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Freezing in the middle of the street
I always wondered why when you see people standing in the middle of the street and a car is speeding towards them, they never move... Well, today I was crossing the street with a couple of friends of mine and right when we were in the middle of the street, a police car comes out of nowhere and nearly runs us over. I was surprised to notice (after my friends pulled me out of the road just in time to not get hit) that I also froze! I remember seeing the car, hearing the driver accelerate and come towards me, yet I stopped walking. :ehh: Freaky! :( When my friends pulled me I realised and jumped out of the way just in time. All the driver did was scream the greek equivelant of f***er and sped off :mad:
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
The "Deer in the headlights" syndrome. They just stand there, too.
Good thing you were pulled away.
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by dglienna
The "Deer in the headlights" syndrome. They just stand there, too.
Good thing you were pulled away.
Weird. I felt so stupid after. Quite a scare though, I could barely walk after. All I kept thinking of is what if they hadn't pulled me. Even when he did break, he still went past where I was standing. He would have hit me for sure :( Damn Greek drivers :(
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
Are you going to go "Born Again Christian" on us now?
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by dglienna
Or, damn pedestrians. ;)
Well, I don't have my driver's liscence yet, so it's always the drivers' fault :D
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by mendhak
Are you going to go "Born Again Christian" on us now?
:ehh:
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
It's usually after close calls like these (even minor ones) that people go all spiritual and wonder about their cosmological significance and purpose.
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
Think about it. Instead of those Deer/SUV pictures, we could have been seeing you instead, and what you had for lunch. :afrog:
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
Quote:
Originally Posted by mendhak
It's usually after close calls like these (even minor ones) that people go all spiritual and wonder about their cosmological significance and purpose.
Good idea... So, why am I on this planet after all? :spiritual: :)
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by mendhak
Think about it. Instead of those Deer/SUV pictures, we could have been seeing you instead, and what you had for lunch. :afrog:
Nice! See me squashed and the half digested chinese food I had for lunch :sick:
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
Once, I was crossing a busy street in the city of high-rises. I had been wearing my walkman, not paying attention to anything more than I had to. The problem was that the city had recently come up with "reverse route lanes" for buses, which means the buses run the wrong-way down one-way streets. I was about to cross a one-way street that had traffic going west, so I looked to the right, and stepped out into the street. Man, that bus stopped 6" from me, cranking on the airhorn for all he was worth. I didn't hear a thing! I jumped about a foot, and didn't move for what seemed like 30 seconds. Luckily I wasn't hit. I would have been killed.
There were quite a few injuries those first few weeks of reverse-route buses.
I still don't know the purpose of them.
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by manavo11
So, why am I on this planet after all? :spiritual: :)
A lot of us have been wondering about that, since November '02 :D
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by mendhak
A lot of us have been wondering about that, since November '02 :D
When you find out, let me know :)
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by dglienna
Once, I was crossing a busy street in the city of high-rises. I had been wearing my walkman, not paying attention to anything more than I had to. The problem was that the city had recently come up with "reverse route lanes" for buses, which means the buses run the wrong-way down one-way streets. I was about to cross a one-way street that had traffic going west, so I looked to the right, and stepped out into the street. Man, that bus stopped 6" from me, cranking on the airhorn for all he was worth. I didn't hear a thing! I jumped about a foot, and didn't move for what seemed like 30 seconds. Luckily I wasn't hit. I would have been killed.
There were quite a few injuries those first few weeks of reverse-route buses.
I still don't know the purpose of them.
That's dangerous to do! And what would happen if a car was going the right way on the one way street and the bus was coming from the other side? :ehh:
Where my university is, when I leave I have to cross a 3 lane highway (3 on each side of the road, 6 total) to get to the bus stop. There have been lots of kids killed and they have finally started to build a bridge for us :eek: (But there was an accident with that bridge and the construction stopped). After getting used to waiting for the slightest opening between cars and time my run well enough to make it through all 3 lanes without being caught in the middle, I never even look when I am crossing small streets (like the one I almost got ran over on today)... So I guess it won't be long before you do see me in a picture with an SUV :(
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
that had to be 20 years ago. I just remembered it and decided to share.
There were no cars coming, I had looked for that, but forgot about the buses.
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by dglienna
that had to be 20 years ago.
