A Case Study in Changing Your Mind

If you've ever wondered whether it's truly possible for a person to change their perspective on something, I can tell you the answer is yes. I changed my worldview about driving.

I don't know when it happened. It wasn't sudden, and I still drive. But now instead of being impatient and trying to get where I'm going as quickly as possible, which I know used to be my attitude, I'm aligned with this perspective, which I saw summed up yesterday on BlueSky:

Careless driving is something that really, really gets me angry. You are steering a 2500+ pound hunk of metal, through streets containing pedestrians and cyclists and other cars! Pay attention! Follow safety regulations and signs!

I have gotten a couple of camera speeding tickets, for going less than 10 mph over the speed limit. It’s annoying, but I pay it, because it was my bad. But I haven’t been in an accident since I was 19, and that one wasn’t my fault. It’s not just luck, it’s prioritizing safe driving

Now I’ve gotten more intent on following speed limits to the letter, largely thanks to those cameras keeping me honest.

The biggest tip I have for other drivers is this: be patient. Like, zen-like patience. You’re running late? You’ll be running a lot more late if you get pulled over or get into an accident. You’re in a hurry? Shaving off 30 seconds by speeding isn’t going to make a real difference

While you’re driving your only job is to operate your vehicle safely and legally. Because again, you’re driving a 2500+ pound killing machine. Don’t forget it.

And ffs stop tailgating. One of the most dangerous things you can do on the road. It takes way longer to stop your car than you think. And USE YOUR TURN SIGNALS.

Related, I also changed my point of view about parking. Like most people who drive, I used to feel as though free parking was a right, and paying for it ranged from an imposition to an outrage. While I still dislike the process of paying in the modern age (wishing for old-fashioned coin meters, or human-staffed pay booths), I understand the negative effects of free parking and zoning requirements for parking minimums on things I care about, so I believe in paying for parking, and that parking lots are a terrible use of land.

I wish I could deconstruct how I came to change my mind about these things. I know that reading had a lot to do with it, and talking with people I met along the way. Unlike many others who work on transportation topics, it's not because I bike most of the time and feel vulnerable to car drivers. It was by developing empathy for the most vulnerable people out on the streets, I think — and maybe after becoming a parent.