Report 4
Resistance To Traffic Psychology
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Database Assignment Topic--I Can't Stop Wanting
To Be Rude to Some Drivers
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The Method To Use For This Project...
Resistance to
Traffic Psychology
is this reports title, and the procedures to this project is to interview
and work with two sources to observe their own driving skills.
Within my two sources, I will pick one person who is a peer of mine, and
someone who is an older family member of mine. I would also like to
choose one female and one male so that I can see the difference
in their resistance and their driving techniques. Because driving is
such a broad topic, I must choose a specific driving technique that my
two sources can relate to and can have reasons for changing themselves
to a better person in driving and in their everyday lives. Perhaps I
will choose "driving attitudes". Such as what are their attitudes when
they first get into their cars, or how do they react when they see
traffic up ahead, or how do they feel when someone just cuts them off,
or does not wave thank you, or tailgates them, etc...I want my two
sources to let out their feelings to me and tell me how they feel when
they drive an automobile. This project will take about a week to
observe my two sources driving skills. They will just drive normally as
they do everyday, but this time they will try to observe their attitudes
while driving. We will meet about 2-3 times during that week to discuss
the attitudes they have observed and I will be aware of certain resistant
reaction each source may encounter. During those times that we meet, I
will suggest some helpful hints that I have learned in Traffic
Psychology to become a better, safer driver and at the same time be a
happier person inside. Perhaps I will also throw out to them some of my
own personal experience with my driving attitudes and driving
techniques. By the end of the week, I shall have an idea of the way my
two sources drive, and hopefully they will realize their own driving
skills, too. But what I hope to come out of this driving observational
project is for my two sources to be aware of the way they drive, and to
perhaps listen up to some of the Traffic Psychology advice so that they
can change their driving skills to be a safer driver, and a better,
happier, and healthier person in general.
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Source #1...
The first person I came across in observing driving attitudes was RY,
(I am using initials of person's name for his confidentiality). RY is a
23 year old male from Pearl City who is currently attending Kapiolani
Community College. I choose RY as my first source because he is my
closest, bestest pal and it seemed convenient for me to observe someone
whom I see and talk to everyday. Plus I am very familiar with the way
he drives, whether it is at night or day, rain or shine, traffic or
flowing lanes. RY drives from Leeward to town every single day,
including weekends because he goes out with his girlfriend and friends.
You can basically imagine his car racks up those miles, at least 280
miles weekly tops. Not only is his car familiar with driving all around
the island, but RY himself is a frequent driver who has much experience
in his driving techniques. Luckily RY was more than willing to help me
on this project to observe and share his experience on his attitude when
driving.
First of all, I asked RY to just be aware of the way he drives when
he gets in his care. Try to focus on his safe driving techniques. Think
twice about his attitude when he gets behind the wheel. Is he always in
a rush to get somewhere, or does he cuss and swear at other rude drivers
that drive wrecklessly, does he himself drive wrecklessly? While asking
those questions, the first resistant remark I got out of RY was, "I am
not a rude and wreckless driver, I am a GOOD, safe driver!" I just
replied, "Ok...well we will just see about that at the end of the week,
mister". And we both laughed. Now it was as if we had a bet going on to
prove that he was a good, safe driver.
RY has adopted to driving in traffic because ever since he go his
driver's liscense at age fifteen, he was forced to drive from Pearl City
to town, and vice versa, for school. And anyone who lives on Oahu knows
that prime traffic time is in the morning before school starts and in the
late afternoon for the "pau hana" traffic. Because of RY's long school
hours, he usually rushes home to beat the afternoon traffic. He feels
too tired and irritable to sit in his hot car in the hot sun, breathing
all the cars exhaust smoke, and waiting for the line of cars that is
bumper to bumper to creep up one whole inch in ten minutes. So I
obviously assume that he speeds and or he frequently weaves in and
out of lanes to hurry home.
Source #1 Observations...
As RY observed his first few days of driving, he strongly felt
nothing was wrong with his driving attitude. He believed that he kept
calm and cool towards his fellow drivers during the "pau hana" traffic.
And he is still most positive that he is a great driver. Ok, another
resistance reaction of his for this project. I asked RY to be honest
with me on this observational project, it is not like I will tell the
cops about him and get him arrested for telling me how he reacts. I just
need to acknowledge what Traffic Psychology is about. I want to help him
to become a safer driver towards the other cars around him.
