Walking back to Happiness

          A man I know, who lives in my neighborhood, travels to Chinsura everyday for his work. His wife drives him over to Howrah Station every morning and in the evening exactly at 6 p.m. She picks him up from the station and takes him home.

         One day he was let off at work an hour earlier, and so he arrived at the Howrah Station at 5 p. m. instead of at 6 p.m. He started walking home. However, he met his wife enroute to the station and got into the car: 

          They drove home arriving 10 minutes earlier than usual.

          How long did the man have to walk, before he was picked up by his wife?

Answer:  The couple arrived home 10 minutes earlier than usual.  Therefore, the point at which they met must have been 5 minutes driving time from the station. Thus, the wife should have been at that point at five minutes to six. Since the man started to walk at five o’clock, he must have been walking for 55 minute when he met his wife.