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Irrational fear thread

Pesqueeb

bicycle in airplane hangar
Feb 2, 2007
40,137
16,532
Riding the baggage carousel.
Crabjoes bogey man in the dark thread made me think, whats your silly, potentially embarrassing irrational fear? For me; alien abduction. I think this was caused by Close Encounters of the Third Kind when I was very young (6, maybe 7 years old?). In a couple days I'm taking a solo motorcycle trip across 1600 miles and camping out while I do it. I'm not too terribly concerned about things that could actually happen, like mechanical breakdowns in the Alvord Desert, getting plowed by a semi on the I80 in SLC, or winding up in the bottom of the Flaming Gorge after swerving around a deer, but getting abducted at night while camping out in the high desert, that scares the poop out of me.
 

stoney

Part of the unwashed, middle-American horde
Jul 26, 2006
21,513
7,056
Colorado
Drowning. I am a really good swimmer (I've done 2 mile open water swims in SF bay), but I have a horrible fear of drowning. White water and big surf break zones scare the hell out of me. I grew up surfing, but right before I left for college I had a 2 wave hold down in 15 foot surf. Ever since then I have had a massive fear of drowning in rough water.
 

I Are Baboon

The Full Dopey
Aug 6, 2001
32,382
9,285
MTB New England
Drowning. I am a really good swimmer (I've done 2 mile open water swims in SF bay), but I have a horrible fear of drowning.
I have recurring nightmares where I get blasted by huge tidal waves and drown. Interesting since I don't really have a fear of water or drowing. I don't know.

I have a fear of my wife.
 

Polandspring88

Superman
Mar 31, 2004
3,066
7
Broomfield, CO
Oh, and African killer bees. I watched a program on them when I was a small child. They showed them hoarding on some animal and killing it. They followed that by saying a horde was making its way across the Atlantic. I nearly sh!t my pants after seeing and hearing that.
 

ICEBALL585

Bacontard
Sep 8, 2009
6,803
2,038
.:585:.
I effing hate needles, they really freak me out. I can't even watch someone on tv getting a shot done or an IV. But it's kind of funny because I have no problems with getting tattoos.
 

clarkenstein

Monkey
Nov 28, 2008
244
0
I had a 2 wave hold down in 15 foot surf. Ever since then I have had a massive fear of drowning in rough water.
big waves freak me out too. i was out in OH +2/+4 a couple years ago and an outside came outta nowhere and took me over the falls. it felt like an hour went by as i was under water. most of my nightmares include a dark VAS style ocean at some point. that doesn't help.

my other not-so-irrational fear is heights. i'm a former rock climber and have puked while on a wall. i climbed to break the fear, but it never gave. my hands are getting that achy/sweaty feeling as i type this now thinking about being 80 feet up on golden streaks at the gunks. eek.

and the last one that's totally stupid? being possessed. that ish freaks me out.
 

eaterofdog

ass grabber
Sep 8, 2006
8,183
1,421
Central Florida
Drowning. I am a really good swimmer (I've done 2 mile open water swims in SF bay), but I have a horrible fear of drowning. White water and big surf break zones scare the hell out of me. I grew up surfing, but right before I left for college I had a 2 wave hold down in 15 foot surf. Ever since then I have had a massive fear of drowning in rough water.
A wise person knows the ocean wants to kill you. It wants you dead. You don't **** with it. Like old trees.
 

4130biker

PM me about Tantrum Cycles!
May 24, 2007
3,882
447
Flying- I hate not being in control of a vehicle that could kill me. The planes are so complex, so old and there's so much to go wrong! At least with a bike or car you can walk home if your engine dies. I'll do it, but man do I hate it.
 

jackalope

Mental acuity - 1%
Jan 9, 2004
7,596
5,894
in a single wide, cooking meth...
Cockroaches & dirt jumps.

Don't mind snakes, slugs, worms, spiders, et al - but big, palmetto roaches immediately send goosebumps up my arms. Thank fvck for old loafers and free Bicycling magazine issues. During the after action evaluation, I always chuckle about how an almost 200 lb dude is so freaked out by a 2" long anthropod with no offenisve weaponry - unlike say a hornet.

