Learning All The Time - Situational Awareness

[Viking01]

Morning All,
I wasn't going to do another post for a while, but then something cropped up
today and it seemed like the ideal opportunity for another waffling ramble.

So I thought this morning that we might talk about Situational Awareness.

Firstly, I am aware that this should probably be in the "Rant and Rave" section.
But if I put it there, you might not see it. And we can't have that.

Secondly, I make no claim to be an expert in this area (public disclaimer - tick),
but I do have a few points that I'd like to share with you, which you might find
useful (or not). And the situations might not be all that obvious to the uninitiated.


Anyway, my dearly beloved has to attend a forensic conference at the Te Papa
museum in central Wellington over the course of the next two days. All to do with
drugs and so on. And No, there will not be any free samples to take home ....

And before you ask further, she is involved only in the analysis and reporting of
such products (not the consumption thereof), as she had cause to remind one
lawyer many years ago when he asked a leading question in court.


Anyway, it all started with the question last night as to whether I'd drop her
into town in the morning, so she could get course registration out of the way
and give her a little more time to sit down and read a couple of background
papers.

The reason is unimportant. But the "situationally aware" among you will instantly
realise that the "question" is actually a "request" (almost verging on "instruction"),
and that the right answer is of course, "Yes, my love, anything for you. What time
do you want to go into town ?".

Look, if you failed that one and fell at the first hurdle, then all I can say is that
you still have a lot to learn. You'd better keep reading.


After a quick discussion, she said "7:30am" would be early enough, whereas I
said (suggested) "on the road by 7:10am latest". Why, you ask ?

Well, after the recent earthquakes here in Wellington, car parking has been
reduced, and the usual 7:30am crowd have been slinking in earlier in order
to snaffle up the available car parking spots. And possibly the new Haywards
Hill interchange, which seems to be feeding traffic through marginally faster.

See. "Situation Awareness". And we're not even on the road yet.


Anyway, we managed to get out the door on time this morning, and onto SH2
and merge without incident.

"Of course, sir, please feel free to come and share my lane". "No, don't worry
that your indicator isn't working, and there's probably only just over one car
length free space in front of me". "I'm sure you can JAM yourself in there if
you try".

"And don't bother about a cheery wave to acknowledge my courtesy - courtesy is
way over-rated".

So you can see, after our little BMW X5 episode last week-end, my "situational
awareness" radar is still working just fine.

Oh, and I'd remembered to take my meds as well before we left. Wouldn't want
a psychotic episode out there on the road behind the wheel of a car, would we ?

Note to Toyota: Dispense with car rear indicators - Potential cost savings -
Nobody uses the damn things anyway.


The rest of the trip into town along the motorway was relatively uneventful,
though it was certainly breezy out there on the harbour this morning.

How do I know ? Peripheral vision at its best, or as you-know-who sometimes
calls it, "periferal vision".

We managed to get to Te Papa in relatively good time, and we pulled into the
drop-off area out front of Te Papa, just behind another car doing likewise.

And there was even a nice gap there for the two of us to pull in and drop off
our respective passengers. Well, there was until he stopped right in the middle
of the gap, and left me with my rear end hanging out slightly.

"C'mon mate, just wriggle a few feet further forward, and make room for me as
well". A couple of head-light flashes in the rear view mirror over the next few
seconds elicited no recognition or response.

Note to Toyota: You can also get rid of the rear view mirror while you're at it.

A little horn 'parp', and then we get a heads-up response. "Yes, sir, there is a
car behind you, and yes, sir, your parking does leave a bit to be desired".

"Oh, for God's sake, man. Will you just kiss the woman and kick her out the
car door?". "No, there's no time for tongue; a litle peck on the cheek will do
just fine. Just move, will you ?". Sheesh !

At least my dearly beloved knows the drill.

Yes, I know, CasperNZ, deep breathing, deep breathing .....


Anyway, it was now time to turn around and retrace my steps back along the
waterfront and head home.

Cruising down the quays and thinking just as I approached the Railway Station
that perhaps I should move left in-lane another foot or so just to allow for the
side WIND BLAST that comes racing through across in front of the station.

Too early in the day for Parliament to be sitting - it must be the northerly.

Continue on down the quays in the left lane towards the Westpac Stadium, and
there is a big white campervan (with one of those GCSB surveillance domes on
top) cruising down the right hand lane.

I wonder whether he is really going to go under the motorway up onto the old
Hutt Road, or whether he is going to change into the left hand lane once he gets
closer to the ferry terminal? Maybe I'll just hang back a car length or two and
keep a watch on him.

Whoa !! Sudden indicator flashing, and a very quick swerve in across my nose
in order to make the ferry turn-off. Ohhh, you're a lucky b@#$%&* (well, both
of us for that matter).

