:the pigeon hole effect
The Pigeon hole effect
Subconsciously we pigeon hole all day and every day
Isn't funny how we all like to pigeon
hole everything. People, animals, objects...
It seems that if we can slot someone or
something into a neat descriptive air tight
box then we know just what it means to us,
thus offering ourselves a sense of comfort
as we are more likely to know how to best
manage just what it is we are about to
confront.
Take wine for example. When
recommending a wine, people will not just
say it is great, buy a box and get stuck in;
they will reference it against other wines you
may know. "Ohit's got the characteristics of
a classic Otago Pinot darling!" "It's a new
age Chardonnay but with some top note oak
rippling across your pallet!"
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Subconsciously we pigeon hole all day and
every day. However, it is on the road that
we practise our pigeon management at its
highest level. Have you not noticed just how
quickly we categorize the driver of a car even
before we are within 500 metres of them?
Top of our fastest to pigeon hole list would
have to be Boy Racer, Stupid Tourist and
Auckland Idiot. There can be no doubt
that these and quite a few other generalised
groupings deserve their pigeon hole in a
nanosecond title. However, there are a few
others though that do spring to mind that
I think we have got all wrong. Of course it
goes without saying that the 'Woman Driver'
pigeon hole is incorrectly tagged by 50% of
the population every moment of every day.
One category we have all got wrong is the
'Old Man' driver. You know the category well
don't you? - Gold coloured Honda with lawn
bowls hat in the back window, travelling at
47km an hour through suburbia with you
inches behind his bumper asking serious
question of his birthright!
But beware! The gold Honda aside, there
is actually a new sub-culture of old men
out there who are demons on four (or two)
wheels. These 'New Old Men' (NOM's) have
money, new cars and an attitude.
They are old enough to know the law well
and obey it, driving with courtesy and full
respect of other motorists, but, and it's a BIG
BUT, given a clear stretch of road and a wee
bit of provocation these old boys just love to
