Lazy options are worthwhile
Thursday, 24 Jan 2008 11:32
Waiting for a bus is a better option than walking, scientists say
Science In Focus
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Taking the lazy option and waiting for a bus that is running late is mathematically the best choice, scientists have found.
They claim that deciding to quit waiting and walking instead will nearly always end up taking more time.
Scott Kominers, a mathematician at Harvard University, and colleagues worked out a formula for the optimal time that people should wait for a late-running bus at each stop en-route before giving up and walking on.
"Many mathematicians probably ponder this on their way to work, but never get round to working it out," he told the New Scientist.
Their formula advises people to wait, no matter how frustrating it is.
However the formula breaks down in extreme cases, for example when the time interval between buses is longer than an hour and the destination is only a kilometre away.
Mr Kominer says the choice to walk should be made before people start waiting for the bus.
The destination will still be reached later than the bus you were waiting for, he said, but it will be much less frustrating then waiting for a while, deciding to walk and then seeing the bus drive past.
"It certainly has changed the way I travel," Mr Kominers said.