There's no wonder the world is in recession, $$$$ just keep disappearing.

Aparently, this is a true story:

Three travelling salesmen end up arriving late in a city in the USA, and only one hotel is showing "vacancies".
When they arrive, they find that only ONE room is available, but that it DOES have three single beds, so, rather than keep looking, they agree to take it.
They are told the price of the room is $30 per night, so each man hands over a $10 bill, and they go up to their room.

About an hour later, the manager, on checking his register, relaises that the room rate should have been $25 the night during that season, so, being an honest guy, gives $5 to one of the hotel clerks, and asks him to take it to the three guys' room.

On the way, the clerk, who is NOT so honest, realises that $5 does not easily split 3 ways, so he pockets $2, and gives each guy $1 back.

Now, originally, the guys paid $10 each. They each got $1 back, so now they have paid $9 each. OK so far?
Three times $9 is $27, and with the $2 now in the clerk's pocket, that makes $29.
Where has the other dollar gone?

That's crazy , there's loads of situations where money is lost and it's kinda worrying

It is a misdirect, I can't explain it all because it is hard to write on the phone. But the men paid a total of $25 for the room + $2 to the bell boy + $3 refund which equals $30, no money is lost. Doing the math the other way is incorrect.

White Knight wrote:It is a misdirect, I can't explain it all because it is hard to write on the phone. But the men paid a total of $25 for the room + $2 to the bell boy + $3 refund which equals $30, no money is lost. Doing the math the other way is incorrect.

Very good. Maths Major?

alcazar wrote:

White Knight wrote:It is a misdirect, I can't explain it all because it is hard to write on the phone. But the men paid a total of $25 for the room + $2 to the bell boy + $3 refund which equals $30, no money is lost. Doing the math the other way is incorrect.

Very good. Maths Major?

Nope, just pure genius!

Actually engineering.