How spatially aware are you?

[karadan]

I live in Cambridge, UK, which is a city of many cyclists. My daily walk to and from work takes me past hundreds of people peddling furiously to get to their respective workplaces. I positively balk at the mind-numbing amount of near-misses I see on an almost daily basis.

This morning, for instance, I saw a lady quite casually weave in front of a bus going down a very narrow street. It just missed her. Her reaction was to casually look back as if nothing had happened. The closeness of the situation was telling by how pale the bus driver had become.

Things like that really freak me out. Mainly because that would be such a stupid way to go (i also do not want to see someone squished again). The fact that I see something like this on an almost daily basis makes me really wonder how so many people can be so oblivious of their surroundings. I've seen at least 5 accidents actually happen in my 9 cumulative years living here, one of them involving a fatality. It isn't just accidents either. I'll often have to walk round a group of people standing on the pavement. If that were me, I'd notice them coming and step aside to let them through. I'm not sure if it is belligerence or a basic lack of spatial awareness which does it but I am continuously blocked from walking on the pavement because people have chosen that spot to become engrossed in conversation. A friend once told me that it was more of a social thing. They said that when they'd visited Barcelona, it seemed to be the norm. It was expected of you to walk around groups of people standing in a public thoroughfare and considered rude for you to push through.

I am constantly aware of my surroundings. I look both ways before I cross the street. I'm always aware where my feet are (i can't remember the last time i fell over through my own inability to walk properly - beign drunk doesn't count). I try to predict future events and movements so that I can plan for as many eventualities as possible. This skill (obsession) is often needed when at a party or in a pub. There is often a situation where a bottle or glass has been placed precariously - edge of a table or next to electronic equipment etc. I'll consciously remember where it is, so that if a drunken reveller walks nearby I'll know to pick it up before they knock it over or at least, be ready to catch it when they do. I saved a very expensive bottle of wine once by observing this tactic.

I think I may sometimes take it a little too far and is possibly borderline obsessive compulsive disorder, but it has saved me and my friends from being hurt on several occasions.

I just guess I was wondering if any of you are the sorts of people who bump into stuff a lot or are you the sorts which see everything coming, therefore saving yourselves any undue misfortune?

[PipeBox]

I'm not very spatially aware at all, but not for lack of trying.  I don't bump into stuff or trip or walk out in front of buses or anything, but that's because I continuously survey my surroundings but then immediately lose the mental image I had.  That may sound like spatial awareness, but I notice that I have to watch objects for a longer period of time to get an accurate assessment of their speed, and that I do a poor job of judging immediate distances without prolonged exposure or a moving frame of reference, when compared to most folks.  It's just one of those things I picked up on growing up.  Doesn't bother me horribly, just means I have to be extra careful or a I will get hit by a bus.  

[karadan]

I'm not very spatially aware at all, but not for lack of trying.  I don't bump into stuff or trip or walk out in front of buses or anything, but that's because I continuously survey my surroundings but then immediately lose the mental image I had.  That may sound like spatial awareness, but I notice that I have to watch objects for a longer period of time to get an accurate assessment of their speed, and that I do a poor job of judging immediate distances without prolonged exposure or a moving frame of reference, when compared to most folks.  It's just one of those things I picked up on growing up.  Doesn't bother me horribly, just means I have to be extra careful or a I will get hit by a bus.  

Just out of interest, are you good with numbers?

[PipeBox]

I used to be good with numbers, somewhere in the top 10% of the state for what it's worth, took advanced maths and whatnot.  Now, I'm pretty bad from total lack of experience.  I seldom do anything more complex than addition now that I'm out of school since everyday-math is typically already worked out.  And what I don't use typically doesn't stay in my head long.  I've a terrible semantic memory for all things non-trivial.  It has to be absolutely useless for me to remember it, because that makes it fun to know.

Take that for what it is, I'm not sure if it's a helpful answer.

[rlrose328]

I'm not spatially aware at all... I'm always covered with bruises from bumping into things to the extent that most times, I can't tell you where a specific bruise came from.  I had a coffee-cup sized round bruise on my outer thigh a few weeks ago (mostly gone now) and I have NO idea where it came from... I remember buming into things, but you'd think something that big and that dark, I'd remember.

I trip all the time, too.  I just put my foot down wrong, like it has a mind of its own and it will go down sideways rather than sole-down.  IT's led to numerous sprained ankles and a broken ankle once when it happened while playing hacky-sack... jumped up to kick, came down sideways ankle.  Ouch.  

One day last year at my son's school, I tripped on the mat outside the door... just put my foot down on the side of the inch-tall mat and down I went, onto the pavement and my right leg hit the edge of the sidewalk.  My left ankle and knee were strained and the black/blue from foot to thigh as impressive... even the doctor whistled when she saw it.  And did you know that blood from bruises will eventually drain down the tissues in the leg?  Toward the end of that little injury, my right foot was completely purple, though it wasn't injured at all.  The bruise drained down to my foot!

I guess I'm somewhat absent minded... I'm usually thinking so much about the matter at hand, that's when I trip or bump into something.

Though I can guarantee you... when I'm on a sidewalk or crossing a street or driving, I'm 100% focused on my surroundings, esp. in a city.  I'm somewhat apprehensive in crowds so I tend to be more aware of what's going on around me.  It's especially tuned when my son is with me.

