“A car goes around a one mile oval track at an average speed of exactly 30 miles per hour. How fast would it have to go around the same track a second time to get an average speed of exactly 60 miles per hour for both laps?”
I first heard that one when I was eighteen years old. My answer at the time was 90 miles per hour, the 2nd time, the car would have to go around the track at an average speed of 90 miles per hour to “average” 60 MPH for both laps. I was wrong. The correct answer is IT CAN NOT BE DONE. I was so impressed with this little exercise in logic I tried it on most of the people I ran into for the next several years (oh yes, I was totally overbearing). Most of them also thought the correct answer should be 90 MPH. I will never forget that one engineer I asked started immediately doing calculations with his slide rule and I told him it could not be done. He said, “That does not surprise me, I knew it would be really really fast.”
Really really really really fast. In fact the 2nd lap would have to occur in precisely zero seconds in order for the the average speed for both laps to be 60 MPH. Why? It would take two minutes to travel one mile at 30 MPH. To go around twice at 60 MPH would take two minutes. Therefore it can’t be done, as the time is already completely used up. This could be considered a TIMES, RATE, DISTANCE problem or it could be considered a trick question. But the answer is that IT CAN NOT BE DONE.
No matter how good something may sound or how wonderful something may seem some things just won’t work out. This is one of those things. Do all Realtors hate REALTOR.com? No, not all. There is actually a very very small minority that truly likes them. Many are indifferent. Most active working agents openly detest them. If you are with NAR and don’t believe this or think it is an exaggeration – don’t take my word for it, ask around yourself. They’ve had over a decade to win them over and the exact opposite has been the result.
There is an inherent conflict of interest between the natural impulses and actions of MOVE and working Realtors. This is also a conflict with the stated goals and purpose of the NAR: “to help its members become more profitable and successful.” The new site looks fine. The people working at REALTOR.com are technically talented and the sales and support staff are knowledgeable and helpful. Still, it is just wrong. And any thinking person can see that. NAR needs to make REALTOR.com a member benefit included with the dues.
