What is the most irrational thing you avoid doing

[Wheneverwhereve]

Light hearted thread and possibly TMI... I gave birth around 15 months ago and have since avoided tampons like the plague. Today I’m going swimming so have bit the bullet and used one and surprise surprise nothing to worry about!! Made me wonder what other things we avoid even though we know deep down it’ll be ok!

Use a hairdryer; I will dry my hair with a towel even though it takes much longer and doesn't always look as good. This stems from an incident when I was a kid, when my cousin's hairdryer suddenly caught fire due to an electrical fault, and she was very lucky not to be injured. I wasn't present but heard all about it.

I don't have most of the 'number superstitions', but I am extremely birthday-phobic (mine, not other people's) and not only refuse to celebrate it, but don't even like to write the date. If I find myself writing a cheque or signing a form on that day, I will write the previous day's date. I don't have this 'thing' about giving my birthdate to officialdom for ID; it's specifically writing the date on the day that I don't like to do.

I'll do a lot to avoid speaking on the phone tbh

I don't mind the phone at all, but my dad, who was fairly relaxed about most things. really didn't like using the phone - especially making phone calls. He came from a fairly poor family, at a time when possessing a telephone was a rather uncommon luxury, so he never used one till adulthood and never quite got used to it.

Making any sort of appointment for myself. I haven't seen a doctor, dentist, hairdresser in years and i desperately need to. I have no issues taking my DC to these things but I feel horrendously selfish if I went for myself

@oreshina I do exactly the same. Plus, I take a piece of loo roll to lock the door with, another to flush, another to unlock door with. No part of me touches any part of a public loo!

I have certain songs I associate with bad/unlucky times and wont listen to them at all now, even though I love them!

When filling up my car with petrol, I have to end on an even amount to pay. So for example, if it was £59.29, I'd have to put more in to make £60. If, on the other hand, it comes out on an even amount first time, I take that as a sign of a good day ahead!

I would rather walk extra miles and go out of my way if it means I don't have to deal with a downwards escalator on the tube.

Slowly getting better but still

Pumping my car tyres up at the petrol station with the automated air thing. Have this irrational fear it won't stop inflating and the tyre will explode in my face. I get DH to do it 🤣🤣🤣

Writing a supermarket shopping list. I despise it with a passion.

When filling up my car with petrol, I have to end on an even amount to pay. So for example, if it was £59.29, I'd have to put more in to make £60

That is like me. DH is quite happy to put £59.99 in the tank.

Mind you, he cannot have his back to the door in pubs, restaurants etc.

I would rather walk extra miles and go out of my way if it means I don't have to deal with a downwards escalator on the tube.

Ditto!!! In my case, again not TOTALLY irrational, as I have some visual and motor co-ordination difficulties, which can make down escalators dangerous. It's not being on the escalator that's the problem; it's getting on and off it, and estimating when to do it.

I won't go to Kew Gardens because many years ago something upsetting to me happened there (involved an argument; nothing really specific to the place) and it got depressing associations for me.

I have coordination issues and I'm so worried that I'll be top heavy say with bags and fall down and because I'm carrying bags I won't be able to stop myself. Also those teeth look so sharp.

I'm not good at stairs when they're stationary let alone moving

Being under a bridge when a train goes over it. Dh now adjusts his speed as well if I'm in the car and always apologises for misjudging.
That one is really weird.

Using teaspoons to remove tea bags. Irrational hatred for teaspoons

I don’t like turning right in the car and will try to go a way which means I don’t need to, even if it is longer.

I am same with tampons since my 2. 5 Yr old came along.

Making a cuppa... Detest it.. I rarely even off guests.
Making packed Lunches. Its honestly driving me insane now ds canteen is out of use due to covid.

Driving diesel cars.. Don't ask! I don't know why it scares me.

@thismeansnothing I'm the same. Dh says it's hard to burst a tyre and I always do it 2 psi lower but still I'm terrified.

I can’t look in the mirror late at night. I hate brushing my teeth late as there’s a mirror right at the sink and I really have to avoid looking into it.
I don’t even want to catch a glimpse of any reflection that shouldn’t be there. Especially some demonic creature over my shoulder. Shudder.

I cannot use the toilet anywhere only my home and I cannot go either 1 or 2 unless the door is locked. Even if I'm home alone. If I'm going toilet and I know someone is close by it's like I get stage fright..No idea why. Phone calls I also struggle with and being around people I don't know. It gives me such bad anxiety

I have a friend who hates onions. He really hates them. Years ago, we went to the cinema to watch Blair Witch. There was a lot of hype around the film. I decided to buy a joke slimy eyeball to pass to him during the film (I was young and this was the level of my humour). Half way through, I passed it to him and he screamed really loudly: "What is it? What is it?" I whispered that it was an eyeball and he screamed: "Jesus! Thank Fuck! I thought it was a pickled onion!"

I hate driving over train tracks, as I have a totally irrational fear that a train will suddenly appear and crash into me (even though obviously the lights etc would be on if one was coming). It doesn’t matter if I can clearly see for miles in both directions that there are no trains approaching, I still get the fear. If I absolutely have to drive that way, I have to get over the tracks as fast as I possibly can. Most of my close friends and DH also know to do the same without being asked if I’m a passenger in their car

@FrenchtoEnglish that actually made me laugh out loud

I will never ever stack cups or mugs in case they clink together, or even worse, make that awful scraping squeaking noise. I'm imagining it right now and I feel sick.

When the sponge in the kitchen sink is too dirty I have to push myself to pick it up to wash it/put it in the bin. Also I hate washing anything that doesn't properly fit into the kitchen sink eg the breadboard. Also making school lunches and emptying bins!!!!

Haha! I have ocd - diagnosed, I do most of these and then some!

Everything with any kind of number attached has to be an even number definitely never 13

Anything to do with hands or feet always left one first eg putting shoes on

Won’t step on cracks or over drains or next to bins or funeral parlours

Hate hate hate doing the bins

Also ALL the superstitions, touching wood, saluting magpies all of em

Also leads to a LOT of procrastination because I have to do things a certain way certain tasks that take others mins take me hours.

I was taught growing up not to use hot water for brushing teeth because it was stale and could have something grim in it? I know that’s not how hot water supply works any more but I still only use cold water. But I thought everyone did?

Lifting the toilet lid and finding a dismembered head

Driving alongside someone on an A road and them trying to shoot me

Someone lurking in the back footwell of the car

Leaving the wardrobe door open at night time in case of monsters

I'm like you OP and haven't used tampons since I gave birth to my eldest (nearly 5 years ago!)

I hate putting petrol in the car and will always get DH to do it if I can.