Naked Science Forum

General Science => General Science => Topic started by: neilep on 22/03/2005 12:18:04

Title: The pyschology of waiting for a bus !!
Post by: neilep on 22/03/2005 12:18:04
.....or a train.....or a tram....or a ferry...

I get a train and bus every day to work...which is not nice because I hate commuting !!..well...who does ?...maybe train and bus drivers do !!..anyway......Why do you think people constantly gaze towards where the bus or train are coming from ?...it's not going to make it appear any quicker !...there's very little chance you will miss it if you happen to look the other way......we all do it.....

Is it a primordial instinct that heralds back millions of years when we all waited for the next Brontosaurus to turn up ? (and then three would turn up at once !!).

There must be a strong motivation for it as I see it every day....you simply must look to where the bus/train is coming from.

Anyway, transport your witty comments and observations into first class and I'll give you a ticket for your answers....thanks.

Men are the same as women.... just inside out !!(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.world-of-smilies.com%2Fhtml%2Fimages%2Fsmilies%2Fmini%2Fmini018.gif&hash=43d4f680fb1e52aecb14b539cb9eba2c)
Title: Re: The pyschology of waiting for a bus !!
Post by: Tronix on 23/03/2005 19:05:04
I think it happens mostly with those that are in a hurry or are bored. There is a certain very small ammount of pleasure invloved with actually seeing the bus come up the hill, like staying up to watch the sunset. At least thats how i could understand it from some people. others are impatient and maybe on some level think this will speed its coming. Others simply have little else do to and for asthetic purposed prefer looking down the road than across the street.

or normal people are just weird...

--------------------------------------------
"If i cannot have company whose minds are clearly free, I would prefer to go alone."                  -Dr. Gideon Lincecum

The BPRD rejected my application becuase their brain-controled by Cthulhu Rip-offs. And im sure "Sparky" is sleeping with them too, kinky little firecracker she is...
Title: Re: The pyschology of waiting for a bus !!
Post by: DrPhil on 23/03/2005 22:44:42
In a crowd I'd rather gaze off into the distance than risk making eye contact with a stranger.
Title: Re: The pyschology of waiting for a bus !!
Post by: enidjane on 29/03/2005 22:21:34
Hmmm... positive reinforcement.

I think we look towards where the bus will be because it is positively reinforcing to see the bus.  Like, yesterday and the day after, we were hoping for the bus, and looking in the direction where the bus will be, and then we saw the bus, and we were happy.  If you look in the other direction, but then it would take us longer to knopw about the arriving bus, and our joy would be slightly deferred.  (Unless we could look at a nice handsome gentleman in the opposite direction, which is even more positively reinforcing than bus arrival, if I do say so myself.)
Title: Re: The pyschology of waiting for a bus !!
Post by: Iron Sun 254 on 31/03/2005 16:20:45
Well, where I am drivers will pick up riders in order to take advantage of the high occupancy lanes on the highways so I'm looking for both buses and cars and seeing a bus may determine whether or not I'll choose to get in a particular car.

"There's a thin line between Genius and Insanity.  That's where I live, baby!
Title: Re: The pyschology of waiting for a bus !!
Post by: xardra on 31/03/2005 18:37:25
normally when i'm looking in the direction of the bus car whatever i'm trying to improve my telekenisis abilities!!! ha ha ha...

no, seriously i think that we really do think it will be here sooner if we keep looking, but we know it won;t, but we keep that little hope there...

plus some of us my just really have to go to the bathroom and we can't go here...

Science and religion are of the same family, but they hate eachother... Family reunions are a nightmare....