I have felt this. I didn't know it was a recognised effect. "They spoke with 93 participants who’d just taken a there-and-back bike trip. All the legs took the same amount of time (35 minutes) but some of the participants went there and back the same route while others took a different route back. Once again, everyone showed a “return trip effect,” with the way back estimated to take 37 minutes on average, and the way there 44 minutes".
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Return trip effect
(7 posts)-
Posted 6 years ago #
-
I wrote a story about my holiday in year 6. I was 11.
It was about going to France in the car and I'd focused on the long journey out there. The very last sentance of this story was along the lines of the whimsical:
"The trip back didn't seem to take much time at all. It passed quickly and we were soon home. It seemed much shorter than the trip to France. I wonder why..."The only comment the teacher made on the whole thing was to circle "I wonder why" and to write. "Don't ask the question, answer it". I was distraught as I really didn't have the capacity at 11 to do a scientific study and test it out. Thanks to this post. I can finally lay this beast to rest.
This has stayed with me for over 20 years.
NB I changes the end of the story to:
" It seemed much shorter than the trip to France. This was probably because I was tired and less excited about arriving to the holiday"Which is a bit more rubbish.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Or "It seemed much shorter than the trip to France because of the return trip effect which will be discovered many years from now". I wish I'd known this before helping at the LEL Edinburgh control. I could have helpfully explained that the return would feel 17% shorter. I'm sure that would have been welcomed warmly.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Was it Sartre or Camus who argued that there's no such thing as a return trip as you are transformed by the journey and your home is transformed by your absence?
That's my explanation. Leave home as an Untermensch and reach Übermensch status through hardship.
Probably a bit heavy for a school essay mind.
Posted 6 years ago # -
This is the best article I have read on this subject although not exact, the theory is very similar.
Posted 6 years ago # -
"reach Übermensch status through hardship"
There's a bit in the Japanese film Ping Ping where the two protagonists reach a sort of "time stands still" state during a table tennis match. It's great film so maybe don't watch this bit as it's near the end.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Actually, please don't watch that bit as it's a major spoiler for one of my favourite films.
Posted 6 years ago #
Reply
You must log in to post.
posts
