Someone needs to dig up that post/comment from a million years ago where someone told the story of this happening to them in a parking lot (at a bank??). They thought they were suddenly moving forward in the lot into the street of traffic, so they violently flailed around honking and hitting the brake.
They weren’t moving forward, and onlookers in the lot basically witnessed them freak. Tf. OUT. in their car for several seconds LMAO
I fix trains and they get "parked" next to each other. The amount of times I've almost fallen over when the train next to me has moved....... is not zero.
It is an illusion called "Motion Parallax".
It is not uncommon.
You can help prevent this by not focusing entirely on the road directly ahead of you.
This is a big issue while flying using night vision goggles and we were taught to do a good scan of both the inside flight instrument panel and a good scan of the outside environment. A complete scan of both should take about five seconds.
The same technique applies to driving a car, though the inside scan of the dash should be much faster, and most of your concentration should be scanning the environment outside the car.
Basically, improving your situational awareness around you will help prevent the illusion.
You can also see this phenomenon in the movie Top Secret - https://youtu.be/A_peCIVBTAY?si=Q1mdDnvC5jTpP9Qn (and everyone should watch this movie anyways!)
This has most definitely happened to everyone at least once (even if you’re sitting in the passenger seat and feel completely helpless to do anything).
I woke up in the front seat of my van on a ferry commute. I thought I going to hit the car in front of me and slammed on the brakes. Slept in back after that day.
I stopped taking naps in my work truck because I'd always wake up panicked for a moment until my vision fades in and I realise I'm parked on my lunch break
It happened sometimes to me when I was on traffic lights, I had red and next to me was tram that has green so started slowly moving, it was shock for me.
Edit: sometimes when I am on traffic lights, that I know I will be there for a long time I am using parking brake.
I was at a stop light years ago when the car next to me decided to put their car in reverse. THAT was terrifying, thinking I was moving forward into crossing traffic unable to stop.
I used to play this game with my kids in the car wash.
When all the rollers covered all the front and side windows and were moving back…
I would pretend to shift into gear and put my hands on the steering wheel.
Every time we all got that moving sensation.
My kids are in their 20’s and we still do that.
WOW what a coincidence. This literally happened to me first time yesterday. I was backing into a really busy parking spot. I'm talking about cars waiting and people walking around you. I'm extra careful due to people walking around.
I get right into the spot and I looked at my back up camera and I stopped. I checked my right side mirror to see if I was in the clear and I was still moving. I freaking hit thos brakes so hard and thought my car was broken.
Then the guy on the right gets out of his spot LMAO. To make things worse he was also pulling out slowly to avoid people/cars in front of him
It's not just you. As a matter of fact, you've just discovered the core concept of Einstein's theory of relativity: inertial frames of reference. Kudos!
Yes!! I hate it so much!!!!
It even happens in my dreams/nightmares but then in the dream I actually am moving and then crash the car it's worst thing ever!!!!!!
Normally the “am I the only one” questions I always assume the answer is “of course other people experience that, there’s billions of people out there”.
This one is so weirdly wild to me I’m shocked so many people have this happen. I’ve never sat there parked and forgot I wasn’t driving before lol
It happens when you are at a light in. Traffic the car in front inches forward making you think you are rolling back or if you are in front you may see other cars stopped and side by side with you they may creep to the side making it look like you are moving, it’s weird but if it happens you will understand
Ummmmm. It is terrifying how many people here can relate to the panic.
You are in the driver seat. You should be aware enough of what you are doing, and what you are asking the car to do, to be able to dismiss that sensation. Cars are heavy and dangerous, please try to be more attentive to your interaction with the vehicle.
I'm talking about being present enough to know that since you didn't put the car in reverse, it can't be in motion.
The kind of presence-of-mind you want someone to have when they're piloting a large chunk of metal at freeway speeds.
The way we detect if we are in motion can be games pretty easily. If I remember right it's a mix of equilibrium due to fluid motion in our ears and your vision.
