Parkinson's Bike Shed
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Avoid Parkinson's Bicycle Shed.

Parkinson described a committee formed to oversee design of an early nuclear power plant. There were three agenda items - when to have tea, where to put the bicycle shed, and how to ensure nuclear safety. Tea was disposed of quickly as trivial. Nuclear safety was discussed for only an hour - it was so complex, scary, and technical that even among experts few felt comfortable with the issues. Endless days were then spent discussing where to put the bicycle shed (the parking lot would be a modern equivalent) because everyone understood the issues and felt comfortable discussing them.