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Sounds

May Black

May Black

Well-Known Member
Today is the second time within a month that I started driving while waiting for the red light to change, just because I heard the pedestrian crossing signal going off. (I walk whole lot more than I drive). It's not a great reaction and it's starting to worry me a bit, since I could seriously injure someone if I don't pay enough attention. I guess I'm generally quite sensitive to sounds, I know I memorize certain actions in sounds, I also know I play games based on sound.

It made me kind of curious if other people react that way as well, but it's not exactly a topic you bring up over a cup of coffee at work. I know Aspies sometimes have different perception of sound than NT, but that could be interesting as well I think.
 
I can't drive with music on or even the windows down when I'm driving in the city, I can't even talk to people because the noise completely distracts me.

When it's late at night and there are no cars on the road I do listen to music, but I turn the volume down very low.

Also when I get anxious from all the people, I put music on to go into my own world and block the outside world, so maybe this is what happens when I drive.

Blocking the outside world isn't a good idea when I drive so I have to make an effort to concentrate and to know my limitations when I am tired.

As for what you said about skipping the red light, I can see it happening to me in the future because when I am walking I sometime cross roads without looking because the noises of all the cars and people distract me.
 
I don't get exactly distracted, it's more like I subconsciously react to a known sound, even if the situation is different. Kind of like when someone has the same ring tone as you and you open your bag to check even though you clearly know it's not yours. Maybe no one does that either though. Pavlov would be proud I guess.
 
Even though my kids are grown and gone, whenever I hear a kid yell "Dad", I turn and look.
 
Very low tones (30-100 hz) whether loud or soft get my immediate attention. It's often maddening. Usually they're things I have no control over.
 
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