Note to NZTA: You really could do with putting up another ferry turn-off sign
closer to the stadium, rather than just the one located barely five car lengths
before the ferry turn-off itself. No, seriously, if there's anyone at NZTA who is
reading this ....

Then up onto the motorway again, and back towards Ngauranga. I know that
the Subaru is reasonably low profile and good in cross winds, but I have to say
those new tyres are certainly working a treat.

Almost home again, but since I needed a few grocery items and it's still so early,
I thought that I'd risk another foray to the supermarket. Yes, I know what you're
thinking - some people never learn.

But the car-park was almost empty (only about 20 cars) and I could park almost
anywhere I liked. And the supermarket aisles were almost empty of customers
as well (mainly just staff stocking shelves).

And when I got to the supermarket check-out, there was only one customer
ahead of me and he was already busy making his payment. Woo hoo ! All done
in ten minutes flat.

But sadly, readers, I couldn't give them a 100% satisfaction score for this visit.
And it wasn't even the supermarket's fault.

You see, as I exited the front doors of Pak n' Save and then approached the
painted pedestrian crossing in the car-park, well, the driver of this little Ford
Fiesta decided that they would try and "beat the trolley" and get across the
crossing in front of me. With barely 2 feet in front of me to spare. Really ??

Luckily, a quick glance towards the approaching driver (who was certainly not
looking in my direction) and the sound of rising engine revs was enough to give
the game away. And our paths did not cross.

But don't worry. I've got your number (plate) and I'm confident that we'll meet
again (if you know what I mean). Thinks he with evil grin. Heh, heh, heh ...

[mojo1444]

Nice story make it a TV series 😀

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

[Moi]

"Of course, sir, please feel free to come and share my lane". "No, don't worry
that your indicator isn't working, and there's probably only just over one car
length free space in front of me". "I'm sure you can JAM yourself in there if
you try".

"And don't bother about a cheery wave to acknowledge my courtesy - courtesy is
way over-rated".

But, but, but... he's far more important than you can ever imagine...

Bet it also had tinted windows...

Yes, I know, CasperNZ, deep breathing, deep breathing .....

If there's any deep breathing involved it will be more than a peck on the cheek... Human Sexuality 101.

Note to NZTA: You really could do with putting up another ferry turn-off sign
closer to the stadium, rather than just the one located barely five car lengths
before the ferry turn-off itself. No, seriously, if there's anyone at NZTA who is
reading this ....

I do wonder if people who work for organisations like that - NZTA, local body town planners, local body traffic engineers - ever actually use the roads they "design" for the plebs to use...

[Viking01]

But, but, but... he's far more important than you can ever imagine...

Bet it also had tinted windows...




If there's any deep breathing involved it will be more than a peck on the cheek... Human Sexuality 101.




I do wonder if people who work for organisations like that - NZTA, local body town planners, local body traffic engineers - ever actually use the roads they "design" for the plebs to use...

Moi,
Actually, I'll have to plead slightly guilty. After seeing your post, I hopped onto Google Street View
to check exactly where on Aotea Quay the sign was positioned, and it was positioned about fifteen
car lengths before the actual turn-off. Not five. So my spatial calibration needs some re-tuning.

I was probably concentrating more on the campervan to my right, and on the courier van that was
getting ready to turn out of the side street on the left.

That said, the campervan driver had very little time to realise he was in the wrong lane for the turn
to the ferry. Re-positioning the sign further back would still be of benefit to traffic coming from that
direction.

Cheers

[Moi]

Moi,
Actually, I'll have to plead slightly guilty. After seeing your post, I hopped onto Google Street View
to check exactly where on Aotea Quay the sign was positioned, and it was positioned about fifteen
car lengths before the actual turn-off. Not five. So my spatial calibration needs some re-tuning.

I was probably concentrating more on the campervan to my right, and on the courier van that was
getting ready to turn out of the side street on the left.

That said, the campervan driver had very little time to realise he was in the wrong lane for the turn
to the ferry. Re-positioning the sign further back would still be of benefit to traffic coming from that
direction.

Cheers

IPSGA and TUG

Is fifteen car lengths enough distance to register you're in the incorrect lane and to make a safe lane change? I think you've answered that question already.

I'd suggest that providing earlier information would be a safety asset, especially if many looking for that information are not locals. If roads are made safer for drivers then it would be assumed that roads are safer for riders.

[Berries]

Now cassina is gone the Viking provides the relief which is kind of ironic.

Note to NZTA: You really could do with putting up another ferry turn-off sign closer to the stadium, rather than just the one located barely five car lengths
before the ferry turn-off itself. No, seriously, if there's anyone at NZTA who is reading this ....

