Intuition a valid survival skill?

[MotoGirl]

When you ride into your driveway after a long day’s ride, have you ever considered that something other than your superior riding abilities may have helped you get there safely?

I’m not referring to pure good luck – I’m talking about the gut instincts that possibly saved your arse from mass carnage. For example, say you’re hurtling towards a blind corner and suddenly decide to slow down, you know, totally out of the blue. It’s a bit odd that the one time you slow down there’s a herd of cattle in the middle of the road. Or maybe it’s a slow vehicle doing far less than the posted speed limit?

I’m sure we’ve all thought “Shit, lucky I... otherwise...”.

Some would say I’m “in tune” with my instincts and I do believe that things come in threes. After I’ve avoided the first two close-calls, I back the Hell off! Maybe I’m imagining it, or maybe something’s telling me to be careful out there. Whadda ya reckon?

[jrandom]

The day of the Jandal will come as a thief in the night...

[Maverick]

When you ride into your driveway after a long day’s ride, have you ever considered that something other than your superior riding abilities may have helped you get there safely?

I’m not referring to pure good luck – I’m talking about the gut instincts that possibly saved your arse from mass carnage. For example, say you’re hurtling towards a blind corner and suddenly decide to slow down, you know, totally out of the blue. It’s a bit odd that the one time you slow down there’s a herd of cattle in the middle of the road. Or maybe it’s a slow vehicle doing far less than the posted speed limit?

I’m sure we’ve all thought “Shit, lucky I... otherwise...”.

Some would say I’m “in tune” with my instincts and I do believe that things come in threes. After I’ve avoided the first two close-calls, I back the Hell off! Maybe I’m imagining it, or maybe something’s telling me to be careful out there. Whadda ya reckon?

Damn right.

[007XX]

Yep, definitely tend to believe that if I suddenly don't feel like going through the same road that I use every single day, then I won't go there...

It once (I feel) saved my life, as there happened to be an accident on that road, at about the time I was due to drive through it...

And no, I am not superstitious, nor tending to be a buyer of "Hairy Fairie.com" legendary BS...

I just trust my gut instinct, grab a black cat by the tail while walking under a ladder and twirl it madly against any mirrors I can find...

All Good Motogirl, I'm the same as you (which you may actually find scary, I guess )

[Blackbird]

I believe that most things which we call intuition are really the sum of our experiences being brought to bear. Much of this is unconscious because a lot of it becomes automatic whether it applies to motorcycling or anything else in our lives.

A friend in the UK did a riding and driving course with the Diplomatic Protection Service. At the start, he was really shaken how much he missed in terms of audible, visual and smell-based cues which were there all the time. And this is a guy who had been riding and driving for 30 years! At the end of the 6 week course, a lot of these cues had become so automatic that he wasn't consciously aware of them any more. I think this may be what happens in a lot of the situations you describe.

Thoughtful post, M/G

[MotoGirl]

I believe that most things which we call intuition are really the sum of our experiences being brought to bear. Much of this is unconscious because a lot of it becomes automatic whether it applies to motorcycling or anything else in our lives.

I agree with this when it's something like predicting the actions of other drivers. I say this simply because it could easily be based on experience as opposed to gut instinct.

I believe that some out-of-character actions can cause us to avoid carnage.

[Trudes]

I don't know about the guys, but I definitely believe in 'Women's intuition", reckon it has helped me avoid many a sticky situation!

[Macktheknife]

Intuition has saved many lives, just today I was on the motorway (in a cage) and decided to increase my following distances and reduce speed, less than 5 seconds later, the car in front of me changed lanes at high speed, then slammed on the brakes in the new lane. Immediately in front of him a truck and trailer unit had just hit the median barrier. Cars all over the place, truck getting bounced off the barrier and all got interesting, I was quite happy just slowing and avoiding the carnage ahead.
I always go with the 'feeling' when it says slow down.

[vifferman]

I agree with both of you (Adele and Geoff). I'd also say that sometimes your instinct/sum-of-your-experiences can lead you astray. Commuting all the time in Krazyland, you start to pick up subtle cues about things, so for example you know when someone is about to change lanes (useful, seeing they're not used much here). I've been caught out a couple of times when instinct/sum-of-your-experiences was outwitted by the Unpredictability/Sheer Stupidity factor, and the expected result was different.

