Willingness to Pay for Relief Transcript

Raw commuter responses on current substitute spending and relative priorities

Following the toolkit naming conventions, this file is named exp-10.d-wtp-detail-2025-03-20.qmd.

Overview

This file contains the raw responses from a small intercept survey of late-evening subway commuters in Queens.
It supports the demo: Pain Validation with Maya Patel.

  • Date: March 20, 2025
  • Location: Queens subway stations, after 9:00pm
  • Sample size: 10 respondents (n=10)
  • Format: Short intercept questions (5–7 minutes each)

Protocol

Questions asked (from the Pain Testing Guide):

  1. What do you currently spend to reduce or avoid this pain? (fees, rideshare, apps, buffers)
  2. What unpaid costs do you incur? (extra time, stress, favors, inconvenience)
  3. If you had to choose, which pain would you be most willing to pay to remove first?

Respondent Summaries

R1 — 26, grad student

  • Substitute spending: $40/month on rideshares (2–3 late trips).
  • Unpaid costs: Extra 40 minutes/week walking longer routes.
  • Relative WTP: Dark/unlit blocks ranked first.
  • Quote: “I’d happily keep paying for rideshare if it meant not worrying.”

R2 — 46, office manager

  • Substitute spending: None in money.
  • Unpaid costs: 15 min buffer time most nights.
  • Relative WTP: Detours ranked first (makes her late for family).
  • Quote: “The money doesn’t matter as much as the lost time with my kids.”

R3 — 29, office assistant

  • Substitute spending: $25/month on transit apps and occasional rideshare.
  • Unpaid costs: Text check-ins, stress.
  • Relative WTP: Dark/unlit blocks ranked first.
  • Quote: “I already pay for peace of mind — but I’d pay more if something really worked.”

R4 — 41, delivery driver

  • Substitute spending: None.
  • Unpaid costs: Mild stress only.
  • Relative WTP: Crowded exits ranked first.
  • Quote: “Not worth money — I just deal with it.”

(Continue through R5–R10 with similar format.)

Data Table (Compiled)

Respondent Segment $/mo Spent Unpaid Costs Top WTP Pain Quote (short)
R1 Grad student $40 40 min/wk walking Dark/unlit blocks “I’d happily keep paying for rideshare.”
R2 Restaurant worker $0 15 min buffer Detours “Lost time with kids matters most.”
R3 Office assistant $25 Stress, check-ins Dark/unlit blocks “I already pay for peace of mind.”
R4 Delivery driver $0 Mild stress Crowded exits “Not worth money — I just deal.”
… … … … … …

Notes & Reflections

  • Substitute spending: 4 of 10 respondents already pay for substitutes (rideshare, apps).
  • Unpaid costs: Almost all incur hidden costs — time buffers, stress, reliance on others.
  • Relative WTP: Dark/unlit blocks most frequently chosen as the pain worth paying to remove first.
  • Variation: Some commuters resist the framing of WTP (e.g., “I just deal with it”), reinforcing the need to look at actual behavior rather than hypotheticals.

Traceability