I’m cranking myself up to finish this blog, which was always intended to be a sort of year-long “writing exercise”, and I’ll be wrapping it up shortly. But here’s an anecdote I can’t resist.
I’ve talked previously about the idea that there is a sense in which we don’t “behave like drivers” or “cyclists” that we all have underlying psychological mechanicsm that mean we all “behave like traffic” – that is to say, revert to our basic bahaviour as walkers. I like to collect examples of this.
Well yesterday I saw a SMIDSY incident between two swimmers. It was at the Bristol lido which is very small and not really suitable for hyper-purposeful “training” and there are no lanes roped off or marked. Nevertheless, the few times I’ve been there recently, there are always a few people rather sternly ploughing up and down in a distinctly training-ish kind of way. Yesterday I heard a splash and then “words”. Clearly a collision had taken place and the bit of the exchange which I caught went:
First woman: I didn’t see you.
Second woman [mildly]: but you ..
First woman [getting cross]: I didn’t see you!
Second woman: but …
First woman: I DID’NT SEE YOU!
Second woman [giving up and swimming off]: oh all right then …
There is just so much deconstruction one could do with this (why did the first woman get so indignant?) but the key psychobikeological points are:
1. it is quite natural to not look where you’re going, especially when you’ve got some other purpose at the forefront of your mind
2. this doesn’t really matter if you collide with someone of equal physical heft
3. if there is a significant physical mismatch then perhaps you have a greater duty of care.
Psychobikeology 