Mid-1970s.<\/p>\n
Swings still do not exist.<\/p>\n
Trampolines are only found in theme parks, not in your back garden.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In our back garden stands a huge cherry tree. Every year, huge dark red, sweet cherries hang on it.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
To entice us to play outside, my father hangs a swing from one of the branches.<\/p>\n
I think that's great. Swinging, the higher the better. Swinging so hard that your feet touch other branches.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
My little sister loves the swing too.<\/p>\n
And my little brother too.<\/p>\n
And the neighbour's boy too.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
That\u2019s going to cause a row. And not a small one, either.<\/p>\n
When no one is looking, I just yank my little brother off the swing.<\/p>\n
Can I swing again myself.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
But yeah, little brother rats on my action to my dad, of course.<\/p>\n
So my dad hangs another swing in the tree. And another one.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
But that doesn't help.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
One swing remains the most popular. It swings the best.<\/p>\n
Everyone wants in on that.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
So more swings weren't the solution.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
What then?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Essentially very simple: divide the swing time on the most popular swing by the swing time on the other swings.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
This is how we try to distribute the most popular cars among people who want to rent a car.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The busiest moving day is the Saturday of the month. That's when everyone wants to move.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We can, of course, keep buying more buses.<\/p>\n
That doesn't solve anything, though: at some point you'll have enough buses that are only rented out on Saturdays, and stand idle the rest of the week.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n