By R. P. Futrelle, for COM1101 class, Northeastern U. Posted 2/4/2001.
In this plot, distance increases to the right and time runs down the page. The 10 cars are labeled A through J. When the cars are very close to one another, the higher numbered cars overprint the lower. The only unfortunate thing you'll notice in the run is that car E didn't stop in time when F stopped, and ends up stopped in front of F. When F resumes, E then falls into line behind it. Notice that E is always in a hurry and is catching up with F towards the bottom of the printout. G and I are also trying to go faster than the preferred speeds of the cars immediately ahead of them and end up tailgating them. They'd better be careful -- look what happened to E! (F's lawyers are talking to E's lawyers.) The plot is truncated at the right, with no printout for cars more than a certain distance along.
A BC DEF GH IJ
AB CD EF GHI J
ABC D F GH I J
AB C D F H I J
AB C D F GH I J
A B C FE GH I J
A B C F G H I J
A B CFE G H I J
A B FE G H I J
A B FE G H I J
A BFE G H I J
A BFE G H I J
A BFE G H I J
A BFE G H I J
A BFE G H I J
A BFE G H I J
A BFE G H IJ
A BFE G H I J
ABFE G H I J
ABFE G H I J
ABFE G H I J
ABFE G H I J
ABFE G H I J
ABFE G H I J
ABFE G H I J
ABFE G H I J
ABCF G H I J
ABCF G H I J
ABCF G H IJ
ABCEF G H I J
ABCE F G H I J
ABCE F G H I
ABCE F G H I
ABCDE F G H
ABCDE F G H
ABCD E F G
ABCD E F
ABCD E F
ABC D E F
ABC D E F
AB C D E F
AB C D E F
AB C D E F
AB C D E F
AB C D E F
A B C D E F
A B C D E F
A B C D E F
A B C D E F
A B C D E F
A B C D E F
A B C D E F
A B C D E F
A B C D E F
A B C D E F
A B C D E F
A B C D E F
A B C D E F
A B C D E F
A B C D E
A B C D E
A B C D E
A B C D E
A B C D
A B C D
A B C D
A B C D
A B C D
A B C
A B C
A B C
A B C
A B C
A B C
A B
A B
A B
A B
A B
A B
A
A