Have you ever driven on automatic pilot to the wrong place?

🤣 Just seen Valdavi's - so I'm not the only one who's done it.

Sadly, yes, too many times! 🙄🫣🫣

Yes! This morning.

I planned to go to the garden centre but fill up with petrol first.

Came out of the garage and drove straight to Tesco’s! 😮😩
Fortunately, it’s not far from the garden centre.

Is it just me who would be a bit concerned about that? Surely if you're driving 'on automatic pilot', you're not fully paying attention to your driving or to the roads?

MissInterpreted

Is it just me who would be a bit concerned about that? Surely if you're driving 'on automatic pilot', you're not fully paying attention to your driving or to the roads?

You can pay full attention to the roads as well as driving a route which you do most days and which is familiar, then find you meant to go somewhere else.
You compartmentalise, use a different part of your brain when concentrating on driving.

It is really nice to know I am not the only one.

Some people have a better developed sense of direction, ie a homing signal, than others too.
Perhaps the 'homing signal' takes over? The automatic pilot.

Yes, I get that, Callistemon21. I think I have a better sense of direction than most - I can find my way around most places even when I've never been somewhere before. I know what you mean about driving a route which do you most days, but some of the stories on here do give me pause for concern, as they seem to be more than just that. Unexpected hazards can crop up out of anywhere - even on a route you drive daily.

I've only done it that once which was when I was in my 20s!

DS's sense of direction has always been amazing even as a small child.

I did it this morning - while walking!! and in the pouring rain. An unexpected trip into town when I'd set out for the local petrol station to get my paper. Mind was on other things.

This morning, I drove to my friends house, instead of a cafe. However, they are near each other, but once in the wrong lane nearing a roundabout, it was too late to alter course.

MissInterpreted

Is it just me who would be a bit concerned about that? Surely if you're driving 'on automatic pilot', you're not fully paying attention to your driving or to the roads?

"Automatic Pilot", was just an expression. I knew the route I took extremely well having lived there for 20+ years, I knew when to look right and left and filter. I just did not use that route on weekdays when I should have used my very well-known route of going to work.
If so many of us have done it what do you suggest we do?
You are a very lucky person if you have never made a mistake when driving.
I believe Calistimon is right some things are just stored in different parts of the brain.
You had better watch out there's more than me who has done it and we are only a very small sample of society.
Perhaps sat navs now help.

Home from boarding school for the weekend, I met my mum at her work (this was obviously some years ago lol). We did a bit of shopping then got in the car to head home.
As we were driving along, I said, "Are we going to aunty Eva's?"
Mum, "No."
Me, "One of the Aunty Mary's?"
Mum, "No. We're going home!"
Me, "So why have you just driven past our house?"
Haha, the daft old girl had totally forgotten we had moved and was driving to the old house, a few doors down from aunty Eva's!
🤣🤣

Changed gym and rocked up at old gym for yoga class 😲

When my daughter went into labour, my mum and I drove almost all the way to the hospital, getting faster and faster, until we realised we hadn't actually picked my daughter up!

When I was a new first time mum I started to walk home and suddenly realised I had left my little baby in her pram outside the shop. Only a couple of minutes, thankfully but I was so upset!