Welcome to Report Three for Traffic Psychology! This report contains a
self-analysis of my behavior while in traffic. I have evaluated myself
during my three different modes of transportion--driving my car, riding
my bicycle and walking. In each of these different modes, I experience
negative thoughts towards other drivers and pedestrians. In this report
I will attempt to recongize the core for my negative attitude and feelings
and possibly remedy them.
MY CAR:
I have always considered myself a good driver. When I started this
class I thought, "none of this pertains to me." At the beginning of the
semester, Dr. James asked us to observe our behavior while driving. I
did this and I began noticing things about myself--scary things which I
didn't know existed inside of me.
It wasn't that I noticed that I was a bad driver or that I was a
wreckless driver. I still contend that I am a good, defensive driver and
usually very considerate, however, I began noticing my attitude towards
other drivers. Usually this occurred when I was alone in the car. I
would swear at people who did stupid things (things I thought were
stupid); I would find myself being the traffic cop (telling the cars
where to go and what to do--not that anyone was listening); and, I would
find myself getting generally disgusted at other motorists (when
many times they were doing nothing against me). Noreen Dorion also realizes her
impatience towards other drivers
in her report. She also addresses denial which is where I had been since
only now I was beginning to
come to the conclusion that I had a little bit of a problem. (But,
I began to realize that a good driver isn't merely someone who obeys
the laws (for the most part) and is a defensive driver, but someone who
genuinely respects the other drivers. I say this for the sanity of the
driver themselves and myself. I realized how stressful driving was for
me and I had never before realized it. I became such an angry person
which I was not aware of before this self-driving analysis.
MY BIKE:
Riding a bike is a whole different experience than driving in an
automobile. There are different aspects of riding. There is riding in
automobile traffic; riding through pedestrian traffic; and, of course,
riding with other bike riders.
While riding my bike through automobile traffic many times I can feel
the anger of the driver's towards me. Also, listening to classmates and
co-workers, I hear many negative thoughts towards bike riders. I have a
hard time trying to understand their negative thoughts. I have asked
them to explain and the tell me things like "bikers are just in the way"
and "they make it dangerous to for drivers." Someone even compared bikes
to mopeds. This seems insane. Mopeds are not like bikes. Mopeds are
really noisy and a whole different breed of person rides a mopeds than
those who ride bikes. Anyway, I don't want to get off the subject, but I
can feel many drivers' negative attitudes towards me while I am riding my
bike.
The other day, I was riding home from school. I was going down a
hill where cars are parked on one side of the street, so the road was too
narrow for two cars, but there was plenty of room for a bike and a car.
I proceeded down the hill and a van rounded the corner and began up the
hill. The van headed right toward me and there was no where I could go
since a curb blocked my access to the shoulder. The van was as far to
the left of the road as it could get. I thought I was going to die, but
at the last minute, the driver swerved out and gave me just (barely)
enought room.
There was no reason the driver should have acted this way towards
me. I didn't know her and she didn't know me. Does she have some sort
of built up anger towards bikers. Maybe, she feels resentful towards people
who are getting exercise and trying to be ecologically consious. (Now
I'm showing my bad attitude). But, I feel many bikers have good reason
to have a negative thoughts towards car drivers. My friends tell me
horror stories of people running them off the road, opening car doors on
them, and basically acting very dangerous towards bikers.
Aaron
Takahashi sort of feels the same way on his bike. He believes
bicyclists get a bad reputation from the few who ruin it for the rest. I
think he has a valid point about there being inconsiderate bicyclists,
but think about all of the horrible automobile drivers. . . Do they ruin
it "for the rest."
I am trying to apply my Traffic Psychology knowledge towards
myself in my negative thoughts towards automobile drivers, I realize
having negative feelings towards others, regardless of the circumstances,
is only detrimental to myself.
MY FEET:
Walking traffic, to me, takes the least amount of effort and energy.
However, I was not aware until I took this class that people actually got
irratated when others did not walk in the so-called "society appointed"
direction. This "society appointed" direction is the same as automobile
traffic. For example, persons on the right have the right-of-way and
walkers should stay to their "appointed" sides of the walk way. This
topic came up on one of our first days of class when Dr. James announced
his past anger at students ascending the stairs at Kuykendal on the
"wrong" side of the stairs. He explained that he used to stiffen his
shoulders (football tackle position) and give the person a good elbow.
Good thing Dr. James has become a traffic psychologist!
Like I said earlier, I don't have too many problems in pedestrian
traffic, but I have learned to try to "go with the flow" instead of
around it or against it. I had no idea that people were actually
bothered by this. I also have my little pet peeves in pedestrian
traffic. I work downtown and I find myself getting frustrated
when people get crowded together at stoplights. I don't know why, but
instead of spreading out, the pack together right against the curb. I
guess this goes along with my other pet peeve which is people standing on
the curb refusing to cross the street just because the light is red when
there is obviously no traffic to be seen in either direction. I always
cross and then there they are packed against the curb on the other side
of the street which makes it difficult to get through them. Do the laws
in our society really have such a tight noose around our necks? No
traffic in either direction as far as the eye can see, but people won't
cross. Why? Do they think a car is going to come out of no where and
run them over, or do they think a siren will go off annoucing their
misconduct?
I guess I have more irritation than I realized about pedestrian
traffic, because as I was writing this and anaylizing my feelings, I
found myself getting sort of angry. This is something I will have to
work on.
THE PLAN
Now that I have realized these negative thoughts I am having while
driving, what am I going to do about it? Dr. James said something, a
very simple something, during one class that I have not forgotten. He
said something like, "People have a right to do this." I think this is
the most important thing for me to remember and tell myself when I am
having negative thoughts towards them. Who am I to pass judgment on
others or think evil things about them because I don't like what they are
doing. There will always be people out there, like the lady who tried to
kill me when I was on my bike, who are negative. But, the thing to
remember is just that-there will always be those negative people out there.
But, it is not my job to try and reform them. I just need to reform myself.
Jae
Isa was right
when she wrote people first have to be aware of traffic psychology before
they can practice it. The first step to resolving your problems is to
realize you
have them. Before I took this class I didn't realize I was so negative
towards other drivers. Now that I have realized it I have taken into
account Dr. James' words and not let myself get so upset at others.
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