Driver’s boredom: Slow down and enjoy the view
I just got back from a short drive and realized something, 120 km/h (75 mph) Isn’t all that fast anymore. I got a bit bored with the speed and even 130 didn’t quite do it for me. Things were going to slow. But then I looked up at the clouds and slowed down.
It struck me again why I’d rather be riding a motorcycle. Although it’s capable of doing the same speeds I end up looking around a lot more and enjoying the scenery I’m riding though.
Then the rain came down by the bucket, reminding me why I was driving today.
It wasn’t all to long ago (7 years) I got my driver’s licence. The first time I ever turned onto the freeway was scary, I couldn’t believe how fast 120 km/h was when behind the wheel. A few years later I was doing it again, this time on two wheels and at 120 I had the feeling of hanging on for dear life, about to be blown from my bike any second. The wind striking me in the chest so hard I found it hard to breath normally.
And again, today when riding 120 (and then some) It doesn’t phase me in the least.
Speeding traffic
Every means of transportation is speeding up. There was once a time when 80 km/h was akin to going supersonic. Today you get a raised fist or a singel finger if you go that slow on the freeway. They set the minimum speed to 80 on those roads over here but none in their right mind dares go that slow.
Give it a go, put your kids (if you have them, otherwise borrow some kids) in the backseat and go for a drive. Let all the cars whizz past you with a 40 km/h difference and in no time your kids will start to complain. “Come on dad (or mom), can’t we go any faster? This is boring.”
This is boring..
Kids, you’ve got go hand it to them. Such great insight.
We’re bored.Bored with speed, bored with driving, bored with staring at the taillights in front of us. Let’s face it, driving is boring. The only way to solve that is to floor it and drive like a maniac. (Or so it seems) Going past the speed limit gives you another task to do: watch out for the police. Now it’s no longer a means of transport, it’s a game of cat and mouse. How exciting.
How insane..
Every week you can read about it in the newspapers. Young drivers -already bored- were driving to fast or even racing each other and decided to make their European compact (a Volkswagen Golf most likely) just that bit more compact with the help of a jaywalking tree or lamppost.
What’s going on?!
We (well, not you my dear reader, all the other people out there.) are so used to speed that we no longer see the danger, we’re just bored. We overestimate ourselves on a daily basis. 90% Of all the drivers believe they are part of the top 10% drivers. The kids in the back seat are right.
But also, we’re bored in life.Waiting for a train or bus was normal a few decades ago. Now, if the bus is just five minutes late we get frustrated and start taping our watch while making eye-contact with the driver.
Use your eyes
What can we do about it, what can we tell the others (not us, remember) that will help them in handling the boredom. It’s the big difference between riding and driving: look around and enjoy the view. Nothing more, nothing less. Don’t worry about the speed, go a bit slower, it will give you ample time to spot that bird of pray by the road side, that interesting cloud formation and for two more added bonuses, it will save you money through gas and through speeding tickets you no longer get.
Slow down and enjoy the view, it’s not nearly as boring as you might think.
I really like this concept. Taking mundane, everyday things and changing your perspective to make it fresh and new is what I’m all about.
Growing up sitting in the back seat with my younger sister we would play all sort of games to stay occupied. Beyond the givens (punch buggy) we pretended we were driving (depending on the “real” driver we would be rolling around the back seat) and one of my favorites was counting the dirt roads or alleyways. You had to be present, focused on the shifting scenery and likely you’d see something you otherwise would’ve missed.
Now that I’m usually the driver, I have to focus on the road ahead of me. But, I’ve gotten into a habit of taking snapshots with my camera (although if I have a passenger I relinquish the lens) and feel like highway driving becomes fresh, exciting even in traffic.
Perhaps a better solution is to get rid of our cars all together. Get a bicycle then go as fast as you want.:-)
Peter Senge had a great book called The Fifth Discipline. It was about how the structures and systems in our lives dictate how we behave. Build big houses in the suburbs, then you need to buy more cars for your family to commute. More cars means more traffic. More traffic means more stress and frustration. More stress leads to more purchases to fill our big house in the suburbs, etc. etc.
Get rid of the house in the suburbs. Move to the city core (or another country). Then you will not need a car. You will walk and cycle more so you will be more fit. You will free up a couple of hours of your day so you will have more time to do the things you want. You will have a smaller apartment so you will need to buy less things. You will have more money left over at the end of the month. You can then travel more or invest in your own business start up.
Sometimes it is good to step back and see what structures in our lives are directing the choices we make. Nothing has had more of an influence on our lives than the automobile.
And driving the car in the picture makes it even better.
“In a car you’re always in a compartment, and because you’re used to it you don’t realize that through that car window everything you see is just more TV. You’re a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame.
On a cycle the frame is gone. You’re completely in contact with it all. You’re in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence can be overwhelming. That concrete whizzing by five inches below your foot is the real thing…”
Pirsig says it well in ‘Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (which I’m reading after hearing numerous people, yourself included, mention it).
I only have a bicycle, not a motorbike, but I can see why you’d rather be on two wheels.
Ah yes, thanks for the great quote!
Somewhere in the book Pirsig also describes his “packing list” which includes a “bubble”. A plastic windshield you can mount on your helmet. Apparently he was riding with an open helmet as well. That’s a bit more freedom than I’m willing to try (I ride in dense traffic a lot, and to me it’s not a question of if, but when the day comes I’ll hit the ground. And I’m rather fond of my head….)
A great read, and it gets better every time you read it ;)
Well I’m only on my first read, and only on chapter 3, but I’m already captivated! :D
Excellent work over here, by the way.