FULL GAS FULL BRAKES
THE DRIVERS VIEWPOINT
GO READ PT1 HERE.
Now let’s change perspectives. Let us view the same Full gas and Full brakes from the driver’s point of view.
D R I V E R C O N F U S I O N
- Jumbled
- Lack of order
- Illogical
- Chaos
Many would fault the driver for mistakenly hammering down the gas when we needed the brake.
I do not.
- 1 or 2.
- On or Off.
- Left or Right.
- Good or Bad.
- Legal or Illegal.
Many follow these simple binary choices; however, complex tasks such as driving binary may not serve you well. The ultimate binary assessment is – I am a good driver because I am not dead yet. Alive or Dead. Well, ok, but there is a ton of life between the two extremes you may want to experience before going to binary decisions.
A client often flips left and right turns and apologizes, feeling silly that they flipped such a simple instruction. But this flipping is pervasive and occurs in a considerable majority of learners! Even trainers confuse the command and say right when they mean left! Wow! Really! Welcome to us, imperfect humans!
Back to our Full Gas Full Brakes incident…
The speed-up lane change we just completed was a new type of lane change for this driver. To date, they consistently applied the brakes to set up a lane change. Today they were learning that sometimes this slow-down lane change might not be appropriate.
Try a speed-up lane change with your foot on the gas. They were attempting the speed up lane change when this yellow-red light jumped out in front of us.
Note that all previous lifetime lane changes slowed with their foot on the brake pedal.
But at this moment, full gas equalled full brakes in their mind. Hence, when the red light jumped out, they pressed down! There was no binary choice here. It was simply an old habit position with their foot always being on the brake.
Plus, the proof that they were correct was the observable fact that the car was slowing down (as the instructor pressed on my brake). So they were right!
The loud screaming engine was the only cue that something was not right!
The driver was not aware their foot was full gas.
Hearing a roaring engine meant nothing.
Fundamentally they lacked the love-your-brake I build into all new drivers. This experienced driver from another country did not know the love-your-brake habit.
Additionally, this driver has no connection to a language called fear! In their mind, there was nothing wrong.
Even after their body’s 200 muscles went into total emergency panic, foot slamming down hard, hands death gripping the steering wheel and eyes as big as saucers, their brain and voice were unable to acknowledge any fear nor discuss it.
Fear? What Fear? Anxiety? What anxiety? I have no fear. No fear at all.
The old kill-the-messenger idea. It sounds exactly like my mother’s teachings! Ignore everything that makes you look weak, hence no weakness. Indeed, do not empower your faults with words.
No further conversations are needed. We returned to mastering the three types of lane changes. 🙂
SIDEBAR
Attempting to build a foundational habit of loving your brake into a multi-year other country habit set is difficult. A battle I choose to set aside today.
Welcome to…
THE DRIVER’S VIEWPOINT.
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