Car parks are a nightmare!

[Tiddler]

Okay, I’m throwing myself out there now and admitting things I don’t normally tell people.

I’ve had 3 minor car accidents, 2 in car parks and one coming out of a garage. I read somewhere that people with adhd are more likely to have accidents at slow speeds and I wondered why? Does this apply to you?

Also, my husband always laughs when we go in to car parks because I always drive all round it before parking, even if it’s empty.

Why can’t I just park in the first space I see? Why can’t I choose one?! It doesn’t make sense to me.

Not a big deal. Just an ‘odd’ thing that I’m interested in really.

Thanks.

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[Bibliophile]

You are not alone in having driving issues, Tiddler. I am a horrible driver. I have only had three or four minor collisions, all at low speeds, so far though. I did extensive damage to my car though when I hit a parking column because I was arguing with someone in the passenger seat at the time. Loads of near misses, too many to enumerate easily. I hate going to the mall because of the parking the most.

Some new cars have cameras in the side mirrors that notify you via a light if a car is in your blind spot. I want that for my next vehicle. And a backup camera. And an automatic brake to ensure I don’t collide with anything. When are personal transportation pods coming?

As for parking, I can’t tolerate going around and looking. Grab the first spot I see and walk it. Otherwise, my stress levels go through the roof.

There was a study that found people with ADHD fared better at driving if they were driving a standard transmission as they would were more engaged in the process. Not sure what the sample size of it was though.

Dr. Russell Barkley’s brother, who had ADHD, was killed in a traffic accident.

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[Tiddler]

I’m really sad about Dr Barkley’s brother. I’ve been learning so much from him over the last couple of weeks. What a burden for him to have.

My stress levels are high in busy car parks, and on the motorway when there’s a queue. I’ve even turned round and gone home if I’ve not been able to find a space straight away. I realise that I have done this at bus stops too – I’ve walked to the next one (and missed the bus) rather than stand waiting.

I think my driving on city roads and on country lanes is actually very good – I’m alert and focused and can spot hazards way ahead – like a child or a sheep or dog in the distance. Motorways are fine as long as they’re constantly changing but when they’re stop-start I’m really scared of rear-ending someone as my mind definitely wanders more than it should.

It took me years to learn to drive and 4 tests. I use standard transmission. I enjoy driving in a challenge – like when there’s heavy rain or I’m driving a long distance and hit a snow storm, or on very windy roads. But reversing and making decisions at slow speeds is much harder.

Occasionally, I’m coming out of a car park and there are 2 possible exits and I get so indecisive about which one to take that I end up having to stop and reverse because I’ve ended up right in the middle of them! I used to think this was a spacial problem, but I know that’s not it.

Damn it – I can smell my veggie burger burning on the stove! Gotta go.

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[billd]

Honesty: I’m laughing as I read this. Don’t take offense – I’m not laughing “at” you – I’m laughing as I see MYSELF. That’s so me! From top to bottom of this thread.

One part differs. I found it easy to learn to drive, always aced the tests – especially the written ones as to me they were common sense things, but put me in a car and I’m likely to get a speeding ticket, or get frustrated and angry in traffic.

I did well in the driving/practical tests maybe because I was being watched and monitored and because of constant feedback. Also always aced the motorcycle tests.

But for every other part of it – maybe that’s also one reason I hate to go SHOPPING. I hate busy stores or parking lots. AARRGGHH!

My own personal daily driver is a 1982 AMC Eagle SX/4 with a 5 speed standard transmission. Mostly I personally prefer sticks. My show car is an automatic mostly because it’s all I could afford – the same car with a standard transmission would have cost me at least 3 or 4 thousand more because of “popularity” or demand.

When I bought my new truck I told the dealer – no backup camera, no deal. They found my otherwise ideal truck and installed the factory backup camera system in it for me. LOVE IT! especially when backing up to my car hauler (flatbed trailer)

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[Tiddler]

LOL I’m so glad you’re laughing. I had a feeling this was the place to admit to my quirks!

I’m not sure if I’m right about standard transmission. Here ‘standard’ is a gear stick. I’ve never driven without one. Is standard what the English call ‘automatic’ (ie no stick)? I’ve never tried to drive one of them.

I didn’t know such things as backup cameras existed. That could have saved me a lot of heartache!

When I finally passed my test, the instructor said I had passed but that I was ‘annoying’. LOL I wasn’t even offended because I’d passed so I didn’t care but it’s only now that I can look back and realise why she said it.

Please turn on the next available right.

Do you mean that one with the tree or the one with the pub on the corner?

Well, take the next one, we’ve already passed the first one.

Please turn right at the roundabout.

Which right? When I’m turning off, they’re all left. ~Can you just tell me 1st, 2nd or 3rd exit, please?

You know, my hands are sweating and my legs are kind of wobbly. I always get like this when I’m nervous. When I was…yadda yadda yadda!

I’m amazed I passed with hindsight, just for the annoyance factor alone!

