[St] Habits in riding (was Throttle cables, was pilots)

["Chris Harwood" <Chris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I believe it is a too-little-realized fact that a lot of what we learn
in machine control is committed to the sub-conscious.  It's only by
doing that that we can commit the conscious to the full-time task of
analysing the variable factors that get thrown at us.  Pot-holes,
gravel, D.U.I.s etc.

Over here, some of the car training guys criticize automatic use of
direction indicators saying "if there's no-one to signal to, why do
it?".  Their point is that we should not be habitual in our
riding/driving.  Sure, we shouldn't ride through right-of-ways with no
care just because it worked yesterday but direction indicators?  What's
the cost of a light bulb? And who does it hurt? And am I arrogant enough
to think that I can know who's looking at me 100p.c.?

The time when we are most going to need the kill switch is when we are
likely to be avalanched with new, previously unexperienced stimuli so
committing its use to habit could be a life-saver.

I could have done with remembering it the other day when I made the
mistake of pulling up with the bike leaned to the right and the bars
turned!  I held the bike up but couldn't change my grip on it without
dropping it, so the engine revved like mad. And seeing as it was in gear
there was a strong possibility of self-injury.  The one control I could
have reached was the kill switch but it didn't come to me.  I eventually
pulled it upright but my right hip hurt for some time after.

Chris Harwood
00 RS

>>> kahonas@xxxxxxxxx 08/10/2007 02:09:48 >>>
Humans, in general, are creatures of habit.  In the wise words of
Garth
Algar, "We fear change..."

As a pilot myself, I can assure you that doing the same routine over
and
over again is a good, well, habit to get into.  Most of my friends who
ride
bikes (a good portion of whom also fly helicopters) are just as
anal-retentive about startup, shutdown, and pretty much everything in
between.  I have long believed that riding a bike requires as much, if
not
more, attention as flying.

So, to be Obsessive-Compulsive, as you say, is not a bad thing,
especially
when your well-being is on the line.

David


On 10/5/07, Young, Mike <myoung@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Probably verging on Obsesive-Compulsive, but there are a lot of
airplane
drivers around alive today because of just such O-C behavior....

---
Kickin' the tires and lightin' the fires...
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