Let me share a few little tid-bits of information here to make my point so clear that even the drunk guy at the forum can understand this (if he reads it sober).
The human brain is part of a bio-chemical machine. The brain isn't mechanical. It can cause or direct the body to perform the same task 10,000 times. Then for seemingly no reason... cause the body to perform the task so wrong as to cause itself injury.
It is the “seemingly no reason†that is the catch. Because there are many reasons that these errors happen that we fully understand.
The other day I was cycling along a street I often ride. I was going about 17MPH which is about my limit for that section of rough street. A large old Ford passed me... then very quickly within feet from me pulled into/along the street in front of me to park. The car was so close I had to stop as fast as I could to keep from plowing into the car. Once the car pulled to the curb... the cars reverse/back-up light then came on. I hollered “HOEâ€... checked my cycling glasses mounted mirror... and pulled further out into the street to pass the parking car.
As I rode by the car I glanced in and saw a small round mature man with three boys in the car with him. I would guess the boys from teenage to twenty's and also guess at least of couple of them were his sons. The thought that went through my head was jumping off my bike and yelling at the people in the car. I saw the look on the mans face... and could see he also thought this might be a yelling situation.
So... looking at the driver in his eyes... I shrugged my shoulders and said “sorryâ€.
Here is why: What had happened was the driver was likely talking with his boys and entered into what is actually called [memory] auto-pilot. We've ALL been there (it is a normal human reaction and ALL humans do it) often.... when driving we sudden realized that we don't remember a small period of driving time. We are further along our route... and don't remember driving the distance.
Auto-pilot isn't dangerous... normally. It just means that to compensate for other functions like a conversation, enjoying the radio, or some other mental distraction... our brain stopped making short-term memories. The brain was paying attention! Just no memory was created of the mundane routine task of driving. This happens all the time... it is a normal brain function that is NOT controlled by the conscious brain. It isn't something we can decide to do... or make our brain stop doing it.
So... do you think that just maybe... the man driving the old Ford and enjoying the company of his sons may have been on auto-pilot? My guess is that would certainly explain why he drove past me... then pulled across in front of me. His brain had recorded NO MEMORY of me being there. He was on auto-pilot.
For me... the struggle of not being in an accident scared me... the normal flight or fight response (to fear) is anger. I was ready! For the driver... I literally appeared from no where. It scared the [censored] out of him... hitting people and things with cars is never good. We shared the fight or flight response.
None of these things can be controlled of resolved with laws, signs, classes, or well wishes. Even riding my bicycle... I have caught myself in auto-pilot. Accidents will happen... our brains are hardwired and programmed in such a way as to make them unavoidable. Some injuries will happen!
