Yesterday I had the chance to put the two bus dilemma into practice for my benefit. This also shows how being aware of information allows you to use it.
The two bus phenomena is simply, especially during the busy times, of seeing a full bus coming along and thinking "hmm, if I wait a short time another bus will come along, probably less full of people, because they all got on this bus." Given the stochastic nature of the bus timetable, this is fairly valid thinking, although can sometimes give you a long wait or make it the three, four or more bus phenomena. :)
But people often go for "bus here" as opposed to "bus soon", so the real crunch comes when two buses turn up at once. By the logic of above, people go for the second bus as that should be the less full one. Indeed, often good thinking.
But what if there have been two buses for a while, because two routes joined? Then it could be the first bus is also fairly empty, and by the phenomena, likely to remain so. Unfortunately, with buses, they don't wait for you to choose, and so you make our choice for the first or second, and go with it.
Yesterday morn, I happened to stand basically near the end of the first bus, so I could see how full that was, and how full the second was. Using the knowledge of how people interact in the two bus phenomena, and being able to see that the first wasn't very full, I chose that one.
And had a pretty nice, uncramped, ride to work. :)
[END]
Friday 24 August 2007
The Two Bus Phenomena
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2 comments:
I hate cramped rides in buses although I am usually listening to my headphones when I do use a bus so it doesn't really matter...as long as I have my Who audios or some comedy I'm happy! Besides, I'm lucky enough to live only 15 minutes walk from work.
I like to read on the bus (being one of the few times I can sit down and read something). That and I often find buses too noisy to listen to those sorts of audios easily anyway.
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