Inching forward
Monday, October 8, 2007 at 10:42AM I like to play this game. When you’re stopped at a red light and there is at least one car behind you, you know how if you inch forward just a little, the car behind you will too? There’s no reason for this. I mean, inching forward when the car in front of you does certainly doesn’t make the light turn green any faster. And it doesn’t get you through the intersection any faster once the light does turn. So why do people do it?
I think it’s subconscious. In our heads, we’ve each set this distance that we feel comfortable having between us and another stopped car. And that’s how far away we stop at a red light. If the car in front of us increases that distance, we subconsciously decide to move forward as well, settling back into our comfort distance.
So what I like to do is test this theory. When I’m stopped at a red light (and it’s usually when I’m alone and therefore looking for ways to entertain myself), I’ll inch forward a little. Then a little more. Then a little more. And I’ll watch in my rearview mirror as the person behind me inevitably inches forward too. Okay, it’s not inevitable. It’s doesn’t always happen, but pretty damn close. What’s funny is that they do it repeatedly. They’ll inch forward as many times as I do, even though it’s really accomplishing nothing.
An added bonus is if you can get a good look at the driver’s face. Usually it’s completely blank or distracted, sometimes not even looking out the windshield. People do this so subconsciously that they can be thinking about a million different things and sometimes even rely on their peripheral vision.
And best of all is when you can manage to see a few cars back. It’s like a chain reaction. You inch, the person behind you inches. Then the next guy inches, then the next. You inch again. Repeat.
It’s fun, you should try it.
(Can you tell I’m sick and am having trouble stringing words together?) (No? Yes? Well I am.)
Just stuff
Reader Comments (8)
Yes, this is a silly hobby of mine. Inch, stop, inch, stop. Usually people will do it 2 times but not 3.
I inch forward just to get them off my ass. So if they inch forward too, I'll do it again. "Hello, I don't want you on my ass, and no, the light didn't turn green. Kindly realize your mistake and put it in Park." But no, they inch forward AGAIN! Get away from me!! It seriously sets me off sometimes.
tee hee. at least it's a way to not get too crabby during rush hour.
The more you're inching, the better chance that you'll be inching already when the light turns green. Thereby helping you accelerate faster.
I hate it when people keep creeping forward up behind me. I've wanted to invent and elctronic sign that you put in your back window that has saying already programmed in. So you would push 1 for the sign to say, "Back off asshole! I don't want you riding my ass!" Push 2 for the nicer version, "Though I'm sure your in a hurry, please don't drive so closely to my vehicle." Press 3 for, "Children aboard. If you don't back off, you're likely to hit us and how would you feel if you hurt or killed one of my children?"
Well, ok. Maybe something a little more simple and easy to read. Short and concise, but you get the picture.
My mom says that they used to have paddles that they would hold up at passing cars. LOL Wouldn't that be neat?!
I've always wanted something similar... a way to communicate with other cars. When I was younger, our family car was once stuck in a traffic jam. I made up signs in a notebook with silly messages like "Isn't this fun?" and held them up to the other cars. So a digital message board would be perfect!
There ya go...there's our niche! =)
Just wanted to say that I starting "inching" at 16. My very first car was a 1981 Plymouth Reliant -- ancient. It had a tendency to overheat and stall if it sat too long, so I found that if I stopped a ways behind the line/car in front of me and inched every few seconds, the engine didn't get so hot. (Although I know nothing about this and may very well have imagined that this was helping.)