Because RY was so sure that he was such a great driver, I asked him
to let me be his passenger for a day so that I can prove to him that he
probably has at least one unsafe driving attitude towards his fellow
drivers that can be changed for the better. I have driven with him a lot
of times and I know that he is not a 100% safe driver. He tends to have
this "rush-rush" feeling that he is late for an appointment or
something. And he always tries to find short cuts to get somewhere.
Well, RY was more than willing to let me come for a ride so that he can
prove me wrong. And again, he had a macho resistance to his driving.
Ok...so we went driving around from town to Leeward side about 2 o'clock
pm. We were not in bumper to bumper traffic, but there was a lot of
cars on the freeway. And on the freeway everyone was speeding,
including RY, so that they can beat the "pau hana" traffic. I was
thinking, "What maniacs!" Everyone was just cutting lanes in and out,
and driving at least 65-70 mph. Ah-ha! I finally caught RY's driving
attitude. While driving on the freeway, this suited-up Honda just cut
infront of him almost scrapping his front bumpers. Boy was he pissed!
He swore and cussed at the car with this major grudge to get the Honda
back for driving so wrecklessly. He sped up to the Honda and started
tailing his ass as if their bumpers were french kissing. That is when I
screamed, "RY calm down, we are going to get into an accident". Well,
the Honda got away, and RY quietly slowed down while he was venting out
his emotions. Right when I was about to say, "see...I told you so", RY
said, "sorry Ang, I realized that I got out of control and I could have
caused my life and your life". I was relieved he finally realized that
he can have a bad attitude towards other drivers when they drive
wrecklessly, and in this case, cut him off. That instant revenge reaction
that came over him just made him lose it. I told RY that he cannot take
other car's actions personally. You need to realize that there will always
be those jerk, maniac, and asshole drivers out there. You cannot chase
all those idiots. Plus, now a days, people drive with guns, and if you
pissed them off, they will shoot you. Learn to stay calm, remember you
have a life, and also do not forget about your passenger's feelings.
After we got out of that revenge chase, shortly before we reached RY's
house, we almost got into another accident near the residential area.
Since RY seems to always be in a rush, he tries to find short cuts that
will be faster. And in this case, because we just missed the
green light to turn left, instead of waiting for the long red light to
turn left, RY decided to speed straight up and make an illegal
u-turn so that we could beat the traffic light. Well, we accomplished
beating the red-light, but it took a tire streak, a spin, and some high pitch
screaming to strive that goal. Nah, I am just exagerating, but it was
a close call. As RY was making his u-turn, he did not see the black
Buick that was headed right towards us coming out of that street we
were making the turn at. It was until I yelled, "watch the car!" that
made RY step on his brakes. "Holy shit!", I screamed as my heart was
pounding. RY finally gave up. He noticed from our two little incidents
that day that he has to work on something to control his driving
attitude. If I was not there during his illegal u-turn, he said he would
have gotten shashed because he did not see that black Buick coming down.
Well, I told him maybe I made him nervous because he knew I was observing
his driving skills, but he said it was not that at all. We are use to
driving together. I predicted that he needs to slow things down while
driving. He is always in a rush to get somewhere. Perhaps he should
leave 10 minutes earlier, or play some mellow music to calm him down. In
actuality, he knew and I knew that he has to learn to drive the speed
limit, infact drive cautiously and follow the driving laws. And always
remember that your life comes first. Do to others as you want them to do
to you.
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Source #2...
My second source I chose to objectively observe her driving attitude
was another close person to me, a family member, my sweetest, dearest
mom, SI, (again I will use person's initials for confidentiality
purpose). SI is a 50 year old female from Hawaii Kai who works in
Kahala area on weekdays as Century 21 Kahala Hale's advertising
journalists. She drives herself to work and home everyday during the
same morning and afternoon traffic as RY. But compared to RY, she only
drives about 75 miles weekly. SI has many years of experience driving on
Oahu. She has noticed the increase of cars on the roads during the
years, and she also became aware and frightened of all the wreckless
drivers on the highways. I decided to choose SI to observe her attitude
while driving because, again, just like RY, she seemed familiar with
driving in general, and since she is a close family member of mine, I
can keep in touch with daily for the progress in her driving attitude.
When I approached SI to see if she would like to be my source for this
Traffic Psychology project she asked me a list of 20 questions; "How
come? What is this for? Why me? How long will it take?..." Blah,
blah, and blah. Typical mom to investigate everything I do. My gosh, this
project should be all for fun. This is my opportunity to counsel
someone on how to be a Traffic Psychologist, and how to be a better and
safer driver.