Still doesn't make sence for me unless they didn't allow cars on those streets :ehh:
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
Makes sense enough. From what I hear, in Greece and France, vehicles run on the sidewalks too.
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by mendhak
Makes sense enough. From what I hear, in Greece and France, vehicles run on the sidewalks too.
No limits here :)
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
There are about six streets that run in alternate directions one block apart. The City decided to have the buses run the OPPOSITE direction in the buses-only lane on all of those streets. I don't know why, but they kept the system for 20 years.
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by dglienna
There are about six streets that run in alternate directions one block apart. The City decided to have the buses run the OPPOSITE direction in the buses-only lane on all of those streets. I don't know why, but they kept the system for 20 years.
Weird :ehh:
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
I guess that it grows on you. You first have to look left to see if a bus is coming in the first lane, then to the right to see if traffic is coming from the other direction in the 3 lanes (including parking spots). Then, a block away in either direction, things are the opposite.
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
The tourists must have been baffled. :(
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by dglienna
I guess that it grows on you. You first have to look left to see if a bus is coming in the first lane, then to the right to see if traffic is coming from the other direction in the 3 lanes (including parking spots). Then, a block away in either direction, things are the opposite.
I wouldn't survive a week :blush:
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
I had a power booster/eq for the walkman that boosted it 400% with good digital headphones. only the radio and cassette, but excellent!
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by dglienna
I had a power booster/eq for the walkman that boosted it 400% with good digital headphones. only the radio and cassette, but excellent!
How is your hearing? :D
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
Not as bad as a lot of my friends. I think I lost a little off of the high frequency end, but overall, pretty good, considering that I have always like things LOUD!
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by mendhak
It's usually after close calls like these (even minor ones) that people go all spiritual and wonder about their cosmological significance and purpose.
What's my cosmological significance?
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
I reckon the freezing response is the concious brain taking-cover and the ancient hind-brain trying to work out what this big metal thing with 2 big eyes is.
Closest I have ever come to this is when I was stabbed by a junkie in West Bromwich, really strange. Time slows down to a crawl and your mouth goes dry.
Its like moving through treacle, you have to try incredibly hard to get your arms moving at anything that seems like normal speed. Must be the adrenalin speeding up the brain's clockspeed (like too much coffee). My GF at the time said she'd never seen anyone move as fast! I managed to daze the bloke and throw him in a dumpster and leg it with the missus. I was shaking for hours after that and I didn't even realise I had been stabbed until we got home. My biggest fear was that I would get Aids or something from the knife but it turned out I was lucky in the end.
But that is what happens when you go up against another human. Cars are easy :D
If you are after a rush, go annoy some dossers in West Brom, takes quite a lot to make a heroin addict hit the deck. Its character building my Dad said.
Happy days.
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by visualAd
What's my cosmological significance?
Negligible.
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by manavo11
I always wondered why when you see people standing in the middle of the street and a car is speeding towards them, they never move... Well, today I was crossing the street with a couple of friends of mine and right when we were in the middle of the street, a police car comes out of nowhere and nearly runs us over. I was surprised to notice (after my friends pulled me out of the road just in time to not get hit) that I also froze! I remember seeing the car, hearing the driver accelerate and come towards me, yet I stopped walking. :ehh: Freaky! :( When my friends pulled me I realised and jumped out of the way just in time. All the driver did was scream the greek equivelant of f***er and sped off :mad:
Bhahhahahahaha....did they pull you....hehehhehe...:)
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by NoteMe
Bhahhahahahaha....did they pull you....hehehhehe...:)
Weird, the Greeks ban video games one day and legalise pulling in public the next.
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
Bhahhahahahahhaa....yeah, they are weird....well I have had s** on one of their beaches on the middle of the day....I didn't have to go to jail because of that either..:)
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
I didn't have sex on a Greek beach and I still didn't have to go to jail.
*pushing an old joke well beyond breaking point*
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by dglienna
Not as bad as a lot of my friends. I think I lost a little off of the high frequency end, but overall, pretty good, considering that I have always like things LOUD!
So you would miss half an opera if you went to one? :D
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by NoteMe
Bhahhahahahaha....did they pull you....hehehhehe...:)
Yep... And I'm lucky they did :eek:
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by wossname
Weird, the Greeks ban video games one day and legalise pulling in public the next.
