Zachary writes: My partner, Alex, claims to have seen a moose on a recent trail run. But we live in Washington State, which is devoid of moose. I say he saw an elk, which are more common. Still, Alex maintains: moose. He also refuses to carry a phone or wear his glasses while running. Who’s right?
What will Judge Hodgman rule?
A: You’re wrong. In fact there were about 5,000 moose in Washington State as of 2015. It’s hardly impossible that Alex saw one, especially if you live around the Spokane Valley, where the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife have received reports of “almost daily” encounters with “nuisance” moose.B: You’re wrong about the moose but right about the elk. Five thousand animals is nothing compared to the horde of some 60,000 elk wandering the state. That’s probably what Alex saw. Or else maybe a Big Foot in a moose costume (a pretty standard trick).C: You’re wrong about the moose and right about the elk, but you’re wrong to tell Alex what he did or did not see. The only thing you have to gain in this fight is pride of pedantry and probably some couple’s therapy down the road. The woods are mysterious, and neither of you know what he really encountered there. That’s why you’re right: Moose or no moose, he should run with his glasses on.