The Bus Waiting Paradox

Why does the bus always feel like it is running late? We imagine buses

are perfectly spaced out at even intervals. But in reality, they often cluster

together, creating huge gaps. Buses rarely stay perfectly apart, so some gaps

grow very long. If you arrive randomly, you will likely hit the longest

wait. In a perfect world, your average wait is always short.

But when buses bunch together, that gap you fall into is huge.

Mathematically, the average wait ends up being longer than you think.

This same math applies to elevators and your morning coffee line. Subways follow this