Roadhump
Time you enjoyed wasting was not wasted
- Location
- The flatlands of South West Lancs
Sorry to labour this thread, I know it’s been round the houses a bit, and clearly, differences in opinion remain which is unlikely to change, but having just read your post and re-read the one in which you said I was digging, I wanted to clarify some points and make a further point.
A reply was made to a post of mine that I considered a bit “in your face” and I responded using a word that seemed to offend somebody. I therefore apologised to that person. It seems that people construed my use of that word as me considering careful drivers as pious. However, if you look at post 151 in this thread you will see that I describe the post as pious, not any person or group of people, but fair enough, perhaps a poor choice of word and people may have inferred a different meaning than the one I intended. Indeed, that might have been why a second person made comments that to me suggested they resented my use of that word, and also that they had also inferred a different meaning to the one intended. I therefore clarified my use of the word and extended my apology. I then stated that I respect other people’s right to hold a different opinion. You call that digging, I consider it common courtesy, good grace and humility.
I take it you infer that by “the next person” I mean the average driver. I actually mean that I am satisfied I am as responsible as anybody, including those people here who seem to disagree quite forthrightly with my views (as they are entitled to do) on the influence of human characteristics in speeding offences, and also directly claim and / or imply that they are very good drivers and feel their standards would never slip due to those human characteristics. I can’t refute that, they might be correct, despite my reservations, but as you say “of course most drivers do already believe themselves to be of above average ability, which is one of those oxymoronic quirks of statistics”.
The danger with such self-belief is that it can lead to complacency or even arrogance, and a false sense of security “It would never happen to me”. Perhaps I had developed such arrogance and complacency about my own driving after 33 years of an impeccable driving record, and that is what resulted in my uncharacteristic behaviour when I exceeded the speed limit. Perhaps I was due a reality check, and maybe mine is a cautionary tale for those who are so firm in their conviction that they would never slip. I am not sure myself to be honest, having read some of the posts from people who disagree with me, perhaps mine wasn't just a momentary lapse, but it was certainly uncharacteristic for me.
A reply was made to a post of mine that I considered a bit “in your face” and I responded using a word that seemed to offend somebody. I therefore apologised to that person. It seems that people construed my use of that word as me considering careful drivers as pious. However, if you look at post 151 in this thread you will see that I describe the post as pious, not any person or group of people, but fair enough, perhaps a poor choice of word and people may have inferred a different meaning than the one I intended. Indeed, that might have been why a second person made comments that to me suggested they resented my use of that word, and also that they had also inferred a different meaning to the one intended. I therefore clarified my use of the word and extended my apology. I then stated that I respect other people’s right to hold a different opinion. You call that digging, I consider it common courtesy, good grace and humility.
I take it you infer that by “the next person” I mean the average driver. I actually mean that I am satisfied I am as responsible as anybody, including those people here who seem to disagree quite forthrightly with my views (as they are entitled to do) on the influence of human characteristics in speeding offences, and also directly claim and / or imply that they are very good drivers and feel their standards would never slip due to those human characteristics. I can’t refute that, they might be correct, despite my reservations, but as you say “of course most drivers do already believe themselves to be of above average ability, which is one of those oxymoronic quirks of statistics”.
The danger with such self-belief is that it can lead to complacency or even arrogance, and a false sense of security “It would never happen to me”. Perhaps I had developed such arrogance and complacency about my own driving after 33 years of an impeccable driving record, and that is what resulted in my uncharacteristic behaviour when I exceeded the speed limit. Perhaps I was due a reality check, and maybe mine is a cautionary tale for those who are so firm in their conviction that they would never slip. I am not sure myself to be honest, having read some of the posts from people who disagree with me, perhaps mine wasn't just a momentary lapse, but it was certainly uncharacteristic for me.
