How to tell which queue is the quickest?

Research shows that we spend an incredible 18 months of life in queues. They're everywhere – in supermarkets, banks, post offices...

It seems that, in most cases, we make the wrong decision about which queue to join, as it often turns out that the cashier in our queue can't return the change or that the customer in front of us has an unusually long list of demands. The statisticians at the University of Sussex have come up with a perfect formula, which confirms what we've all seen in practice – the shortest queues can also be the slowest ones.

Since a lot of variables are involved, such as the agility of the cashier and the slowness of the customers, no hard and fast rule can be determined, though the safest bet is to turn left. Most people are right-handed and will automatically choose the queue on the right, thereby unloading the left side. Female cashiers are also preferable, as research shows that they perform the job faster than men do. Pay attention to the number of queues and choose number two, even if it appears to be the longest one at first sight, the statisticians claim.

A fool-proof strategy is to pay attention to the people in front of you. Don't avoid those with carts full of items in the grocery or those with numerous bills at the bank, as they often finish what they've come for quicker than those with half-empty carts or a single bill.

University of Sussex

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