Lets assume there isn't. Why not ring them if you feel that strongly about it?


Bloody cagers.

[Viking01]

Now cassina is gone the Viking provides the relief which is kind of ironic.


Lets assume there isn't. Why not ring them if you feel that strongly about it?


Bloody cagers.

Hi,
Thanks for the suggestion. As it is, I submitted a request via the NZTA online website
early this afternoon after having thought about it a little more. It's unlikely to be a
common happening, but the signage could be positioned to better effect none the less.

Cheers

[caspernz]

There is indeed a fine opportunity for Mr Viking to end up with his own TV series, we'll have to do a poll for a suitable name.

In day to day road usage, I can't help but refer back to a mighty fine book I once read. It talks about planning my motorized vehicular motion, which is sometimes mighty amusing. So I can be minding my own business, looking at things I can see, or even things I can't see, then thinking about what I can reasonably expect to transpire. It's when other people do rather odd things that my dark side comes to the fore...

The list of these odd things is somewhat long, so I won't get too carried away here, will save that for when the script is written for Mr Viking's as yet unnamed TV series.

Todays' example of odd behavior is courtesy of a nightshift encounter with a confused motorist, who got rather angry with me. His logic was that as I came down an off ramp from an Auckland motorway, I was blocking his way. Now I found this mighty odd, for he seemed to be treating the off ramp I'd just come down as an on ramp. Needless to say, in the interests of safety, I chose to continue to block his path by remaining stationary for the short duration of verbal interchange. I even used a feature on my truck that is not often used anymore, my indicators. Or in this case the fourways or hazard lights. In this instance the driver of the car was none of the following: drunk, a tourist, from out of town, a recent immigrant, or suffering from a tightly knotted necktie... In the brief exchange of words we had, it became clear that his ability to multi task was somewhat limited. Using his GPS as a guide, whilst talking on the phone and sipping his latte, driving the car and actually using his eyes had caused a complete overload. My patience wore thin somewhat, and I must admit I used some very plain English to snap him out of his overload situation, which seemed to help him see the error of his ways. He never thanked me for saving him spilling his latte a split second after bumping headlights with a fellow motorist.

The sad part is that this encounter with a ghost driver in the making is by no means an isolated incident. Some of my colleagues have had near misses of this sort over the years. It would appear that situational awareness is going the same way as common sense, the presence of such qualities is in decline. If only we could invent an app that reinstalled such qualities...

[Viking01]

There is indeed a fine opportunity for Mr Viking to end up with his own TV series, we'll have to do a poll for a suitable name.

In day to day road usage, I can't help but refer back to a mighty fine book I once read. It talks about planning my motorized vehicular motion, which is sometimes mighty amusing. So I can be minding my own business, looking at things I can see, or even things I can't see, then thinking about what I can reasonably expect to transpire. It's when other people do rather odd things that my dark side comes to the fore...

The list of these odd things is somewhat long, so I won't get too carried away here, will save that for when the script is written for Mr Viking's as yet unnamed TV series.

Todays' example of odd behavior is courtesy of a nightshift encounter with a confused motorist, who got rather angry with me. His logic was that as I came down an off ramp from an Auckland motorway, I was blocking his way. Now I found this mighty odd, for he seemed to be treating the off ramp I'd just come down as an on ramp. Needless to say, in the interests of safety, I chose to continue to block his path by remaining stationary for the short duration of verbal interchange. I even used a feature on my truck that is not often used anymore, my indicators. Or in this case the fourways or hazard lights. In this instance the driver of the car was none of the following: drunk, a tourist, from out of town, a recent immigrant, or suffering from a tightly knotted necktie... In the brief exchange of words we had, it became clear that his ability to multi task was somewhat limited. Using his GPS as a guide, whilst talking on the phone and sipping his latte, driving the car and actually using his eyes had caused a complete overload. My patience wore thin somewhat, and I must admit I used some very plain English to snap him out of his overload situation, which seemed to help him see the error of his ways. He never thanked me for saving him spilling his latte a split second after bumping headlights with a fellow motorist.

The sad part is that this encounter with a ghost driver in the making is by no means an isolated incident. Some of my colleagues have had near misses of this sort over the years. It would appear that situational awareness is going the same way as common sense, the presence of such qualities is in decline. If only we could invent an app that reinstalled such qualities...

CasperNZ,
You give me far too much credit, and my writing talent is, well, limited. It has been fun
though doing the last few posts, as it has provided an opportunity to highlight (?) a few
situations in a slightly humorous way. Well, I laughed.

