Divinanza

They try to deliver the couch, getting people to open their doors so they can navigate the couch up the stairs to the next level. YES

The person they are trying to deliver to isn't in NO (he is in)

so they have to re-trace their steps, once again getting people to open theior doors so they can maneouvre the couch down the stairs. YES

Then, just when they get to the entrance to the apartment block... the owner of the flat to which they are trying to deliver turns up....? NO

Originally posted by iamatiger
You are all so close, Pawn curry isn't quite right - should I tell you?

(Pawn curry and Orefeo have to vote - they are the closest)

OK.

They get to the flat.... th guy opens the door... but the couch is facing the wrong way.... so they have to retrace their steps, and bring it back facing the other way? (Because its a very small studio flat with no room to turn the couch round?)

They get to the flat .... th guy opens the door ... but the couch is facing the wrong way .... so they have to retrace their steps, and bring it back facing the other way? (Because its a very small studio flat with no room to turn the couch round?)

NO, VERY FUNNY THOUGH! Remember they knock on every second door, swear, knock on every second door again and then get very annoyed. You explanation has to cover the two annoyances. You may have to ask more questions as a lot of your assumptions above were wrong.

Originally posted by iamatiger
Remember they knock on every second door, swear, knock on every second door again and then get very annoyed. You explanation has to cover the two annoyances. You may have to ask more questions as a lot of your assumptions above were wrong.

Mmmm...OK.

So they knock on every second door in the manner described previously. (So they can get the couch up the stairs). YES

They reach their destination NO
the man answers the door. NO

He tells them something that means they have to take the couch back downstairs NO...
which is why they swear the first time. (I'm assuming the reason is essential in solving the problem). YES

They have to knock on every second door again, on the way downstairs. Then they get very annoyed. YES

I think it's something to do with an elevator..... NO

The man tells them they can deliver it by elevator, so they swear, take it back downstairs, but the elevator is out of order. NO

Why they took it down to the elevator I don't know... NO

They are unable to reach the target appartment because the occupant of one of the appartments to which they need access in order to turn a corner is not at home, thus the initial swearing.

After making it back down, they encounter that occupant whose door they needed to open, which explains their annoyance.

They then proceed to hack the couch into little bits and hurl the bits through the window of the target appartment.

You are getting Very Close!

Originally posted by richjohnson
They are unable to reach the target appartment because the occupant of one of the appartments to which they need access in order to turn a corner is not at home, thus the initial swearing. YES!

After making it back down, they encounter that occupant whose door they needed to open, which explains their annoyance. NO

They then proceed to hack the couch into little bits and hurl the bits through the window of the target appartment. POSSIBLY

Wait, is the couch so large that they need TWO doors open, in opposite facing apartments?

So one person being home isn't enough, they need the person across from them to be home as well?

Crazy idea, I know, but the situation calls for desperate measures. 😉

'They are unable to reach the target appartment because the occupant of one of the appartments to which they need access in order to turn a corner is not at home, thus the initial swearing. YES!'

After they find out the occupant is not home...
...do they go back down?
...do they wait there? (at the place where they can't go further)

does the occupant come home?
does the occupant come home when the men (which deliver the couch) are near his appartment?
does the occupant come home when the men (which deliver the couch) are outside?

are the men finally able to deliver the couch?
are the men finally able to reach the floor where they need to deliver the couch?

Wait, is the couch so large that they need TWO doors open, in opposite facing apartments? NO

So one person being home isn't enough, they need the person across from them to be home as well? NO (BUT OF COURSE A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE TO BE HOME)

Crazy idea, I know, but the situation calls for desperate measures. YOU ARE VERY CLOSE!

After they find out the occupant is not home...
...do they go back down? YES
...do they wait there? (at the place where they can't go further) NO

does the occupant come home? NO
does the occupant come home when the men (which deliver the couch) are near his appartment? SEE ABOVE
does the occupant come home when the men (which deliver the couch) are outside? SEE ABOVE

are the men finally able to deliver the couch? NO
are the men finally able to reach the floor where they need to deliver the couch? NO

AS far as I can tell, the only bit of the problem we have to solve, is why they get very annoyed when they get to the bottom of the block of flats?

Has their van been stolen?

It's hot, and it's only when they arrive downstairs they realise they could have used the couch to rest?

Do they knock the second time on the same doors as the first time? (sorry, I know this is asked before, can't find it)
Are there different stairs in the block of flats?
Are there different stairs leading to the appartment where they need to deliver the couch?
do the men try it at a different stairs the second time?
IF TRUE, do they get very annoyed because there is someone not home too?