(FINANCIAL TIMES) - In February 2014, London's Underground was partially shut down by a strike that forced many commuters to find new ways to get to work. The disruption lasted just 48 hours, but when economists Shaun Larcom, Ferdinand Rauch and Tim Willems studied data from the city's transport network, they discovered something interesting.

Tens of thousands of commuters did not return to their original routes, presumably having found faster or more pleasant ways to reach their destination. A few hours of disruption were enough to make them realise that they had been doing commuting wrong their entire adult lives.