Hacker News Reader

Comment by Brendinooo | Hacker News Reader

When I walk Manhattan (say, from Park and 42nd to 8th and 25th), I know that I need to cross a certain number of intersections to get there. It's efficient to cross wherever you see a walk sign early on, so most times you end up getting to 8th before you get to 25, because there are streets than avenues.

So, "shortest path" might not be quickest path. And it might be an uglier or a more dangerous path; I think I've read elsewhere that people will often pick streets that look nicer or are more pedestrian-friendly.

> Human beings are not optimal navigators.

They should reconsider their definition of "optimal"!

View on HN

I used to walk across SF on a daily basis and I would usually go out of my way to avoid certain streets. Some because of homeless people/blocked sidewalks, others because of hyper-aggressive traffic. I'd happily add 10 minute to my walking commute just to start my day on slightly more pleasant streets.

I often use a different "optimization": instead of crossing streets at intersections and waiting for traffic lights, I cross them mid-block when traffic allows. Of course that's easier to do in Munich than in New York...

I do the same (Kraków). I also prefer to do "mid-block" crossing on speed bumps, because the traffic is guaranteed to be slow, and sometimes make an impromptu decision to cross the street earlier on a lights-free intersection when I spot a bus or a tram making a turn upstream, as it takes its time and blocks off incoming traffic for the duration.

Humans have a complex goal function when optimizing their route, and they do online optimization (i.e. adjust as they go).

>Of course that's easier to do in Munich than in New York...

That really depends on the street.

right, my route changes throughout the year as I optimize for more/less shadows to avoid hot/cold

I'm always surprised that more people don't do this. It will be a hot sunny day, and I'll see people standing at an intersection waiting to cross. They'll be out in the sun, when mere feet away are shady spots they could wait in. I don't understand how/why they tolerate the heat instead of expending the tiniest effort to get in the shade.

Personally, I have a pretty wide range of tolerance thanks to a career of working in the field so unless it is truly unbearably hot I just may not bother to find shade if I'll only be standing there a minute or two waiting for the light to change for me, for example.

it’s pretty high on the hierarchy of needs, most people are just preoccupied… I tend to over analyze small optimizations like this to exert control over an otherwise chaotic reality

My kids gave it a name: shade hopping

Some people want to tan; others are trying to avoid it.

I did that as a teenager, because I had stable routes (to/from school at roughly the same times). As an adult, I maintain awareness of the sun's position and keep following/avoiding the shadows on hot/cold days, sometimes crossing the street back and forth or in advance of a shade I'd like to take/avoid.

It's almost an automatic process, but it has a visual perception component - on hot days, the lit side looks "too bright" to me, and on cold days, the shaded side looks "too dark" - so I take the side that looks "just right".

> It's efficient to cross wherever you see a walk sign early

Don't forget that jaywalking.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com