We're weird :)
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by NoteMe
Bhahhahahahahhaa....yeah, they are weird....well I have had s** on one of their beaches on the middle of the day....I didn't have to go to jail because of that either..:)
Stop reminding me :cry:
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by manavo11
Stop reminding me :cry:
Is that why you like NoteMe so much?
:rofl: :D
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by wossname
Is that why you like NoteMe so much?
:rofl: :D
Who says I like him? :ehh:
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by manavo11
So you would miss half an opera if you went to one? :D
I used to be able to hear well above the average frequency, but now its down more like normal human beings. Only miss some cymbals and other very high frequencies. Nothing in the vocal range.
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
I've had a 'freezing in the middle of the street' episode with a motor cycle that 'appeared from nowhere'.
Scary stuff.
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by dglienna
I used to be able to hear well above the average frequency, but now its down more like normal human beings. Only miss some cymbals and other very high frequencies. Nothing in the vocal range.
If you were missing from the vocal range then you should worry! :eek:
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
I have a friend that went almost totally deaf at age 30, due to the loud music and factory noise that he worked and played around for most of his life.
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
The reason for freezing is because you panic and you instincts take over. AKA freeze so you wont be seen. :)
The reason for acting quickly is probably because you dont think about it before doing it. When you are injured you enter a state where you have no restrictions. You probably hit that guy harder than you would do normally because the thoughts that we use to determine reasonable force are removed in favour of what you body considers survival :D
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
I froze after I jumped a foot, or so. Luckily the bus stopped!
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by BodwadUK
The reason for freezing is because you panic and you instincts take over. AKA freeze so you wont be seen. :)
The reason for acting quickly is probably because you dont think about it before doing it. When you are injured you enter a state where you have no restrictions. You probably hit that guy harder than you would do normally because the thoughts that we use to determine reasonable force are removed in favour of what you body considers survival :D
Intersting theory, but unfortunatelly (or fortunatelly?) the police cars aren't T-Rexes :D
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by manavo11
..... I was surprised to notice (after my friends pulled me out of the road just in time to not get hit) that I also froze! I remember seeing the car, hearing the driver accelerate and come towards me, yet I stopped walking. :ehh: Freaky! .....
No not freakey. Inexperienced. Obviously you have not been exposed to life threatening or perceived life threatening situations that involved fast moving objects heading towards you. Your subconsious brain didn't know what the hell to do. It has nothing to do with instinct it's all luck.
Take Deer A and Deer B. Deer A crosses a road for the first time. A car comes. Deer A's brain freezes. Deer A becomes Hamburger. Deer B crosses the road for the first time. Instead of freezing Deer B jumps forward. That moment of fear ingrains the act of incoming fast moving objects, fear and jumping into the Deer B's brain. Deer B will never be hit by a car in his life due to freezing. It's a very similar concept to how instructors use a combination of fear and conditioning to train soldiers and prepare them for combat. I read a good book on it years ago. If I remember the title I'll post it.
Any ways, your friends screwed you. Next time you are in the same situation you will probably freeze again. Your brain has associated freezing with survival in that situation. Dude Look both ways 4 times before you cross the street from now on :D
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by MasterBlaster
I read a good book on it years ago. If I remember the title I'll post it.
Please do :) Sounds interesting :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by MasterBlaster
Any ways, your friends screwed you. Next time you are in the same situation you will probably freeze again. Your brain has associated freezing with survival in that situation. Dude Look both ways 4 times before you cross the street from now on :D
Should they have let me get hit? :ehh:
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by manavo11
Should they have let me get hit? :ehh:
Probably, if you live through it you would
A. No longer freeze in front of an incoming car
B. Won a massive lawsuit and be filthy rich right now.
C. Remember to look both ways before you cross a street
:D
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
or been killed, in which case your relatives would become filthy rich.
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by MasterBlaster
Probably, if you live through it you would
A. No longer freeze in front of an incoming car
B. Won a massive lawsuit and be filthy rich right now.
C. Remember to look both ways before you cross a street
:D
:lol:
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by dglienna
or been killed, in which case your relatives would become filthy rich.
:lol: :lol:
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
and you could have been re-incarnated as a, bird!
just kidding...
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Re: Freezing in the middle of the street
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Originally Posted by dglienna
and you could have been re-incarnated as a, bird!
just kidding...
I still wouldn't be safe... I'd see speeding bullets coming towards me and freeze :)
