Comments on: Driver’s boredom: Slow down and enjoy the view

By: Being bored, isn’t it amazing?

Being bored, isn’t it amazing? — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 12:27:18 +0000

[...] while back I wrote a bit about being bored while driving. While you might think that taking things very slow is boring it rarely is. What am I saying, [...]

By: Blake

Blake — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:51:11 +0000

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.

By: Christiaan

Christiaan — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:46:46 +0000

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 ;)

By: Blake

Blake — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:18:44 +0000

“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.

By: Ralph

Ralph — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 01:44:24 +0000

And driving the car in the picture makes it even better.

By: John Bardos

John Bardos — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:06:17 +0000

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.

By: Opinionated Ant

Opinionated Ant — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:32:12 +0000

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.