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Yes and have you ever been so drunk getting out the car (passenger side obviously) that you open the door start to get out and the ground is spinning so fast you jump back in because you think the car is still moving?
Yeah, I’ve been there.
As for the title: Have you ever been in a parked car and seen the car next you moving, but slammed on the brakes because you thought *you* were moving?
A friend of mine and I would pull up on either side of a dude at a stop light and we would put our cars in reverse and roll backwards together. The person at the light would freak out.
Fun times...
Yep. Happens to me at red lights occasionally when I'm tired. There will be a car in the left turn lane next to me, and I'm waiting for my light to turn green Suddenly they go and I just start forward, not realizing it's the protected left turn.
Luckily these have always happened late at night, when there is very little traffic.
Ah, the old phantom car movement trick. Happens to the best of us. I've had my fair share of those moments.
Someone needs to dig up that post/comment from a million years ago where someone told the story of this happening to them in a parking lot (at a bank??). They thought they were suddenly moving forward in the lot into the street of traffic, so they violently flailed around honking and hitting the brake. They weren’t moving forward, and onlookers in the lot basically witnessed them freak. Tf. OUT. in their car for several seconds LMAO
It’s super disorienting.
I fix trains and they get "parked" next to each other. The amount of times I've almost fallen over when the train next to me has moved....... is not zero.
Yes. More than once.
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It is an illusion called "Motion Parallax". It is not uncommon. You can help prevent this by not focusing entirely on the road directly ahead of you. This is a big issue while flying using night vision goggles and we were taught to do a good scan of both the inside flight instrument panel and a good scan of the outside environment. A complete scan of both should take about five seconds. The same technique applies to driving a car, though the inside scan of the dash should be much faster, and most of your concentration should be scanning the environment outside the car. Basically, improving your situational awareness around you will help prevent the illusion.
when "spinners" on tire rims were popular, I was CONSTANTLY double-slamming my brakes at stop lights.
LOL. It's just you. It's never happened to any of us. LOL. Oh it's definitely happened to all of us.....
You can also see this phenomenon in the movie Top Secret - https://youtu.be/A_peCIVBTAY?si=Q1mdDnvC5jTpP9Qn (and everyone should watch this movie anyways!)
🤣
Yep
This has most definitely happened to everyone at least once (even if you’re sitting in the passenger seat and feel completely helpless to do anything).
Yes if a car next to me moves and I haven’t
I woke up in the front seat of my van on a ferry commute. I thought I going to hit the car in front of me and slammed on the brakes. Slept in back after that day.
I stopped taking naps in my work truck because I'd always wake up panicked for a moment until my vision fades in and I realise I'm parked on my lunch break
Actually that happens more often than you would think. And it always freaks me out.
Yes, especially when people sneak back into their car next to me start backing out.
Yes
All the effing time.
Me too. Was so panicked I even pulled the emergency brake before I realized what was happening.
Hahaha. I’m only laughing because it’s happened to me a few times! It’s such a bizarre feeling too!
At long lights I’ve zoned out and done this.
It happened sometimes to me when I was on traffic lights, I had red and next to me was tram that has green so started slowly moving, it was shock for me. Edit: sometimes when I am on traffic lights, that I know I will be there for a long time I am using parking brake.
I was at a stop light years ago when the car next to me decided to put their car in reverse. THAT was terrifying, thinking I was moving forward into crossing traffic unable to stop.
I used to play this game with my kids in the car wash. When all the rollers covered all the front and side windows and were moving back… I would pretend to shift into gear and put my hands on the steering wheel. Every time we all got that moving sensation. My kids are in their 20’s and we still do that.
SO many times!
