Comments on: Automaticity: Not Just for Autos

By: J Rob

J Rob — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 17:13:56 +0000

When I’m heading home after work I’ll find myself crusing down a quiet neighborhood street in my Civic, realizing “Hey, I took the Bike way home.”

By: Jeff Gardner

Jeff Gardner — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 16:25:34 +0000

Seems that the value of your interesting idea Blues, “bike-related automacity”, is primarily that it is but a small window into the rest of our lives. As Hippocrates observed, ‘there on only two things in the world — what we know and that which we think we know’. The astute observer knows that the latter is much, much larger than the former, and that all better “right” knowledge we profess to have is a matter of having changed our minds about other “right” knowledge we had at some other time. ‘Automacity’ seems to be an equal opportunity codifier that includes but far exceeds the “better knowledge” ideas about bicycling that we all share on this forum.

The conscious mind processes about 40 instructions per second. The near-infinitely more powerful subconscious mind processes a million times more instructions in the same time. Guess where ‘automacity’ probably feels more comfortable. That wheelhouse includes bicycling and bicycle-related ‘knowledge’, but also, so much more. For any 10,000 people who would be better to learn from each of our our bicycle commuting knowledge and examples, there are 10,000 ways that we ourselves live the same ignorance, unawareness, and resistance to learning. I wonder how much of that suffers from ‘automaticity’, too.

Blues, you seem to be actively thinking and writing much lately. Its a good contribution. Thanks.

By: Island Dave

Island Dave — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 09:52:54 +0000

I have been car free for a year and a half now but something I did when I still had my old Jeep might exemplify “Automaticity”.

When pulling into my long weavy drive way in my Velomobile (or other bikes)I cruise up to my home and then down the stone walk way along the side of my house to the kitchen door.

One day I pulled into my drive way in my old Jeep and not really thinking, in “Automaticity” mode, drove up the walk way as if I was riding my Velo or other bikes. Oops! The flower garden always did kind a stick out to far anyway….(-;

By: Warren

Warren — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 00:47:04 +0000

I rode a motorcycle for years and got so used to giving a little wave that I tend to do it if I’m driving a car with the windows down. Because my car is a manual, whenever I drive an automatic I’m constantly grasping for the stick shift and searching for the clutch.

I sold my motorcycle a while back and am now commuting to work on a bicycle. I am constantly thumbing for the non-existent turn signals and getting the front and rear brakes mixed up because on a motorcycle the left lever is the clutch and the right is the front brake.

By: Graham

Graham — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 18:18:20 +0000

My two main bicycles are a road bike and a beach cruiser. One has hand brakes and the other has a pedal brake.

Please have fun picturing me me backpedaling frantically on my road bike when approaching an intersection trying for a few seconds to engage the pedal brake. (I also grab at the nonexistent hand brakes on my beach cruiser, but that’s not as funny to watch.)

So far, I’ve always managed to correct myself almost as soon as its happened and have thus far avoided an accident, but it makes me curse each time it happens!

By: Barry Mainwood

Barry Mainwood — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 16:27:18 +0000

Walking in a group on a busy street I find myself saying “car left” or signaling where I’m going so the rest of the group knows what’s up.

By: Ray Lovinggood

Ray Lovinggood — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 16:04:29 +0000

Ditto on the mirror.

As for cars: Although my present Subaru and previous Honda have automatic transmissions, all my other prior cars had manual transmissions. And even though it has been ten years since I’ve owned a car with a manual, I will, on rare occasions, stab at a phantom clutch pedal with my left foot. I did put a lot of miles on the ’88 Accord with manual transmission: 396,000 before an errant driver totaled the long-haul sedan. I got a lot of clutch practice with that one!

Lastly, I think I’m experiencing “automaticity” when I turn on a light switch in a dark room when I know the power is out.

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 15:02:05 +0000

The mirror check reflex is something I have developed. Whenever I am walking and I hear something behind me I always glance up and left for the mirror before turning my head.