wm (11/04/82)
When I was an undergrad in Texas, all the Burger Kings in town were set up so they had a single line and several windows, one where you ordered, one where you paid, and one where you picked the food up. The MacDonald's (and other places) had multiple lines, and each employee took your order, got your food, and charged you. We used these models in queueing theory to show the differences between single queue/multiple server systems, and multiple queue/multiple server systems. For homework, we showed that the Burger King model, with the proviso for queue hopping in the case of people who were taking particularly long at a station, was best. Of course, most of the Burger King's have gone over to the other model now, and only Wendy's (I don't think there were any around in Texas back then) keeps the single queue model. Remember: (to the tune of a famous jingle) MacDonald's is your kind of place! Hamburgers stuff your face. French Fries between your toes, Dill Pickles up your nose. And don't forget our famous Shakes, they give you belly aches. MacDonald's is your kind of place! Wm Leler, UNC - Chapel Hill