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Since the mid-20th century， queuing theory has been more about feelings than formulas. There are some true feelings when we are queuing：
（1） We get bored when we wait in line.
（2） We really hate it when we expect a short wait and then get a long one.
（3） We really， really hate it when someone shows up after us but gets served before us.
The boredom issue has been settled in different ways， such as installing mirrors next to elevators or TVs in dentists’ waiting rooms. However， Disney must be the master of this aspect. You might wait 45 minutes for an 8-minute ride at Disney World. But they’ll make you feel like the ride has started while you’re still waiting. They build excitement and provide all kinds of diversions in the queue channel.
How to play the expectation game？ Studies show that we’re much more patient when we know how long we’ll be waiting. So， for example， some New York City subway platforms now use digital displays to tell estimated arrival times for the next few trains.
Perhaps the most emotional issue in the world of queuing is the human quest for fairness. When we see people arrive after us and get served before us， we get very angry. To solve this problem， some genius invented the serpentine line. It makes all customers stand in one big snaking queue， demarcated by ropes or barriers. When you reach the head of the queue， you are directed to the next available server. In this way， you’ll never see anyone arrive after you but get served before you.
（1） We get bored when we wait in line.
（2） We really hate it when we expect a short wait and then get a long one.
（3） We really， really hate it when someone shows up after us but gets served before us.
The boredom issue has been settled in different ways， such as installing mirrors next to elevators or TVs in dentists’ waiting rooms. However， Disney must be the master of this aspect. You might wait 45 minutes for an 8-minute ride at Disney World. But they’ll make you feel like the ride has started while you’re still waiting. They build excitement and provide all kinds of diversions in the queue channel.
How to play the expectation game？ Studies show that we’re much more patient when we know how long we’ll be waiting. So， for example， some New York City subway platforms now use digital displays to tell estimated arrival times for the next few trains.
Perhaps the most emotional issue in the world of queuing is the human quest for fairness. When we see people arrive after us and get served before us， we get very angry. To solve this problem， some genius invented the serpentine line. It makes all customers stand in one big snaking queue， demarcated by ropes or barriers. When you reach the head of the queue， you are directed to the next available server. In this way， you’ll never see anyone arrive after you but get served before you.