Re: I'm tempted to take this opportunity to poke fun at New Yorkers. - Edit 1
Before modification by Vivien at 13/12/2011 10:52:48 PM
The thing is I don't have a lot of confidence in my driving abilities and I feel like I do make mistakes. Well not just feel like it- I know so. I have less confidence in my driving than in others' driving. A driver that made a mistake would be considered at fault, right?
I'm fine being the passenger, because I trust others to be good drivers. Within reason, of course- I wear a seatbelt and I never have and never will get into a car with someone the least bit intoxicated, no matter what he says of how "totally fine" to drive he is.
I think people largely tend to be less afraid when they are in control of the situation. I don't like airplanes because I'm not the one flying them, even though I know that the pilot has way more experience than I would. I'm okay with cars; I trust myself to drive well.
So... to a certain extent, yes. I don't think people consider themselves invincible, but I think they have a degree of confidence in their capabilities. I've been in two rather dangerous situations (one of which was really entirely my fault), and I managed through a combination of skill and luck to get out of them fine. That was something of a confidence booster, ironically.
No, it helped because I actually have an anxiety disorder, so when I left the house hours earlier, I didn't give myself the time to mentally catastrophize ("What if I get into a car crash?" "What if I drive into a ditch?"
and turn myself into a wreck. Pun not intended.
I'm fine being the passenger, because I trust others to be good drivers. Within reason, of course- I wear a seatbelt and I never have and never will get into a car with someone the least bit intoxicated, no matter what he says of how "totally fine" to drive he is.
Well, just because something is more likely to happen doesn't mean that it is very likely to happen. Car accidents are highly likely, yes, but fatal car accidents not so much. And fatal car accidents in which the driver was not at fault are quite rare, really.
The only way I see myself driving is by not thinking about the consequences. I guess what I'm saying is: why isn't *everyone* scared of driving? Do they just think that nothing bad will happen to them, they're invincible?
I think people largely tend to be less afraid when they are in control of the situation. I don't like airplanes because I'm not the one flying them, even though I know that the pilot has way more experience than I would. I'm okay with cars; I trust myself to drive well.
So... to a certain extent, yes. I don't think people consider themselves invincible, but I think they have a degree of confidence in their capabilities. I've been in two rather dangerous situations (one of which was really entirely my fault), and I managed through a combination of skill and luck to get out of them fine. That was something of a confidence booster, ironically.
Your anxiety: how did leaving the house hours earlier help? Maybe you left at a time where there'd be less cars on the road?
No, it helped because I actually have an anxiety disorder, so when I left the house hours earlier, I didn't give myself the time to mentally catastrophize ("What if I get into a car crash?" "What if I drive into a ditch?"
and turn myself into a wreck. Pun not intended.