We’ve waited far too long for a scientific study of waiting. From queues to telephone holds to waiting rooms, delays are all around us and they’re miserable. And according to new research just published in Nature Human Behavior, lower income people and Black people of all income levels get stuck with more of it than others.
Waiting is a form of time theft. By making us wait, government institutions and private companies steal precious moments we could have spent working, vacationing, resting, tending to our relationships or getting other things done.
Richer people can often pay to avoid waiting — such as taking a special security line at the airport or driving to work rather than waiting for public transit. These options are less open to poorer people. And waiting is often worse in poorer parts of town, where supermarkets tend to have fewer cashiers and bus service may be spottier.
