6 Responses to when the bus doesn’t come and you want to scream

  1. Jeffrey Bridgman January 5, 2013 at 11:36 am #

    So if it’s cheaper to buy tons of bubble-wrap, we can deploy that instead of more service? Bubble-wrap doesn’t need any benefits, retirement, or insurance, ya know 😉

  2. Zoltán January 5, 2013 at 4:36 pm #

    On an aside, the article actually shows a stop on one of Milan’s tram lines, where it operates in reserved track. So if anyone’s waiting there for a bus, they’ll be there a long time! (Unless, like Jarrett, they’ll be happy to take the first convenient vehicle that comes).

  3. Chris M. January 5, 2013 at 5:28 pm #

    So I guess people can tolerate slower in-transit speeds as well if they’re not bored. I think we’re back to the Disneyland transit idea.

  4. Brent January 6, 2013 at 12:04 am #

    The linked article refers to a NY Times article on the psychology of queues, with the following quote relevant to the transit experience:
    “Uncertainty magnifies the stress of waiting, while feedback in the form of expected wait times and explanations for delays improves the tenor of the experience.”

  5. Ted Re January 6, 2013 at 11:40 am #

    @Brent – for me, this summarises the situation perfectly: uncertainty. Nextbus is the best ever: you can time your sprint to the bus stop to the minute, or if waiting for a connection, go shopping for a bit, if you live somewhere nice like San Francisco. If your stuck nowhere, then you should pray for a lot of bubblewrap.

  6. Jack Horner January 8, 2013 at 3:25 am #

    See http://www.thepoke.co.uk/2012/03/05/guerillas-on-the-london-underground/stress-twig/
    for a London Underground alternative.