Economics is science of understanding unintended consequences of decisions. Most of the time we look out for intended consequences of economic choices and fail to see unintended consequences. That’s why most of us don’t understand economics fully. It has been called ‘dismal science’ but that is because we ignore the above principle. Apply this principle to many decisions of several communist governments around the world and you get many horrible unintended economic consequences. The path to hell can be paved with noble intentions. Apply unitended consequences principle to managerial decisions of many banks in the past ten years and you have unintended consequence of global banking crisis arising from intended focus on the short term profitability. Apply this to decision to marry, hmm.. few intended consequences but unitended.. keep counting.
Gary S Becker, Chicago economist, thinks social and family issues can be understood and explained through econmic rational choice approach. He has done research and published a lot on family, divorce, investment in children and so on including A Treatise on the Family published in 1981. Prof. Becker's interests in issues 'non-economic'-divorce, marriage, altruism- were not necessarily appreciated by mainstream economists, but hey, he ended up getting The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel in 1992! So one could discuss a social-cultural sounding issue from an economic point of view. So let's get going and see the the unintended consequences of 'no kissing zone'.
Recently in a north western town of Warrington in England ‘No Kissing’ signs were put up near drop off zones outside the railway station to suggest to people not to stop car for long to ‘kiss long goodbyes’. The station authorities do not want to stop people from kissing but wants people to move to ‘Kissing Zone’ if they have to, for which also signs are put up. The reason is to help smooth flow of cars and taxis streaming in to drop off or pick up people. A potential solution to ease traffic near the station but it took 11 years of convincing and arguing by the Warrington Chamber of Commerce to implement. The consequences of this decision to put two little sign boards on the walls of station include at least one intended and three unintended. This is a stone which kills four birds! An intended one and the other three unintended ones! Let’s start the journey with economic logic.
Time saved is money saved, congestion means more pollution. The decision for no kissing zone was based on the argument that people spending time in cars kissing each other long goodbyes was causing congestion and wasting people’s time in the car queues. These queues can be really long in developed countries like the UK. Thus reduced congestion would save time. This is going to be intended consequence if people follow the rule. Now Warrington is not the first in this case. As reported they borrowed the idea from Deerfield, in Illinois, USA. A hospital in Norway did the same thing in 2003 when they went for four lanes near reception area and the fourth lane, which was farthest from the reception gates was designated as see you later-goodbye ‘kissing’ lane for the staff being dropped off! So the first intended bird killed. Time saved, money saved, assuming all other things are equal as they say in economics.
Second bird, unintended, reduced congestion means less pollution. This makes ‘no kissing zones’ eco-friendly. I know what some of you are thinking. People kissing in the cars in ‘kissing zones’ are unlikely to switch off their car engines so pollution will not be reduced. But at least their cars will not be obstructing other cars in the queue hence I suspect there will be net reduction in pollution.
Third bird, unintended or not, I can’t say. But it is publicity advantage for Virgin group. Advertisers and brand builders know the importance of being in the news for right reasons or wrong! Controversy or praise, whatever attracts consumer attention goes (almost in most cases). Imagine how many TV programmes will not attract attention of people if they did not court controversies! Let’s get back to third bird.
The colour red usually is associated with warmth or danger depending what you fancy reading this now. If you combine that with images of advertisers of Valentine events red also means much more than warmth. Those who are aware of Virgin brand, the colour red is quite prominent part of the brand. I’ve travelled several times on Virgin Trains in England, every thing is red about it. The train colour, the dresses of stewards and stewardesses, the train manager (it is a new name for old Train Conductor or Guard) wears red jacket and/or red tie and indeed the colour paper napkins and the paper cups that you buy coffee in. Red is there. In England train companies are private and manage stations also. All train stations managed by Virgin Trains are painted, you guessed it right…, predominantly red. Warrington Bank Quay station where ‘no kissing’ and ‘kissing’ zone signs have been kept happens to be managed by Virgin. Now look back at 'no kissing' sign above: red is un-missable.
In addition publishers of romantic novels Mills and Boon have launched a poster campaign using Virgin’s name. One can understand the Mills and Boon’s anguish at discouraging ‘no kissing zone’ sign from their perspective, but like most of us, they have failed to notice the other sign, the ‘kissing zone’ side of the coin. Had they seen this unintended opportunity, they would perhaps be launching supporting campaign rather than opposing the decision. But whatever the campaign, Virgin gets publicity through Mills and Boon!
