The quickest route: Walk or wait

MANY people will have waited and waited for a bus only to give up and decide to walk instead, thinking it was the better option.

But mathematicians have proved the laziest choice when picking between the bus or going on foot is almost always the quickest route to your destination.

In only extreme cases where buses are running extremely late and the end location is very near will their formula fail, according to an article in the New Scientist.

Walk Versus Wait: The Lazy Mathematician Wins is the work of Justin Chen, from the California Institute of Technology, and Scott Kominers and Robert Wyatt Sinnott, both from Harvard.

They were inspired to explore the conundrum after considering whether Justin would be better off relying on the sporadic bus service or walking to Scott’s house.

The report says: “‘Eureka!’ Justin shouted upon realising the laziest possible waiting strategy would prevail. He promptly sat down to wait for the bus.”

It claims people should therefore always wait at the first bus stop, however frustrating.