Like yesterday's post - for "Situational Awareness", we covered in a very broad sense
(i) awareness of what a person was requesting (ii) awareness of wider environmental
situation (iii) merging (iv) peripheral vision (v) drivers rearward awareness (vi) side-on
wind impact (vii) changing lanes without warning (viii) pedestrian crossing. I hope the
readers all got full marks on their test .... 8-)

But the truth is, I'd soon run out of topics. And it's hard to find good source material.
And then I'd have to start making things up. Like you-know-who ...... 8-)

[Viking01]

Todays' example of odd behavior is courtesy of a nightshift encounter with a confused motorist, who got rather angry with me. His logic was that as I came down an off ramp from an Auckland motorway, I was blocking his way. Now I found this mighty odd, for he seemed to be treating the off ramp I'd just come down as an on ramp. Needless to say, in the interests of safety, I chose to continue to block his path by remaining stationary for the short duration of verbal interchange. I even used a feature on my truck that is not often used anymore, my indicators. Or in this case the fourways or hazard lights. In this instance the driver of the car was none of the following: drunk, a tourist, from out of town, a recent immigrant, or suffering from a tightly knotted necktie... In the brief exchange of words we had, it became clear that his ability to multi task was somewhat limited. Using his GPS as a guide, whilst talking on the phone and sipping his latte, driving the car and actually using his eyes had caused a complete overload. My patience wore thin somewhat, and I must admit I used some very plain English to snap him out of his overload situation, which seemed to help him see the error of his ways. He never thanked me for saving him spilling his latte a split second after bumping headlights with a fellow motorist.

The sad part is that this encounter with a ghost driver in the making is by no means an isolated incident. Some of my colleagues have had near misses of this sort over the years. It would appear that situational awareness is going the same way as common sense, the presence of such qualities is in decline. If only we could invent an app that reinstalled such qualities...

Morning CasperNZ,
Well, each day is different, and so it was today, when I dropped my dearly
beloved off at Te Papa again. And it was quite a contrast to yesterday. So
I thought that I'd add a few more notes to yesterday's scribbles.

Our usual "fine weather in the Capital" had been restored (a lovely sunny
Autumn day), and we were heading into town a little later (8am) when the
traffic volumes were higher. So, of course, traffic was traveling just a little
slower and was a little more bunched up.

Have to say that I'm not a fan of traveling into town at this hour of day,
because the sun is still low in the sky and you are getting sun-strike in
your mirrors. And it's sometimes hard to judge whether those tail lights
and indicators of the cars in front are really "on", or just lit up by the sun.

And as for the Upper Hutt lads doing their usual motorcycle "slalom" back
and forth across the centre line between slow moving traffic prior to and
after the Petone interchange. Well, one day, it is going to end in tears.

And the flashing "hazard" lights aren't really much use if I can't easily see
either of them in the mirrors because of sun (and due to the speed they're
traveling). Just saying.

As for the young lady in the MX5 who nosed in front of us. Well, your hair
looked just fine. I did do a "thumbs-up", but I'm not sure whether you saw
me in the mirror. But maybe a slightly different hair care product in future?
Something to give your hair a little more 'bounce'.

Both the brakes and suspension on the MX5 seem to be in good condition
- as she no doubt found out after the car in front of her had slowed right
down, and she looked up from the mirror in a hurry. Good recovery, though.
And a nice straight braking line.

Don't worry, there was never any risk of being tail-ended. I wasn't fixating
on your tail, and I'd seen this coming quite a way off.

And just to wrap it up, the next time the boy-friend (or husband / significant
other) calls you on the mobile while you are driving, please just let the call
go through to voice mail. You did wander about in-lane a little, and I'd hate
for the MX5 to need some panel beating and a re-spray (since it looked in
such nice condition).

The petrol tanker cruising down the motorway. Just glided his way in and out
of traffic. No drama. A pleasure to observe.

I did give the effluent removal truck (that we just happened to catch up with)
just a little more following room, though. With that big tank on-back and that
rear facing valve, I thought that I wouldn't like to rear-end him and end up in
the ....

Other than that, a fairly uneventful trip into town (and back). Just the way I
like them.

Safe travels to you all.

[Viking01]

Now cassina is gone the Viking provides the relief which is kind of ironic.


Lets assume there isn't. Why not ring them if you feel that strongly about it?


Bloody cagers.

Just a quick update. I heard from NZTA the next day that they look after only National
road signs (Labour and Greens are on their own), and that it is the responsibility of the
local authority (i.e. Wellington City Council). So a quick request to them in turn, which
they acknowledged and passed on to the Roading Management team. The WCC person
must have performed an online view of the road as well, noting that they agreed and
that they added some supporting comments to the request as well. So we wait and see.

Cheers.