Recently in a north western town of Warrington in England ‘No Kissing’ signs were put up near drop off zones outside the railway station to suggest to people not to stop car for long to ‘kiss long goodbyes’. The station authorities do not want to stop people from kissing but wants people to move to ‘Kissing Zone’ if they have to, for which also signs are put up. The reason is to help smooth flow of cars and taxis streaming in to drop off or pick up people. A potential solution to ease traffic near the station but it took 11 years of convincing and arguing by the Warrington Chamber of Commerce to implement. The consequences of this decision to put two little sign boards on the walls of station include at least one intended and three unintended. This is a stone which kills four birds! An intended one and the other three unintended ones! Let’s start the journey with economic logic.
Time saved is money saved, congestion means more pollution. The decision for no kissing zone was based on the argument that people spending time in cars kissing each other long goodbyes was causing congestion and wasting people’s time in the car queues. These queues can be really long in developed countries like the UK. Thus reduced congestion would save time. This is going to be intended consequence if people follow the rule. Now Warrington is not the first in this case. As reported they borrowed the idea from Deerfield, in Illinois, USA. A hospital in Norway did the same thing in 2003 when they went for four lanes near reception area and the fourth lane, which was farthest from the reception gates was designated as see you later-goodbye ‘kissing’ lane for the staff being dropped off! So the first intended bird killed. Time saved, money saved, assuming all other things are equal as they say in economics.
Second bird, unintended, reduced congestion means less pollution. This makes ‘no kissing zones’ eco-friendly. I know what some of you are thinking. People kissing in the cars in ‘kissing zones’ are unlikely to switch off their car engines so pollution will not be reduced. But at least their cars will not be obstructing other cars in the queue hence I suspect there will be net reduction in pollution.
Third bird, unintended or not, I can’t say. But it is publicity advantage for Virgin group. Advertisers and brand builders know the importance of being in the news for right reasons or wrong! Controversy or praise, whatever attracts consumer attention goes (almost in most cases). Imagine how many TV programmes will not attract attention of people if they did not court controversies! Let’s get back to third bird.
The colour red usually is associated with warmth or danger depending what you fancy reading this now. If you combine that with images of advertisers of Valentine events red also means much more than warmth. Those who are aware of Virgin brand, the colour red is quite prominent part of the brand. I’ve travelled several times on Virgin Trains in England, every thing is red about it. The train colour, the dresses of stewards and stewardesses, the train manager (it is a new name for old Train Conductor or Guard) wears red jacket and/or red tie and indeed the colour paper napkins and the paper cups that you buy coffee in. Red is there. In England train companies are private and manage stations also. All train stations managed by Virgin Trains are painted, you guessed it right…, predominantly red. Warrington Bank Quay station where ‘no kissing’ and ‘kissing’ zone signs have been kept happens to be managed by Virgin. Now look back at 'no kissing' sign above: red is un-missable.
In addition publishers of romantic novels Mills and Boon have launched a poster campaign using Virgin’s name. One can understand the Mills and Boon’s anguish at discouraging ‘no kissing zone’ sign from their perspective, but like most of us, they have failed to notice the other sign, the ‘kissing zone’ side of the coin. Had they seen this unintended opportunity, they would perhaps be launching supporting campaign rather than opposing the decision. But whatever the campaign, Virgin gets publicity through Mills and Boon!
The fourth bird, the unintended consequence number three, is right here! I am writing about it to explain economics and you are reading about this. Millions have read and heard about the decision already through several media.
Let me conclude by saying that on one of the BBC’s blogs a caption competition was launched about the image of no kissing zone sign. It received more than 400 responses. Here are few funny ones but with serious message too:
Station pays lip service to public freedom by some one called SundayParkGeorge.
Walls may have ears, but lips are right out. By someone called OGNash.
WARNING: Kissing causes large lumps to appear all over your head. Wear a HAT. By someone called Pedro_fusball
Fun apart, the last one is good caution too as one woman in Italy had to be taken to hospital with swollen lips after a kiss by her husband because she was allergic to some chemicals used in the medicine her husband had taken half an hour before they had their expression of love for each other! Human body can be mega sensitive to things such as even peanut butter smell!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please note if you post comments on any of the postings, they will be published on the blog. However, if you wish them not to be published on the blog, write at the bottom of your comment 'NOT TO BE PUBLISHED'.
Thanks.