Why would a rich man like you need to borrow $5,000?"

[keannu]

Is this "would" the future in the past or any general hypothesis as conditional2 of counterfactual present or unlikely future?
I realized that considering "could", it is a general hypothesis as counterfactual present or something. If it refers to the future in the past, "could" should be changed to "could have I parked", right?

ex)Before going overseas on business, a rich man drove his Rolls-Royce to a New York City bank and went in to ask for an immediate loan of $5,000. The loan officer insisted on a guarantee, so the man handed over the keys to his Rolls-Royce. The loan officer had the car driven into the bank's underground parking lot for safekeeping, and gave him $5,000. Two weeks later, the man returned to pay his loan and get his car back. "That will be $5,000, and $15,40 in interest," the loan officer said. The man wrote out a check and started to walk way. "Wait, sir" the loan office said. "Why would a rich man like you need to borrow $5,000?" The man smiled."Where else could I park my Rolls-Royce in New York for two weeks and pay only $15.40?"

 

[keannu]

 

[bhaisahab]

Is this "would" the future in the past or any general hypothesis as conditional2 of counterfactual present or unlikely future?
I realized that considering "could", it is a general hypothesis as counterfactual present or something. If it refers to the future in the past, "could" should be changed to "could have I parked", right? No. It doesn't refer to "future in the past". It refers to general possibility.

ex)Before going overseas on business, a rich man drove his Rolls-Royce to a New York City bank and went in to ask for an immediate loan of $5,000. The loan officer insisted on a guarantee, so the man handed over the keys to his Rolls-Royce. The loan officer had the car driven into the bank's underground parking lot for safekeeping, and gave him $5,000. Two weeks later, the man returned to pay his loan and get his car back. "That will be $5,000, and $15,40 in interest," the loan officer said. The man wrote out a check and started to walk way. "Wait, sir" the loan office said. "Why would a rich man like you need to borrow $5,000?" The man smiled."Where else could I park my Rolls-Royce in New York for two weeks and pay only $15.40?"

Bhai.

 

[emsr2d2]

Is this "would" the future in the past or any general hypothesis as conditional2 of counterfactual present or unlikely future?
I realized that considering "could", it is a general hypothesis as counterfactual present or something. If it refers to the future in the past, "could" should be changed to "could have I parked", right?

ex)Before going overseas on business, a rich man drove his Rolls-Royce to a New York City bank and went in to ask for an immediate loan of $5,000. The loan officer insisted on a guarantee, so the man handed over the keys to his Rolls-Royce. The loan officer had the car driven into the bank's underground parking lot for safekeeping, and gave him $5,000. Two weeks later, the man returned to pay his loan and get his car back. "That will be $5,000, and $15,40 in interest," the loan officer said. The man wrote out a check and started to walk way. "Wait, sir" the loan office said. "Why would a rich man like you need to borrow $5,000?" The man smiled."Where else could I park my Rolls-Royce in New York for two weeks and pay only $15.40?"

If it were changed to "Where else could I have parked ....?" it would suggest that it would only have been possible on that one occasion, not that it's a general and ongoing possibility.
It's clear from the piece that no matter when the man parked there, the cost would be $15.40.
The sentence could have been written several ways:

- Where else can I park my car ...? (However, this sounds like a genuine question, as if he's asking the parking attendant to tell him and give him directions to a different car park.)
- Where else would I have been able to park my car ...?
- Where else is it possible to park one's car ...?
- Where else am I able to park my car ...?

While thinking about this, I realised that in BrE, we use some unusual constructions sometimes when talking about things like this.

- I went to that very cheap supermarket yesterday.
- Did you? It looks horrible.
- Yes, but where else am I going to get a huge chocolate bar for 50 cents?!

- I went to Blackpool on holiday.
- Really? I've never fancied it myself. It looks really seedy.
- Well, that's true, but where else could I get a hotel for two weeks for four people for under £80?!