stairs journey

does he have a choice in when he uses the stairs/elevator or does some event decide this for him?

are there specific days or dates that make this happen?

is it just the man that does this or are there other people who do it too?

does he have a choice in when he uses the stairs/elevator or does some event decide this for him?  Not sure how to answer this one; probably best is to say some event decides it

are there specific days or dates that make this happen? Partially

is it just the man that does this or are there other people who do it too? Just him

is he on some sort of exercise regimen?

does he catch the elevator if he's going to be late for work, and walk if he's early?

is he on some sort of exercise regimen? No

does he catch the elevator if he's going to be late for work, and walk if he's early? No

Is the man carrying something with him?

Is the man carrying something with him? Nothing relevant

Does the man have anything (mental/medical) that would make him choose the stairs or strickly day to day basis?

Does the man have anything (mental/medical) that would make him choose the stairs? Yes

is he obsessive compulsive and has to count a specific number of stairs (or none) depending on the day?

is he obsessive compulsive and has to count a specific number of stairs (or none) depending on the day? No

is the weather a factor?

does he do something that would require a heightened heart rate?

I haven't gotten the stair bit yet I don't think, but did I get the first part right?

He has a bad knee which flares up when it's raining. The only thing that cures it is taking the stairs. So when it rains, he takes the stairs?

is the weather a factor? no

does he do something that would require a heightened heart rate? no

I haven't gotten the stair bit yet I don't think, but did I get the first part right? What are you referring to?

He has a bad knee which flares up when it's raining. The only thing that cures it is taking the stairs. So when it rains, he takes the stairs? Nope (neglects bluegirl's question about days/dates)

is there a regular pattern to when he takes the stairs/elevator?

is it a special event that causes the rare trips where he only uses the stairs?

I had sent you answer in a PM like 10 min after first post.

is there a regular pattern to when he takes the stairs/elevator? Yes and no (sorry)

is it a special event that causes the rare trips where he only uses the stairs? I wouldn't call it an event

ok......he only walks all the way upstairs when a specific thing happens?

if so.....does this thing happen at specific times or is it random?

he only walks all the way upstairs when a specific thing happens? no

That answer might be misleading however...

when this thing happens he doesn't have to walk upstairs, but it might cause him to?

what about the timing of the event (see above)?

when this thing happens he doesn't have to walk upstairs, but it might cause him to?  It's not a happening (happenstance? er, event)

hmmmmm.  

You are dancing around some good info if you can find the right phrasing

there is something physical/medical that happens to him.........and then he walks?

there is something physical/medical that happens to him.........and then he walks? No

does his job have anything to do with these behaviors?

does his job have anything to do with these behaviors? No

he's listening to music or an audio book on an ipod or walkman on his way to work and when he gets there, depending on how much time is left on the song he goes straight to work or takes his time.

or same scenario but replace ipod with a phone call.

or (this just popped into my head)...when he arrives early he walks.

Nope, none of those

drdec......go check out tangle games-last post...........i have a question.

does he only walk up the stairs all the way upstairs when a specific thing does not happen?

does the elevator break down occasionally?

He goes straight up to work then comes down the middle to have lunch then leaves when work is finished.

So what I've read is that it is not a specific "thing" or "event" that makes him choose the stairs, but he chooses to go up the stairs. I must be missing a huge chunk of the story.

So he randomly decides use the stairs even though nothing makes him and the day doesn't decide it for him?

Maybe he just wants to use the elevator and other days he just doesn't.

A man works on the top floor of in a multistory office building.  Some days he takes the elevator all the way to the top.  Other days he takes the elevator halfway and climbs the stairs the rest of the way.  Very rarely, he will forgo the elevator completely and use just the stairs despite the physical toll.  Can you explain the man's behavior?

___________________________________________________

Is he too small to reach the button of the elevator, so only can use it, when others are going to the same floor as him?

does he only walk up the stairs all the way upstairs when a specific thing does not happen?  No

does the elevator break down occasionally?  I'm sure it does but that is not the reason for the man's behavior

He goes straight up to work then comes down the middle to have lunch then leaves when work is finished. - Nope; the riddle refers to his morning journey to his workplace.

