I don’t want to do an escape room.

[Owt]

Partner wants me to go to an escape room with him. I don’t want to go as I am claustrophobic. This does not mean I am awkward, I went to Paris with my daughter and I enjoyed that and no I do not speak French but I did German at school and can still remember some of that. Anxiety can sometimes appear as awkward behaviour. I do suffer with some anxiety but that is possibly connected to claustrophobia.

I do speak a little French but none of my children studied Latin.

Do I need to declare this at the escape room birthday party I’m going to next month? Or will DS’s German be sufficient?

They need to rename them for all the claustrophobic people. Not escape rooms but indoor puzzle rooms or something. You can leave when you want. It’s just a room.

Hi OP as PP have said the escape room doesn’t usually lock you in, though one I did in a Prison did!

If it’s a concern for you, you can phone up and ask them to confirm you won’t be confined or to modify that part for you. And there’s always a staff member who will let you out if you need.

if your partner likes puzzles maybe try the escape room board game kits you do at home. The Kosmos ‘Exit the Game’ series are good.

If you go to Lost Souls Alley in Krakow you ARE locked in. With a man holding a working chainsaw.

You're not unreasonable to not fancy doing any particular form of entertainment. You might, however, be over-imagining the "escape" element. I have done loads of escape rooms. The rooms are usually normal sized rooms or bigger, and they don't actually lock you in, you can leave whenever you want. You are in contact with the staff by audio/video/radio. Essentially you're just solving puzzles for an hour in a room.

Check out pictures of the rooms too. The one we did was quite dark and small and when we left I said it would be no good for the claustrophobic. But others look lit and roomy.

I’m claustrophobic and can see why you’re anxious about attending.
I wouldn’t attend one just because they aren’t my thing, you can ask to be let out or just leave.
The link to Paris was you trying to show that you are willing to try and things that make you anxious for other people.
If you’d like to try it, give it a go the worse thing that will happen is that you’ll leave a bit early and your family can continue to solve the puzzles without you.
I don’t think anyone should force themselves into doing something they really don’t want to, you should just be able to say you don’t want to do it.

It’s been a long night ladies 👍

My husband can speak Arabic but DOESN’T like crosswords….or heights, come to think of it! 🤔

Recently more have not been locked.
Early ones were always locked ( ime) and you literally had to find the way out / lock / key etc

So OP if the not being locked in clinches it for you phone them up and ask them not to lock it. It’s all fine

You can usually get an idea of the theme of an escape room before you choose it.
So in Paris I swerved the “crashed Metro” one as I also have claustrophobia, but we went for one that started in a boring office - and it was fun.
I would avoid the more “horror” themed ones. And in all I have done you have had a way of communicating with the outside world at all times.
The most spacious (and hardest ) I tried was at The Hidtoric dockyards in Portsmouth - you have a really big space in some old stores for that one.

and I speak to my cat
I also love reading, puzzles, weeds and Escape rooms

My sons speak all sorts of languages I find confusing play the viola, sax, piano and clarinet and are great fencers of the musketeer type
Languages + music+ sport = lots of knowledge for escape rooms

so you see every skill helps including one day the ability to commune with cats

although your daughter speaking Russian OP won’t help as she needs to be locked in the room with you. They take your phones away!
No cheating

Do you often struggle to be polite to a complete stranger?

That explains her learning Latin because I think the only place they speak that is the Vatican. Although it's also useful for translating old tombstones.

OP doesn't mention any fluency in Polish so that one probably wouldn't suit.

Not obvious at all, actually.

I find it really sad that over the years this has become the standard MN tone (PPs)

Sorry haven't read the whole thread.

Which kind of escape room OP, are there pictures on their website?

I'm quite claustrophobic too and have done two escape rooms with H and friends. First one was absolutely fine, big rooms just with some puzzles and having to find things hidden in there etc, and you're not actually locked in, was actually great fun.

I assumed based on that the next one would be the same. Wrong! Tiny rooms, tunnels to crawl through and a covered slide thing to exit. I held it together as my friends and H were having fun but I did NOT enjoy that experience!

ETA - just read more of the thread. Why do people need to be such arses? I will admit I didn't get the France thing at first but OP clarified early on in the thread that she had anxiety but did it all the same, so she can do new things but just doesn't want to do this one due to being claustrophobic! I don't ever get anxious really about new things (or anything) but I did feel on the verge of a panic attack in the second escape room, so the combination of anxiety and claustrophobia does not sound like fun

It is obvious to anyone with a bare minimum of empathy

A bit like mumsnet

I've never wanted to do an escape room but was talked into it. You're not locked in and can leave when you want. By the third room I forgot we were in small rooms and started to enjoy it. We cracked the code in good time. It was fun.

I did german a level . I learnt the song bah bah bah bah bankuberfall from a German exchange student, read Biedermann und die Brandstifter about an arsonist and my favourite word is Strassenbahnhaltesteller.
My French is crap but I can still say ferme la bouche and ouvre la fenetre.

I've done a few escape rooms , someone will be watching you via a camera and if you want to leave , you just say and they'll let you out. You're not locked in , that would be a massive fire safety issue .

I've been to a few with a group of friends, one of whom is brilliant at cryptic clues. I quite enjoyed it so just because you don't know anyone who likes them doesn't mean no one does.
I wouldn't want to do it just with a partner though and the OP shouldn't have to do it if she doesn't want to.

You need to talk thru the anxious issue with your partner. The anxiety is perhaps triggering more social anxiety. Say you do not want to go. If he really wants to go, then he can find someone else to go with.
The Paris comment, and German comment I do not really get but you obviously have drawn a link here

Not to be rude, but have you been tested for ADHD or autism? Based on your replies, it seems you may not grasp the content of the conversation.