Not much, surely?

I’ve no idea, I’ve never done spotting of any description. And of course whether a given pastime is mentally stimulating to someone largely depends on their mental capacity.

Surely this is a good thing. Old men with binoculars are watching stuff on the motorway instead of getting in its way whil doing 49mph in the middle lane.

bus spotter uncle was standing at the bottom of the road to the school taking pictures and notes of the school buses.

I once had a few drinks with a very senior university professor who confessed that when young he used to collect bus numbers, all a bit boring until he revealed that he got cautioned by the police for it, turns out him and his little mates were actually removing the numbers from the buses and running off with them!!! 8)

And of course whether a given pastime is mentally stimulating to someone largely depends on their mental capacity.

You might want to try telling the parent of an Aspergers child that!

when I was about 10 I used to cycle up to the main crossroads and stand there with my notebook collecting car numberplates…
I especially liked the new car plates and they got a star next to them.
thankfully that new hobby didn’t last long and I discovered that jumping off kerbs and going down the woods (where I wasn’t allowed) on my BMX was more fun.
lucky escape I think.

Not quite the same as truck spotting but when I’m out walking the pooch round the woods with Mrs. Pinkster I often find myself tyre track spotting, trying to identify different tread patterns in the mud.

Not quite the same but just as weird Pinkster!

(I have to admit to doing the same… Even saying things like “Ooh look, such-and-such has ridden this today – nobody else uses Small Block 8s at this time of year…”)

May be auto car reporters ?

They get paid a fortune for the first snap of a new Range Rover evoque or new discovery 5 or even a new defender !

Not quite as exciting as some of the other suggestions tho :-0

Spoters for the snipers hiding in the bushes.

I hate seeing people standing on motorway bridges over the traffic. Never sure if they’re going to drop a brick onto the car or if they’re about to jump.

You might want to try telling the parent of an Aspergers child that!

OK, did that. They said “Obviously”

Its not just old men.
Bikes do it too.

IMAG0484 by pten2106, on Flickr