@ZomgMe - read it over again more carefully.  I think some people are forgetting that there are three behaviors: riding all the way to the top, riding halfway and walking the rest, climbing the stairs the entire way.  Some of the questions were specifically about one of the behaviors and the answer does not cover the others.

@RD25 - this is a re-take on that old riddle, with a different answer

Coming up with new solutions to old riddles appears to be a good strategy for confusing people...

I'll have to try and come up with something along those lines 

Is there something on one of the floors halfway he needs to go to?

is there an event/occurence that does or does not happen to make him take the elevator all the way up?

...............or half-way up?

does anyone else find that the more questions asked, the more confused they get?

*puts hand up*

me too.

Is there something on one of the floors halfway he needs to go to? No

is there an event/occurence that does or does not happen to make him take the elevator all the way up?  You might call it an occurrence; it's not random in any case

...............or half-way up?  Yes

Repost:

are there specific days or dates that make this happen? Partially

Could the man be a security guard  and he does rounds that involve him to check out elevators and stairs throughout the day or is it strickly when he comes in at the start of his shift we are talking about?

OH, shoot. "- Nope; the riddle refers to his morning journey to his workplace." Rules out security guard.

Is there more than 1 elevator in the building he could take or the same one everyday? ( ex. Service/employee and executive)

Previous question: Does the direction matter in which way he takes the stairs matter?

Does this building have a basement?

Does the man enter from the ground floor or enter from a higher floor? (Parking garage 2nd floor walkway)

Is there more than 1 elevator in the building he could take or the same one everyday?  Irrelevant

Does the direction matter in which way he takes the stairs matter?  We are only talking about the morning journey to the top floor so he is only going up.

Does this building have a basement?  Irrelevant

Does the man enter from the ground floor or enter from a higher floor?  Ground floor

does he take the elevator to the top more often than halfway, less often or about the same?

does he take the elevator to the top more often than halfway, less often or about the same?  Indeterminate

you are not helping with your vague answers

does he take the stairs if its a friday 13th?

does he take the stairs if its a friday 13th? Yes

Shouldn't be difficult to crack the rest now.

So it's a superstitious thing?

He takes the stairs when he's feeling unlucky and doesn't want to risk getting stuck in the lift?

oh crap!

who let you in?

muahahah

couldn't let you have an easy ride to the finish

maybe it'll be an ironic role reversal - you do all the questioning then I jump in with the answer

 after you, dear sir....lets see what you've got.

hmm, this is the point where I wish I'd been following all the questions more closely

So it's a superstitious thing? Yes

He takes the stairs when he's feeling unlucky and doesn't want to risk getting stuck in the lift? No

Is his "default" (barring special events or circumstances) behaviour to take the lift all the way?

Does he get out and take the stairs halfway based on some superstition about other people getting into the lift?

you mean he gets out when there are 13 people in the lift?

Most lifts I've seen don't have room for that many people anyway....

Is his "default" (barring special events or circumstances) behaviour to take the lift all the way? No

Does he get out and take the stairs halfway based on some superstition about other people getting into the lift? No

So on a normal day, would he take the lift halfway, or not take it at all?

So on a normal day, would he take the lift halfway, or not take it at all? Halfway

i hate it when drdec suggests something should be easy....

Is his superstition about the number 13 or just about Friday the 13th

Is his superstition about the number 13 or just about Friday the 13th - the number 13

Does he get out at floor 13? (Or floor 12 to avoid floor 13)

Does he get out at floor 13? (Or floor 12 to avoid floor 13) -- Floor 12

Is his office on 13?

Is his office on 13? No

So his normal thing is to take the lift to 12, then walk the rest of the way to avoid being in the lift as he goes past 13?

So his normal thing is to take the lift to 12, then walk the rest of the way to avoid being in the lift as he goes past 13? Yes

I assume that on Friday the 13th he doesn't risk the lift at all, so he just takes the stairs

Question is, what convinces him to take the lift the whole way... are there specific lucky days when he's not worried about floor 13?

so there is a floor 13, its not a 12a or goes straight to 14?

I assume that on Friday the 13th he doesn't risk the lift at all, so he just takes the stairs - correct

Question is, what convinces him to take the lift the whole way...- that is the question now

are there specific lucky days when he's not worried about floor 13? No

so there is a floor 13, its not a 12a or goes straight to 14? Yes

Some other "event" (in a loose sense of the word) that counteracts his superstition?

