Who doesn’t mind waiting? Examining the relationships between waiting attitudes and person- and travel-related attributes

Abstract

Waiting, whether for services, for someone, or for something, is an inescapable part of life. This paper addresses a gap in the waiting time literature by examining previously sparsely studied relationships between individual-and travel-related characteristics and attitudes toward waiting using a revealed preference dataset of Northern California commuters (N = 2617). Correlational analyses, followed by a trivariate seemingly unrelated regression equations model, are developed for three waiting attitudinal constructs: general tolerance toward waiting, and attitudes toward equipped and expected waiting. Socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, time use perceptions and preferences, personality traits, multitasking attitudes (polychronicity), commute preferences and expectations, and general attitudes (e.g. pro-technology) are all seen to have significant effects on waiting attitudes. As this survey was executed on commuters, it also facilitates a unique simultaneous exploration of travel and wait time attributes, time uses that are often similarly viewed in day-to-day life. From this perspective, we see that longer commute times and distances are correlated with negative attitudes toward waiting, while commuters with pro-transit, prodensity, and pro-active transportation attitudes tend to have positive attitudes toward waiting. Additionally, we see that those with preferences for multitasking in general or at their jobs can tolerate waiting better. Overall, this study constitutes a distinctive contribution to the waiting time literature, capitalizing on a rich dataset to make important connections between related time uses and a multitude of other variables-key among them polychronicity, with its potential ability to reduce the negative perception and experience of waiting. Findings from this study may also benefit transportation and other service providers by facilitating an understanding of how various consumer groups/demographics view waiting, thus enabling providers to better cater to diverse needs/populations.

Finally, some “me time”: A new theoretical perspective on the benefits of commuting

“…In contrast, unexpected delays while already on the commute can also create a new segment of time that the individual can now use for “me time”. This might be particularly true if individuals were equipped with tools that enable engagement in the desired activities during the unexpected wait (Shaw et al, 2021). Further, there may be personal differences in the ability to make the best of such new or unexpected circumstances, as described next.…”

Reducing nonpriority queues at theme parks

“…For example, Jack and Powers (2009) examined patients' dissatisfaction with long waiting times by analyzing 463 articles on health care published between 1986 and 2006. In another field, Shaw et al (2019) used a data set of Northern California commuters conducted in 2011-2012 to analyze commuters' attitudes toward waiting.…”

Satisfaction with travel, ideal commuting, and accessibility to employment

“…This is readily apparent when comparing the accessibility provided by different transport modes. The travel time decay of PT trips is often less steep than for car trips (or other privately owned vehicles), and individuals with a preference or affinity for PT are more likely to tolerate longer waiting times (Shaw, Malokin, Mokhtarian, & Circella, 2019). However it would be asinine to assume that this is more likely to be the result of individual preferences for longer trips, and not the result of the level of service provided by these systems.…”