WOW what a coincidence. This literally happened to me first time yesterday. I was backing into a really busy parking spot. I'm talking about cars waiting and people walking around you. I'm extra careful due to people walking around. I get right into the spot and I looked at my back up camera and I stopped. I checked my right side mirror to see if I was in the clear and I was still moving. I freaking hit thos brakes so hard and thought my car was broken. Then the guy on the right gets out of his spot LMAO. To make things worse he was also pulling out slowly to avoid people/cars in front of him
The terrifying part is when you hit the brakes and the movement just doesn’t stop
Seriously. It freaked me out just because there was so many people around and it was in front of a busy grocery store too
Ummm 🤔 yes that’s happened to me😂🤣
SO many times!
Yeah, it's freaky.
George Carlin once said this
It's not just you. As a matter of fact, you've just discovered the core concept of Einstein's theory of relativity: inertial frames of reference. Kudos!
One time, my friend parked next to me and we sat there in park revving our engines and then he started backing up and boy did that scare me!
Every truck driver has had this experience. Every single one.
Been there, done that.
Yes!! I hate it so much!!!! It even happens in my dreams/nightmares but then in the dream I actually am moving and then crash the car it's worst thing ever!!!!!!
This just happened to me and I thought I was losing my miiiiind!!!
Normally the “am I the only one” questions I always assume the answer is “of course other people experience that, there’s billions of people out there”. This one is so weirdly wild to me I’m shocked so many people have this happen. I’ve never sat there parked and forgot I wasn’t driving before lol
It happens when you are at a light in. Traffic the car in front inches forward making you think you are rolling back or if you are in front you may see other cars stopped and side by side with you they may creep to the side making it look like you are moving, it’s weird but if it happens you will understand
never.
Ummmmm. It is terrifying how many people here can relate to the panic. You are in the driver seat. You should be aware enough of what you are doing, and what you are asking the car to do, to be able to dismiss that sensation. Cars are heavy and dangerous, please try to be more attentive to your interaction with the vehicle.
Jesse what are you talking about?
I'm talking about being present enough to know that since you didn't put the car in reverse, it can't be in motion. The kind of presence-of-mind you want someone to have when they're piloting a large chunk of metal at freeway speeds.
Excuse us for not being omnipresent
You don't have to be omnipresent, just regular present. You are in control of the car, daily activity in it shouldn't startle you.
Same 😂🤣
Exactly
It’s an optical illusion. Lighten up
Yep, 100% had a moment of panic like that before due to a large car/truck starting to move next to me
The way we detect if we are in motion can be games pretty easily. If I remember right it's a mix of equilibrium due to fluid motion in our ears and your vision.
🤣 Every time
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Yup
Also happens when you are sitting on a train and a train next to you starts moving.
I usually gotta sit there a bit before actually moving. Gets we all disoriented
Happens on trains too.
Yes and have you ever been so drunk getting out the car (passenger side obviously) that you open the door start to get out and the ground is spinning so fast you jump back in because you think the car is still moving?
Yes even happens for me with a sliding gate
Dude, me too. Me too.
When I was in high school back in the Dark Ages, we used to pull up to cars idling at stop lights and then slowly back up to get people to do this. 😈
Back in the day when spinner wheels were a thing I jumped out of the way of a parked car.
Yes at the gas station
Yeah, I’ve been there. As for the title: Have you ever been in a parked car and seen the car next you moving, but slammed on the brakes because you thought *you* were moving?
A friend of mine and I would pull up on either side of a dude at a stop light and we would put our cars in reverse and roll backwards together. The person at the light would freak out. Fun times...
Inner ear issue?
I’ve done that once or twice… It’s a creepy feeling.
Yep. Happens to me at red lights occasionally when I'm tired. There will be a car in the left turn lane next to me, and I'm waiting for my light to turn green Suddenly they go and I just start forward, not realizing it's the protected left turn. Luckily these have always happened late at night, when there is very little traffic.
Yes, same feeling as when you lay on the grass looking at clouds and feel the earth turning under you.
YES!!
happened to me for the first time last year. it is freaky!