Now I'm trying to figure out what the opposite of Friday the 13th might be, the proposed lucky day.  Monday the 31st?  Or maybe Monday the 7th?

Some other "event" (in a loose sense of the word) that counteracts his superstition? Yes

when he takes the elevator to the top floor, does he goes passed floor 13 or does he get out, walk up some stairs and get back in?

when he takes the elevator to the top floor, does he goes passed floor 13 or does he get out, walk up some stairs and get back in? He takes the elevator the whole way, including #13

He could have had some other superstition about another day...

When he takes the lift halfway, does he get back in the lift on the other side of floor 13?

Is the event that prevents him getting out of the lift a predictable thing?

When he takes the lift halfway, does he get back in the lift on the other side of floor 13? No

Is the event that prevents him getting out of the lift a predictable thing? No

does he have a lucky charm/pants/socks/ that enables him to go passed floor 13?

does he have a lucky charm/pants/socks/ that enables him to go passed floor 13? No

Now I'm wondering if Monty's surmise had been correct how I should have answered SK's predictable question.

Probably spoke too soon about the rest being easy -- you've got the easy parts from where you were.

Does the "it's ok to go past #13" event involve another person?

Does the "it's ok to go past #13" event involve another person? Yes

A specific other person?

A specific other person? No

Is it as simple as "if there's another person in the lift, he doesn't worry about floor 13"?

Or he still worries, but ignores it so he won't look crazy in front of someone?

Is it as simple as "if there's another person in the lift, he doesn't worry about floor 13"? No

Or he still worries, but ignores it so he won't look crazy in front of someone? Close

hes too busy gawping at the attractive secretary to pay attention to what floor hes at?

hes too busy gawping at the attractive secretary to pay attention to what floor hes at? Nope

Try to keep your personal experiences out of it

Will any old person do, or is it a group of people that he'll stay in the lift for?

Will any old person do, or is it a group of people that he'll stay in the lift for? A group of people

if the lift is full he can't get out?

if the lift is full he can't get out? Nope

Doesn't want to act crazy in front of his boss (or anyone else above him in the food chain)

Doesn't want to act crazy in front of his boss (or anyone else above him in the food chain) - yes, his boss would qualify, but not for the reason you site

oooh i thought that was it....

In other words, you haven't described the group completely

So the group includes his boss, but it's not "everyone above him in the food chain"?

So the group includes his boss, but it's not "everyone above him in the food chain"? Correct

Is the reason he stays in the lift that he doesn't want to look crazy in front of members of this group?

You are really close, it is borderline unfair not to give it to you

Oops, gotta go

don't you dare

you come back here!

so are they people he works with or near to?

Just kidding about leaving, just grabbing my sandwich

that's better 

so are they people he works with or near to?  Yes, people he works with

Any people he works with, or just some people he works with?

I would also accept, anyone who knows he belongs on the top floor.

So he doesn't want to get out halfway in front of anyone who knows where his office is, because he doesn't want to look like a nutter

That's good, with Monty kicking in the last bit, I don't feel so bad about splitting the point between you

@SK, exactly

we're done? awesome.

half a point each way?

Yup, half a point each

ooh, that sound familiar

Monty got the Friday the 13th and the last push there while SK did the heavy lifting on the taking the elevator the whole way

well done SK.

SirM, pleasure working with you 

I'll add it the scoreboard thread for posterity

with...against......its all the same

I want to file a formal complaint!    Construction workers are just as supersticious and they do not label the "13th" floor as the '13th' floor. Elevators all go from 12-14. He wouldn't be able to skip the 13th floor if it doesn't exist! lol

Muahahaha

In an ironic twist, SK steals 1/2 a point from Sir M

I could say he stole half a point from me by chipping in at the end 

Thinking about it, I should demand half-points for all the times where I did most of the work but he beat me to the final solution... +1/2 for me, -1/2 for him... it could even out the top of the scoreboard pretty quickly 

hahahaha

Yesh, and you'd have to tally the scoreboard all over again!

Eh, screw that...

hahahahah

Thought so