Lafayette Drivers Experiencing New Psychological Condition
As a psychology major in college, I've always been interested in the mind and how people can be trained. I've noticed in myself (and have confirmed with co-workers) a phenomenon I've named P.T.C.S. It's a condition that you may have noticed in yourself. You're driving down Johnston St. near South College and as you approach the intersection you instinctively slow down and check your speedometer. It might happen at any of the intersections you pass through that used to house the Red Flex traffic cameras.
P.T.C.S. stands for Post-Traffic Camera Syndrome and is a condition which is currently unrecognized by the medical community, primarily because I just made up the name, but believe that it is an actual condition developed through Pavlovian conditioning. Over the past few years, through our habits related to driving familiar routes, we have become accustomed to reacting to specific intersections that formerly had a Red Flex traffic camera. You may slow down and check your speedometer without really thinking about it, or you may wait extra long before taking that right on red.
Just know that you're not alone, and now that you've read this article you might recognize the symptoms as you drive down roads here in Lafayette.