tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4031352915519488668.post8612860386024385910..comments2023-10-31T08:49:14.757+00:00Comments on Cambridge Cyclist: Motoring - the most dehumanising activityCab Davidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09019615820672574343noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4031352915519488668.post-84210294279368842662014-04-03T14:26:27.860+01:002014-04-03T14:26:27.860+01:00Jim, thats fine, comments appreciated.
But I don...Jim, thats fine, comments appreciated. <br /><br />But I don't entirely agree with them - I agree 'motorists' don't identify as 'motorists', they identify as 'normal' and non-motorists are 'not normal'. And as in most instances of simple out-group psychology those who aren't normal are inferior - its not a conscious construct, its simply how 'others' are seen.<br /><br />So I'd stick with 'motorists' here - I don't think they need to identify themselves as such for it to apply.Cab Davidsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09019615820672574343noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4031352915519488668.post-43279052945174862792014-04-03T08:47:44.804+01:002014-04-03T08:47:44.804+01:00A very promising blog post that could be improved ...A very promising blog post that could be improved with re-writing of the second half, right after the sentence that begins with "the linking feature". Explanation: just as people who ride bikes generally don't identify as "cyclists", people who drive cars (which includes most people who ride bikes) don't identify as "motorists", so the rant at "motorists" is way wide of the mark.<br /><br />The point I think you're trying to make, and it's a good one, is that the *act* of driving flicks the empathy switch off in a lot of people. I suggest that the same people who act so badly when driving would most likely offer help if they were walking or cycling.<br /><br />This recent Dutch article (you might have to auto-translate it) implies what I've said above, i.e. that the act of driving flicks a switch in the human brain from peace-loving bonobo to aggressive chimpanzee.<br /><br />http://www.metronieuws.nl/nieuws/automobilist-is-een-hufter-omdat-hij-zichzelf-overschat/SrZnda!5VrZ5QVMkM22/<br /><br />I hope this is all taken as constructive criticism. I don't blog myself so I appreciate the effort you've put into your writing.<br /><br />Regards,<br />Jim MooreJim Moorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09993698182265743168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4031352915519488668.post-72106913465333074192014-03-27T10:45:42.200+00:002014-03-27T10:45:42.200+00:00The simple answer is that if we believe the result...The simple answer is that if we believe the results of such studies as I've mentioned above then, yes, 6% or more of people driving are precisely as dangerous as you describe. The real question is whether motoring makes you that way or whether it simply allows this to show through. Little of both, I suspect. Cab Davidsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09019615820672574343noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4031352915519488668.post-74317164274822256362014-03-26T11:50:52.619+00:002014-03-26T11:50:52.619+00:00I recognise this, but don't understand it. I s...I recognise this, but don't understand it. I stopped last night to take a mortally wounded cat out of the road, clearly only just hit by the car before. I did it because better for the owners to have a recognisable body to grieve over & bury than to find a sad mess in the road. While I was doing so, another motorist drove at me with obvious impatience. Do 6% of drivers do this kind of thing deliberately? Are so many turned into dangerous psychopaths just by being behind the wheel?? Dukeletohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14128661146578810674noreply@blogger.com