Your bizarre quirks/traits

Seraphim · 11 Nov 2003 at 13:47

We've all got them, we all notice other people’s and we're often embarrassed by them. All of us have stupid quirks and traits that to others might seem absolutely bonkers but to yourself are the rules by which you live your life. So what are your stupid little quirks?

Here are a few of mine to get you started:

• I normally go up stairs in double-steps, so that I miss out every other step and get to the top faster. But I get really annoyed if I have to end up taking a half-step at the end. So much so that I know which sets of steps I have to take a half-step at the bottom so it ends on a full double-step.

• I cannot stand chewing gum. Even the words make me want to gag - the noises people make when they chew it, the motion of their jaws, the foul sticky mess that it leaves on the pavements... I HATE IT. I even hate the word 'chew'. HATEHATEHATEHATEHATE. Also, I seem to have developed an irrational hatred for mint.

• When in church, or some other solemn occasion, I have to resist the urge to stand up and shout the rudest combination of words imaginable.

• I compulsively lock the screen of my computer, even if I'm going to stay in the same room. I think it's a leftover from my time at HP where you had to lock your screen to prevent company secrets from leaking out of the screen or something.

Actually, that lot makes me sound like a freak. I'm not that bonkers, honest! What makes you special?

© Seraphim - Proudly stealing SA content since '02

Seraphim · 11 Nov 2003 at 15:01

Originally posted by Kronologic
Oddly enough after rehearsing the conversation I rarely have it with the person in question

I have that too, especially with phone conversations (which I hate). Again, the conversation rarely goes the way I plan it.

• The volume level on a car stereo must be a multiple of 2 or end in a 5. You must never, ever have the volume at anything like 13 or 27. That's just wrong.

• In the kitchen, any worksurface I'm about to prepare food on has to be absolutely bone dry - this used to drive my co-workers nuts at my last job as a cook.

Seraphim · 11 Nov 2003 at 17:10

Oh God, I can't stop.

I walk quite fast, and as a consequence of this I tend to catch people up quite often. When I end up following someone, say in an alleyway or some such narrow passageway, I become acutely worried about what they're thinking. Do they think I'm a rapist? Do they think I'm about to mug them? I end up trying to walk quietly so as not to scare them, although in reality this just probably scares them even more.

I cannot stand long-sleeved items of clothing that aren't jackets. Long-sleeved shirts, t-shirts and jumpers are hell for me, which leads me to wearing t-shirts all day every day. If I'm forced to wear a jumper it'll have it's arms pushed up to my elbows.

On a physical oddness level, I heal quite badly, in that even minor abrasions to my skin will leave ugly purple scars. I've got two matching scars on the front of my hips and one on my elbow from where I crashed a BMX at 30mph, and my knees are a battleground of scarring. Keloid scars I think they're called.

Seraphim · 11 Nov 2003 at 19:12

Ooh, just thought of others on my way back from the shop.

• When I drink a pint, every so often I'll rotate the glass a 1/4 of a revolution, so that when I finish the pint there are no streaks of foam residue left on the glass. I like to have a clean glass at the end of a pint, plus it means absolutely no wastage

• Ever since I learnt that the last two digits of an old-style number plate are dependent on where the car was registered, and that the codes for my home town is YA, YB, YC and YD, I've been looking at number plates when walking, driving or being driven to see if any of the cars were 'born' where I was. I also end up looking for things in windscreens like out-of-date tax discs when I'm walking somewhere. I tend to get bored easily when just walking.

Seraphim · 12 Nov 2003 at 15:06

Originally posted by Chiggs
Mate just out of interest are you from Cheddar area?

Nope, but close - I'm a Taunton lad.

Well, West Buckland to be precise, but that's a little too small.

Seraphim · 13 Nov 2003 at 16:29

Originally posted by Binary
12) Walk the wrong way a lot, and suddenly do a U-turn but im really paronoid about what people think so I either say something loudly or make out im doing something.

Oh yes, I always do this when I go to my local Spar. It's on the right, I know it's on the right but I'll always turn left. What's wrong with me?

I've just thought of another. Toilet roll must go over and down the front, rather than down from behind. That's just plain wrong. I'll change it over if it's in the wrong configuration.