Rituals and Safety

[Nomilynn]

I ALWAYS double lock my car doors. If I use the key to lock the doors, I twist it twice. If I use the power door lock, I push the button twice. If I do it by hand, I always run my hand over the lock again to ensure it's fully pushed over.

I also make sure my front door is locked at all times, even when I'm home. I don't like knowing someone could get in :P

That's all I can think of at the moment..

[lovemyshiba]

Originally posted by Kfamr
Oh.. another one.

Having doors closed. Like, my closet door, my bedroom door. I always feel so weird with them open.

My husband does the SAME thing

[GraciesMommy]

I only drive about 4 minutes to work and I check to see if the car doors are locked about 4 times..weird..

[DJFyrewolf36]

Originally posted by catfancier
Only one comes to mind for me at the moment - whenever I take my foot off the clutch of my car when I'm driving, I ALWAYS check (sometimes up to 3 times), that my car is in neutral and not in gear so I don't jerk forwards, backwards or stall. I'm very pedantic about it! It arose from when I drive and I'm tired, I lose concentration and forget I'm in gear.

I do that too. I usually end up playing with the shifter just to make sure. It becomes a pain when you're driving an automatic though. I must look like such a spaz trying to shift an automatic hehe!

This makes me feel safer, I don't know why. I always get
bugged out if I don't kiss my hubby goodbye and tell him I love him before I go to work. Sometimes, he is sleeping in and I don't get the chance and I feel really wierd until I see him at lunch. I also have to pet Remus and tell him he is a good boy before I leave...as he is swatting at me as I go out the door!

Another car one I have is that I do a quick look on all my gauges before I drive off. I practically have an airplane cockpit in my car so there are a lot of guages to check! I am really mindful of the oil pressure because once the idiots at the lube and tune messed the oil filter up and I nearly blew my engine! Had I had an oil pressure guage (I had to put one in myself) I would have known about the problem LONG before it got dangerous.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Unplug the iron (doesn't come up often as I rarely plug it in.) Turning it off isn't good enough.

I once worked with a woman who died while ironing.

[Logan]

I am not careful enough about checking to see that doors are locked.

I am probably most safety conscious in the car. I always wear my seatbelt, and put it on before starting the car, and I make sure every single passenger is buckled as well. I am also fanatical about making sure that the driveway is clear of cats, squirrels, etc before I back out. And on the road, I trust no one!! Changing lanes and making turns makes me nervous after an accident last year when a guy changed lanes at the last minute and never saw me. It doesn't matter that his insurance covered the cost. I was without a vehicle for weeks and my car has now been "wrecked", whether it was my fault or his.

My other big thing is the children's safety, knowing where they are, who they are with, etc. They think I'm overly protective. I think I'm being a good parent.

[lizzielou742]

Car paranoia:
Car keys in between my knuckles
Look to see if anyone's under my car (sometimes)
Look in the backseat to make sure no one's hiding back there
Lock the doors as soon as I'm in the car
Lock the doors every time I get out, even if I'm just pumping gas
Don't park by a van
Always park underneath a light
Pepper spray and a whistle on my keychain, and one of those windshield-sunlight-blocking signs that says "Call Police" just in case
Wear my purse strap across my chest (not hanging off one shoulder)

Home paranoia:
If I'm really scared, I leave the TV on all night
All doors and windows are always locked
Blinds drawn tightly shut at night
Always check through the peephole before I open the door, even if I think I know who it is
If the buzzer sounds (I live in an apartment and you have to be buzzed in the building if you don't have a key) and I'm not expecting someone I make my boyfriend answer it (I don't want anyone to think I'm a girl home alone)
When I'm leaving the apartment, I lock the door, then turn the knob to make sure it's really locked

Ummm...could I be any more OCD?

[BCBlondie]

WolfLady - LOL That sounds like me too.

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The first thing I do when I get into my car is put my seatbelt on.

I make sure that I have the car keys before I lock the car door and close it.. I'm always afraid of accidently locking the key in the car. >.<

I don't feel safe sleeping with my room my doors open, so they're always closed... I lock them when I'm home alone.
Megan sleeps on my bed with me every night.

I always make sure that the back and front doors are locked.

I make sure my window is closed and locked, and I put the blinds down.

