Mercury 2 Today at 11:25 AM
Walking is usually the better choice for a 100 m distance:
Fuel & wear: You’ll save a few cents of gas and avoid extra wear on your tires and brakes. Time: A 100 m walk takes only about 1 minute, which is negligible compared to the time the car wash itself will take. Convenience: If you’re already at the house and just need the car cleaned, walking eliminates the need to start, stop, and park again. You might prefer to drive if any of these apply:
Bad weather (heavy rain, snow, extreme heat). Heavy items you’re carrying (e.g., groceries, sports gear). Physical limitations that make walking uncomfortable. Follow‑up: Are there any specific factors—like weather, time constraints, or carrying items—that could influence your decision?
The question itself never specifies that the car you would be driving is the same one that you need to be washed. The car that needs to be washed could be waiting in the parking lot of the car wash already. It doesn't state that you plan on washing your car at the car wash. Perhaps the car wash sells car cleaning equipment that you can bring back to wash your car at home?
The question is designed to be ambiguous so the llm answers it in a way that seem facially absurd to the people who are in on the scheme. What it's actually showing is a failure of imagination for those asking the question.
Do you want your chatbot to be suspicious of you trying to trick it? To me this seems patently unhelpful outside of LLMs tuned for roleplay or to operate in a highly adversarial environment.
Do you want it to assume you are an idiot asking the question because you didn't realize you need to have the car at the car wash to wash it?
Or do you want it to take the best faith assumption as to what you are asking and try to be as helpful as possible given the poor question?
Mercury 2 Today at 11:32 AM
Thought for 1 seconds Driving the car is the practical choice. Since the car is at home and you need it washed, you’ll have to get the vehicle to the car wash anyway—walking 100 m won’t bring the car there. The extra fuel used for a 100 m drive is negligible, and the trip will take only a few seconds, whereas walking would add unnecessary effort and you’d still need to bring the car back later.
Do you have any time constraints, budget concerns, or other preferences that might affect your decision?
Update, even on the highest reasoning effort, it cannot answer the car wash question correctly.
