need HELP with riddle

[771subliminal]

3 men rent hotel, clerk tells them $30. they each pay $10.
the clerk then notices the room is only $25
gives the bell boy 5 1's to return to the men
he thinks on the way up ill keep $2 and give them $3
he gives them $3 so now they each paid $9
$9 x 3 = $27 if the bell boy only kept 2 and was givin $5 what happened to the other $1???

should be simple but its throwing me for a loop

[Jason Bowden]

I must be loopy too!
Lol I like it!

[771subliminal]

ok i got the answer but ill wait see who else gets it

[p3titexburial]

Forgot what it's called but it's a math concept--my stats teacher showed us a similar problem with subtracting and adding from a hundred.

URK the concept is on the tip of my tongue and it's bothering me that I can't remember. Apparently you can't add and subtract from the two sides like that... is it carrying? continuous? Something like that. =_=;;; thanks, this is going to be killing me for the next week.

[2kdime]

Your adding in the wrong place....

Each guy paid 9 dollars so 27 dollars right?

The kid kept 2 so you have to subtract instead of add in this position to bring you back to 25 dollars paid for the room.

Subtract the 27 from the 25 to give you the 2 dollars in the boys pocket.

[771subliminal]

Your adding in the wrong place....

Each guy paid 9 dollars so 27 dollars right?

The kid kept 2 so you have to subtract instead of add in this position to bring you back to 25 dollars paid for the room.

Subtract the 27 from the 25 to give you the 2 dollars in the boys pocket.

thats pretty much the answer i got, goofy how it works like that tho

[CoolioTiffany]

Man riddles always get me.. there needs to be a riddle thread, LOL.

[tonkatoyman]

It isn't goofy. It is presented in a manner that confusses because 27 plus 3 which is the money returned equals 30.00. Not 27 plus 2.