Theory 100/Queueing/Rate lens
Waiting Follows Arrival Rate
The claim
Perceived wait time is set by the rate at which the queue advances rather than by the number ahead, so a long fast queue feels shorter than a short slow one.
01Mechanism
Waiting is judged by progress; the advance rate sets the expected remaining time.
02Prediction
Perceived wait should track advance rate.
03Refutation
Perceived wait tracking queue length would remove the rate.