A math game

Dreadfully late for school, but not really very concerned about that, as long as we were there to drink each other's company without too many distractions, pre-teen in training and I stood at glare corner, counting cars, waiting to cross. PTIT has had some math challenges lately. I saw a teachable moment.

"Hey, kiddo, how many of these cars have just one person in them?"
"All of them do, Dad."
"How many people can fit into one car?"
"At least four."
"So, if these people got together and shared rides, how many fewer cars would we have just counted, and how much easier would it be for us to get across the road?"

I'm brilliant. Brilliant! Eco-mathematics. Quantitative urban planning for grade 4 math.

My stunning, drop-dead perfectly formed daughter tilted her head up at me with a crooked smile. She fixed me with those big, dark pools of eyes, little dimples of amusement forming.

"Dad. I know what you're trying to do. But we're studying 'area' in math. Not cars."
"Oh, ok. So how big is your room? How many meters across?"
"About as big as this road. 20 meters."
"Really? How tall am I?"
"10 meters."

The traffic cleared. We crossed the road. I had to duck underneath the telephone wires.