Türkçe
Sayfalar
|
|
OMM Supported By
|
.jpg) |
|
ACEM Bulletins..
The best tool to understand what is
ahead in the motorcycling market
|
|
|
| Beware of four wheels drivers: they are busy. |  | Beware of four wheels drivers: they are busy.
Paolo Volpara © 1999
In this age of disposable items and multi-purpose tools doing several things at the same time is a sign of modern intelligence.
We eat while watching TV, we write while listening to music, we walk while answering the phone. People well trained in modern western habits perform four, five activities at the time: I must confess that I feel “left behind”. I belong to the “old school” of doing one thing at the time trying to place the whole attention in one activity.
I was considering this few days ago. Poor weather and the desire to keep my bike shining after one full day of autumn cleaning were the reasons to accept a two hour “ride” in a car. While sitting in this box I could not stop watching the driver and the intense activity going on.
For the entire ride the driver attention was seldom on the act of driving: phone was ringing trough the car audio system, CD were changed at a flick of a switch, radio was tuned in for news, temperature in the car was adjusted, conversation with passengers required intense body movements, sun visors were put down and lift up, cruise control was activated and de-activated, kids were disciplined, seat position was modified to better suit road conditions… you mention… the driver did it.
At the end of the “ride’ the driver had no recollection of the road done, of the corners taken, of the vehicles passed. Multi-activity has this effect: you do not focus on anything specific and time passes without memories.
It was a good (although scaring) experience and I came out from the “box” with two sets of considerations.
These drivers are the one we cross, follow and overtake every day when we ride our bike. We mix with them in the traffic assuming that they are doing what they are supposed to do: driving.
We should know better. They are doing zillions of other things in their little (or big) boxes and we, bikers on the outside of the box, are just an irrelevant blur in a vision focused elsewhere.
Defense? As usual observation and anticipation: we must analyze the driver from his vehicle (status of maintenance, incorrect position of rear mirrors, lights malfunctioning), from his riding (wandering on straight line, lack of indicator signals, sudden breaking), from the body movements (head and hands movements), from the group in the car (having fun, eating or drinking), from his lack of connection with our line of sight. All these elements can tell us (the undefined blurs) what the driver is doing and (sometime) what he is thinking: furthermore the good news about multi-activities characters is that they are (in general) predictable. Good observation leads to good vision about what is going to happen and, in turn, this can lead to sufficient anticipation to protect you from fool behavior.
The second consideration is, in my opinion, more important. If we cannot change the habits of distracted drivers we can always change our own way of riding.
“Doing several things at the same time” is not a vice reserved to drivers; we commit the same sin often on our bikes and the price to pay can be for us much more expensive. Yes, I know that it is difficult to concentrate the mind on “now”: we normally migrate from memories of the past to anticipations of the future. The power of biking in teaching us the “now” is an essential contribution to meditation: while biking learn to focus on the moment that is now, not on what is coming (destination) or what was the reason of the ride. We must learn to live the ride without any distraction just for the sake of doing an action at its full.
From “focusing on now” comes the indication to keep the elements on our bike at minimalist level. More gadgets you have, less concentration you will have on the ride. Our attention should be on the essentials: handlebar, gears, brakes, road and traffic ahead. All the rest is “vanity”.
| Last Updated 2009-02-28 15:29
|
|
|
.jpg)
.jpg)
|
|
|
Upcoming Events..
|
|
|
|
from OMM Events..
|
|
|
|