I've also a couple of times ignored my instinct to my cost. The most noteworthy one was when my instinct was to tootle someone that little voice said "Might not have seen you", and then their actions indicated they had. The guy was driving along with fogged-up windows, I slowed down and didn't tootle because as I came up behind him he pulled into the curb. "Aha! He's seen me!" So I accelerated past.
No, he was just cracking a u-turn, following his normal routine of 'pull out from his house, drive down the road, crack a u-turn'.

[kevfromcoro]

When you ride into your driveway after a long day’s ride, have you ever considered that something other than your superior riding abilities may have helped you get there safely?

I’m not referring to pure good luck – I’m talking about the gut instincts that possibly saved your arse from mass carnage. For example, say you’re hurtling towards a blind corner and suddenly decide to slow down, you know, totally out of the blue. It’s a bit odd that the one time you slow down there’s a herd of cattle in the middle of the road. Or maybe it’s a slow vehicle doing far less than the posted speed limit?

I’m sure we’ve all thought “Shit, lucky I... otherwise...”.

Some would say I’m “in tune” with my instincts and I do believe that things come in threes. After I’ve avoided the first two close-calls, I back the Hell off! Maybe I’m imagining it, or maybe something’s telling me to be careful out there. Whadda ya reckon?

Glad you put this in here.i have done a lot of enduro riding...rode with a bloke that was very experianced...he allways said to me...read the track

didnt know what he was talking about...but after a few years i could read the track....
its funny really..sort of new what was around the next corner.
same on the road......
interesting.

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

When you ride into your driveway after a long day’s ride, have you ever considered that something other than your superior riding abilities may have helped you get there safely?

I’m not referring to pure good luck – I’m talking about the gut instincts that possibly saved your arse from mass carnage. For example, say you’re hurtling towards a blind corner and suddenly decide to slow down, you know, totally out of the blue. It’s a bit odd that the one time you slow down there’s a herd of cattle in the middle of the road. Or maybe it’s a slow vehicle doing far less than the posted speed limit?

I’m sure we’ve all thought “Shit, lucky I... otherwise...”.

Some would say I’m “in tune” with my instincts and I do believe that things come in threes. After I’ve avoided the first two close-calls, I back the Hell off! Maybe I’m imagining it, or maybe something’s telling me to be careful out there. Whadda ya reckon?

all i can say is yes... i have had all that as well

I remember being at an intersection waiting on traffic... there was a bend in it and couldn't see round it the best... looked both ways and it was clear I looked left again it was still clear and started to pull out... and then I just braked and braked hard... (I don't know why) I was sort of still looking to my left I turned my head to the right and just coming round the corner was a kenworth. Don't argue with truck mes think... the truck passed and I shot through the intersection as if nothing had happened.... to this day I do no know why I braked but it saved my life...

I now can read the road ahead (sort of like that sixth sense) and believe that has also saved me many of times over the years...

[Reckless]

You can call them instincts, gut feelings, luck, six sense or whatever but one word descibes them best "Experiance". Those feelings are all a result of experiance.

Listen to them everytime you go out!

The last time I didn't. I crashed big time. Had nothing to do with the road, the conditions or the bike. It was about where my head was at on that day. I just wasn't in the Groove to go that fast on that day. And with 30 years so called experiance I shoulda known better and listened. I didn't and I paid the price.

Listen to them everytime you go out!

[Mom]

The day of the Jandal will come as a thief in the night...

All Hail the jandal........

[MotoGirl]

...following his normal routine of 'pull out from his house, drive down the road, crack a u-turn'.

Oh yes, the old predictable but unpredictable manouvre! Pays not to assume because as they say "assumption is the mother of all f**k ups".

[MotoGirl]

The last time I didn't. I crashed big time. Had nothing to do with the road, the conditions or the bike. It was about where my head was at on that day. I just wasn't in the Groove to go that fast on that day. And with 30 years so called experiance I shoulda known better and listened. I didn't and I paid the price.

That's a valid point you've made there. Intuition gets impaired (just like anything else) when your head's not in the game. I've set out on a couple of rides only to turn around and come back after 100km because I felt like something was missing.