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[Anonymous]

@Tiddler I agree, ADHDers are more risky drivers. I always thought I was a good driver, but I drive way too fast and too impatiently. Part of the restlessness, I guess. You’re not alone on the waiting in line. I get aggravated on any line. It must be brutal for you in England! My wife is English and she loves a good queue!

With the car park, I’ve been doing some self-analysis (a challenge for us ADDers), and I’ve realized that my problem with coming to a decision is usually when it’s arbitrary. If there is a clear best answer, I can make a snap decision (the quick cognitive tempo that comes with my ADD). If, however, no answer is better than the others, I go back and forth for days on simple things. When I realize I’m doing that, I go to the next criteria (i.e. if features on a dvd player are tripping me, I go to price) or flip a coin (or the equivalent). Try picking your spot randomly and let the gods of parking sort it out or when you go into the garage decide that you’re going to park in the first spot you see that is not near a pillar or another car.

Second, I think the slow driving thing is because, when you’re driving slow, it’s because you’ve just started or are about to stop driving. You may be thinking of other things, like what store you’re going to, not to forget the keys, noting the parking space you’re in. Maybe your mind is focusing on other things, and may you lose focus on driving. This happens to me with stairs. At the top and bottom of staircases, I lose focus and miss the step.

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[Tiddler]

LOL about the queuing. It is kind of an art form here!

You’re right. Every time it was just after I got in the car. And it’s arbitrary decisions that I can’t manage. Logic I can deal with but which exit/space to choose when they are all the same to me? No chance!

I went out for take-away last night and the staff member kept apologizing for the delay. I’ve no idea how long I was there, it didn’t seem long, but I presumably looked frustrated because I was shuffling about, lifting the newspaper then putting it back down, then lifting it up again etc. I promised him I was ‘really fine, honestly’ but he didn’t believe me! He even gave me a free bottle of beer to take home.

Was that a perk of having ADHD I wonder!?!

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[billd]

tiddler – yes, here a stick is a manual or standard transmission. Called standard as that’s how cars started 100 years ago before “automatics”.

If you have a clutch pedal to push then change from 1st to 2nd manually, it’s a manual or stick or standard – your call, as a car person, I’ll “get it”.

Automatic – move from P or N to D or R to GO.

I’m with pete – fast, impatiently. I used to win autocross races – uh, yeah, I admit – in the street in the middle of town. Speeding tickets up the you know what………. I love DRAG RACING. It’s fast and is over quickly – you have a winner in 10 seconds or less, no waiting hours and 500 laps to figure it out.

I can make a car sing and dance on the road – autocross, quick turns, outrun the kid chasing you through town, etc. They tore up their cars trying to keep up with me, much to the dismay of the local cops (and neighbors)

Ah, but put me in rush hour and it’s a good thing I control the instinct to want to THROTTLE some of the other drivers.

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[Anonymous]

@billd same here. I was 18 when I realized I could go 80 and hit the windshield washer fluid and it would be frozen to the windscreen by the air pressure. that was a 15 year old, 4cylinder sedan that had seen better days. I’ve gotten my Dodge Durango into triple digits.

I would rather drive 50 miles out of my way than wait 15 minutes in traffic.

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[Tiddler]

For me it’s not that I want to go fast. I just want to be doing, not sitting waiting.

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[Tiddler]

If I’m diagnosed as having ADHD, do I need to declare it to my insurance company or the DVLA (to add to my license)? I’ve got a 9 years no claims bonus that I don’t want to lose!

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[caper]

pete-puma: you seem to get caught in the same trap as I do with analyzing things. I’d bet your EQ/SQ put you well into the aspergers/autistic range. I’d recommend Gladwell’s Blink. It makes a great argument about the benefits of experienced emotional decisions. I still suck at relying on my gut, partly because I ENJOY analyzing things. However I’m really intrigued by the idea that I can program my emotional brain so that I can analyze a situation in parallel rather than the much slower serial process my prefrontal cortex uses.

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[Tiddler]

That EQ/SQ thing is really interesting. I got EQ 60 and SQ 12. ‘Extreme empathiser.’ My husband’s results are roughly opposite to mine.

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[Arthurpod]

I’ve been autocrossing seriously for over a year and I stink. I overthink everything, and spend all my time reacting to where I am rather than setting up for the next turn. But I’ve only been to one race since I started taking meds. I felt it helped, but I didn’t finish any better!

I prefer driving automatics. I find having to split my focus and shift while driving and singing and drinking soda pop is too much of a distraction.

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[Anonymous]

About nine months ago, I spaced out and ran a solid red light. Had a little car and broke my pelvis in four places. Had emergency surgery. Wheelchair for two months. I recovered close to 100% but ADD and driving is no joke. I think it was the nearly no traffic at 2:30am which did it. Not enough to focus me. I also have a lot of issues with stimuli overload. Give me three lanes of traffic. Pedestrians. People turning on all sides of me and I get really overwhelmed. I hate parking garages. Too many cars! And often lose my car or can’t find the garage again. I prefer that my friends do the driving unless it is low stress

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[Author]

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