Henry Ernest Dudeney/Puzzles and Curious Problems/65 - The Pedestrian Passenger

Puzzles and Curious Problems by Henry Ernest Dudeney: $65$

The Pedestrian Passenger

A train is travelling at the rate of $60$ miles per hour.

A passenger at the back of the train wishes to walk to the front along the corridor,

and in doing so walks at the rate of three miles per hour.

At what rate is the man travelling over the permanent way?

We will not involve ourselves here in quibbles and difficulties,

similar to Zeno's paradox of the arrow, and Einstein's theory of relativity,

but deal with the matter in the simple sense of motion in reference to the permanent way.

Sources

• 1932: Henry Ernest Dudeney: Puzzles and Curious Problems ... (previous) ... (next): Arithmetical and Algebraical Problems: Locomotion and Speed Puzzles: $65$. -- The Pedestrian Passenger
• 1968: Henry Ernest Dudeney: 536 Puzzles & Curious Problems ... (previous) ... (next): Arithmetical and Algebraical Problems: Speed & Distance Puzzles: $79$. The Pedestrian Passenger