From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!seismo!rocheste!sher
Newsgroups: net.jokes
Title: Mathematician Joke
Article-I.D.: rocheste.401
Posted: Tue Jan 11 19:40:05 1983
Received: Thu Jan 13 07:08:37 1983

From: David.Sher
This is a joke about a mathematician whose name I forgot.  Therefore to
save time I will call him Feit (a mathematician whose name I remember).
Anyway this guy Feit worked with a collaborator Thompson (the names
have been changed to protect my memory).  Anyway Feit had a sabatical
and decided to work durring that year as a railroad switch man.  Anyway
going to the local railroad agent.  Anyway the agent was suspicious
(and who wouldn't be) so he decided to test Feit.  He asked Feit lets
say you were the switch man.  Theres a train going west on line 5 at 50
miles per hour 2mi east.  Theres a train going 60 east on line 5 2mi
west.  What do you do?  Feit responds I pull the switch so the train
going 60 goes on to another line.  Lets say the switch is stuck asks
the agent.  Well, I radio the trains and tell them to brake.  The radio
is out the agent quickly interposes.  Well I flag them to stop from the
tower.  Its night, says the agent who has clearly played this game
before.  Then I use torches says the ever resourceful Feit.  You're out
of torches, the agent, straining a bit, responds.  Then I build a fire
so they can see me and use flags.  Its raining! responds the agent
triumphantly.  Feit calmly responds then I call my collaborator
Thompson.  You call your collaborator? asks the confused agent, What do
you ask him?  Feits says, I tell him "Come on over to the station if
you want to see the damnedest train wreck!"

-David Sher (oftimes ai project)