I make sure the back door porch light is on during the night.

Listening to music helps me fall asleep because then I'm not trying to listen for any strange noises..

I always look behind my back when I'm walking somewhere (especially if I'm by myself), to make sure that no one is following me. I carry my cell phone with me everywhere I go, and I make sure it's charged before I leave the house.

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Computer stuff:
I have Ad-Aware, and Spybot Search and Destroy, and I have McAfee Security and VirusScan. I also have a pop-up blocker. I no longer use Internet Explorer as it really messes my computer up.. I use Netscape 7.2.


Geez.. we live in such a paranoid world..

[Tonya]

Originally posted by catfancier
Only one comes to mind for me at the moment - whenever I take my foot off the clutch of my car when I'm driving, I ALWAYS check (sometimes up to 3 times), that my car is in neutral and not in gear so I don't jerk forwards, backwards or stall. I'm very pedantic about it! It arose from when I drive and I'm tired, I lose concentration and forget I'm in gear.

I do that too.

[Tonya]

I have a few things...I developed these habits after a traumatic experience. Every door in the house can be unlocked, but I always lock my sliding glass door. I don't care if other windows or doors are open but I won't feel safe unless my sliding glass door is locked. When I take showers, I have to have several lights on. The hallway light, the nearest bedroom light, and the bathroom light. I cannot take a shower with the door closed, it has to be open. (If I have company, I'll close it, but I'm anxious the whole time and take really fast showers in that case.) All the TV's and radios have to be turned off while I'm showering if I'm home alone. Otherwise, I worry that someone may come in the house while I am showering and I will not hear them. Gosh, I'm making myself sound like a freak. I didn't realize how wierd I am about stuff until I started typing.

My only other safety thing is that my car doors are always locked when I'm driving and I always have my seatbelt on.

[PJ's Mom]

The only thing i do is to make sure my cell phone is on me at all times. Whether I'm in the house or going out, it's always in my pocket. You never know when you'll have to make that all-important phone call.

[Fox-Gal]

Originally posted by Tonya
All the TV's and radios have to be turned off while I'm showering if I'm home alone. Otherwise, I worry that someone may come in the house while I am showering and I will not hear them.

I have my own shower rituals too. I should have never watched Hitchcock movies when I was younger.
I have wind chimes on all my doors so I can always hear someone come in. Plus I have to leave the bathroom door open, so I can peek out of the shower and see if anyone is coming.

[lizbud]

I've been thinking & thinking, but I can't come up with any
rituals that I'm aware of. I do turn of the lights at night in a
certain sequence, but think that's move a convenience, than
ritual. I do lock all my doors & belt up before driving
off. Hope this helps.

[popcornbird]

There are a lot of things I 'have to do' before going to bed, in order to feel 'safe'.

I can't go to sleep without checking ALL the doors several times to MAKE SURE they're all closed and locked. I have to go around the whole house checking the windows and making sure they too, are closed and locked. I have to go to the kitchen and make sure the stove burners and oven are off, the toaster is unplugged, the backyard sliding door locked, the garage door locked, etc. Then, I have to fill a glass of water and take it upstairs with me. After that, I wash up, change, and get ready for bed. When I come to my room, I close my door, close the closet doors, close the blinds. Then I have to check out PT and sit at the computer for awhile. THEN I can go to bed peacefully. If I miss out on any of those things, I can't fall asleep.

Several days ago, I was sooo tired and fell asleep before I was 'ready' for bed. When I woke up, it was 2am, and I realized I didn't check anything. I went downstairs in the cold to make sure all was well. Then I headed back to bed. I know, I know...I'm a weirdo.

Car things........if I'm driving, I have to buckle up before starting the car. If I'm a passenger, I usually don't worry about it. I buckle up once we get out of the residential area and onto the 'faster roads'. That's when I feel insecure 'unbuckled', and I have to wear my seat belt.

Computer issues.......I usually don't give my name, exact location, etc. to anyone on the internet. I probably do over-worry, but you'll all have to put up with it. That's just me. He he he

[Karen]

I guess I just don't worry enough to have "safety" rituals! Paul tells me I don't know the meaning of the word "worry."

Closest I come is my glasses are always last off/first on, and are right by my bed. But that's more practicality than safety, as I'm darned near blind without them.