My fear dirt jumps really isn't irrational now that I think about, because I simply suck at them. I guess beyond just not knowing how to actually jump them, I always remember friends who have nose cased the lander by a picometer and go face first into the ground, usually cutting holes through lips and/or knocking themselves out cold.
 

Jimmysal

Monkey
Mar 26, 2010
238
0
Vermont
The only thing scary about that is David Lee Roth. I think I could beat him up if it came to that.
You wouldn't have to! If you watch any recent interviews, Eddie looks like he's about to crack him over the head with a guitar anytime Roth opens his mouth!
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,225
20,003
Sleazattle
I fear irrational people and flying. I am not afraid of flying because I think the airplane will crash but because I am afraid that delay after delay will have me stuck in the airport for days. Even worse wold be getting stuck on an airplane on the runway for hours packed into a poorly ventilated tube with a bunch of fat people.
 

eaterofdog

ass grabber
Sep 8, 2006
8,183
1,421
Central Florida
CMy fear dirt jumps really isn't irrational now that I think about, because I simply suck at them. I guess beyond just not knowing how to actually jump them, I always remember friends who have nose cased the lander by a picometer and go face first into the ground, usually cutting holes through lips and/or knocking themselves out cold.
Seen people knocked out, broken noses, ballooned knee, separated shoulder, face scraped partly off (with gravel embedded in gums) etc. Nothing thrills me like a big double though. You gotta go balls deep in dj.
 

Ruffles

Chimp
Apr 3, 2012
87
0
Selah, Wa
Bees. No other bugs really freak me out. But when I was little I was stung on the school bus and found out quickly that I was allergic to bees. Ever since then when I see a bee I kind of freak out and turn into a little girl :rolleyes: I usually wait for the right moment and then take out all my days worth of aggression on that single bee as well, I smash the **** out of them....for fun!
 
...heights. i'm a former rock climber and have puked while on a wall. i climbed to break the fear, but it never gave. my hands are getting that achy/sweaty feeling as i type this now thinking about being 80 feet up on golden streaks at the gunks...
That for me - I also discovered it in the gunks. Odd thing is that I'm comfortable (or was, it's been a long time) with the same vertical exposure when underground.
 

ICEBALL585

Bacontard
Sep 8, 2009
6,803
2,038
.:585:.
Flying or being on a boat in bad weather is exhilarating.
I think being on a boat in bad weather is fun. I've been in a few sailboat races where a crazy storm hit. Over 30mph winds, sideways rain, and big @ss waves... to me it only got scary when the lightning started.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,225
20,003
Sleazattle
Flying or being on a boat in bad weather is exhilarating.
I kind of enjoy it



I'd rather go out in a plane crash or Nor'Easter than die rotting away from cancer. I just want to die in a plane crash when I am 92 years old coming home from a biking trip in Moab.
 

4130biker

PM me about Tantrum Cycles!
May 24, 2007
3,882
447
I kind of enjoy it



I'd rather go out in a plane crash or Nor'Easter than die rotting away from cancer. I just want to die in a plane crash when I am 92 years old coming home from a biking trip in Moab.
Good way to look at it. Unfortunately, my fear is irrational. That's the bitch about irrational fears- they're not rational. ;)
 

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,647
1,116
NORCAL is the hizzle
I hate narrow trails traversing steep hills, with mega exposure on the low side and roots and other crap reaching out for my pedals and handlebars on the high side. I have a fear of getting catapulted off the side and crawl up and down that crap like a baby.
 

sstalder5

Turbo Monkey
Aug 20, 2008
1,942
20
Beech Mtn Definitely NOT Boulder
I have a mild fear of being lowered on a rope while climbing, but only outdoors. Like I'm fine climbing up and falling off the wall, but when I get to the top and have to get lowered down I get shaky. I'm just scared the rope is going to somehow break all of a sudden and I'm going to fall and die.

Also snakes. F*ck snakes.
 

stevew

resident influencer
Sep 21, 2001
40,494
9,525
politicians speaking and being buried alive under their bullsh!t.