[Asmodean]

I'm as spatially aware as I make myself be. Usually, my awareness is high on paranoia and thus pretty good, but sometimes I may be very absent-minded. Enough to walk into a moving train.

[curiosityandthecat]

I like to think I'm amazingly spatially aware, but get a few beers in me and I'm a human wrecking ball. Well, okay, maybe not exactly that bad, but I tend to knock stuff over and bump into things.

The guys in the Air Force (and probably other places, but that's where I first heard the term) call it "situational awareness." It's about knowing, at all times, what's going on in your surroundings, who and what is leaving or nearing your immediate area, your path of least resistance should you need to escape, and the dangers involved should you stay in the same place. I try to apply that to my every day life, especially when driving (shouldn't we all?). Now, I'm not saying that I could go all Mirror's Edge freestyle running if I wanted, but I like to think I have a certain Jackie Chan-ish finesse.  

Of course, I'm about 20 pounds overweight from all the alcohol, Doritos and McDonalds, and I get winded walking up two flights of stairs, but at least I don't fall up them!

So, yeah, I'm fairly spatially aware. I mean... things could be worse...

[Asmodean]

Cat, you never fail to make my day less sucky.  

[curiosityandthecat]

Cat, you never fail to make my day less sucky.  

[myleviathan]

I had a chemistry teacher at college who was legally blind. She could see just a bit out of one of her eyes, and she couldn't drive so she would ride her bike to school. She definitely should not have been behind the wheel of anything. During class or lab she would take a huge magnifying glass and press her face on a page to read something. Anyway she was always complaining of cars coming at her out of nowhere - but I'm sure she was really riding in front of them. Talk about being blissfully unaware of your spatial abilities...

Speaking of spatial abilities / learning - men are supposed to be better than women at it http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6SYP-3VCV6SP-11&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=31a09642287b3a18ae1954a2cd62a5e2. Not to offend any of you ladies, just think it's interesting.

Astur, R., Ortiz, M., Sutherland, R. (1997). A characterization of performance by men and women in a virtual Morris water task: A large and reliable sex difference, Behavioral Brain Research, 93(1-2), 185-190.

[Graham]

I am constantly aware of my surroundings. I look both ways before I cross the street. I'm always aware where my feet are (i can't remember the last time i fell over through my own inability to walk properly - beign drunk doesn't count). I try to predict future events and movements so that I can plan for as many eventualities as possible. This skill (obsession) is often needed when at a party or in a pub. There is often a situation where a bottle or glass has been placed precariously - edge of a table or next to electronic equipment etc. I'll consciously remember where it is, so that if a drunken reveller walks nearby I'll know to pick it up before they knock it over or at least, be ready to catch it when they do. I saved a very expensive bottle of wine once by observing this tactic.

I think I may sometimes take it a little too far and is possibly borderline obsessive compulsive disorder, but it has saved me and my friends from being hurt on several occasions.

I just guess I was wondering if any of you are the sorts of people who bump into stuff a lot or are you the sorts which see everything coming, therefore saving yourselves any undue misfortune?

In the summer I went biking every day. There's a circle bike path that pretty much surrounds my town were people walk their dogs, bike, jog or just walk in groups or alone. So many people are unaware of me coming even dogs. Most people would apologize for not hearing me come because I'd have to bike on the grass to go around them. One guy got really angry and yelled at me to "warn us when you're coming." It was my grade 8 math teacher too. I guess he didn't recognize me. lol! But oh well. If I'm walking or doing anything I'm so very much aware of my surroundings even in the dark. If I'm in the trees I always notice if something climbing up a tree or moving at all. Studying at school is usually a waste of time because I have to look if someone around me moves. I don't feel paranoid. But I must look it. Also I don't really forget the most pointless things. Like pretty much anything I say and most of what anyone says to me. I don't know if the two are connected or not.   Karadan you reminded me of me, that's why I replied. Except I don't drink.

[Tom62]

I'm pretty much spatially aware, unless I'm extremely tired (or drunk, but that doesn't really count?). On the other hand I have barely any sense of direction, which is a genetic disorder that runs in my entire family. My wife has it the opposite around, she stumbles occasionally over things, but she knows exactly where she'd left the car, whether we should make a left or right turn, etc. etc.

[Whitney]

Yes, for the most part I am aware of my surroundings. If I am standing somewhere I know some people may need to get by, I remain very aware of my surroundings since I don't want to be in the way (it annoys me, why do it to other people).  However, sometimes I'll get distracted looking at something while I'm walking and end up walking into something...usually catching my shoulder on the side of a smaller passageway or tree.  Yet, I've never hurt myself or others from not being aware of my surroundings.  I don't allow myself to get distracted by things when I am driving since that is a lot more dangerous than anything I could do while walking.  I did use to have a tendency to walk across the street without looking very carefullly for cars...after living in a college town for so long you get use to all of the drivers being use to yielding to pedestrians.

[MariaEvri]

I am mostly aware of the world around me, I love to check out details that other people miss, a small crack on a wall, a bird sitting right on the perfct spot, and stuff like that. My awarness increases when I drive, i always wanna know whats infront, behind, near and around me. Now when I go home, thats a different matter. Walls and furniture edges keep bumping on me