Do you have any superstitions?

[Dancefortwo]

Makes sense in a way, but I'd rather plan on not wrecking while on the bridge. I admit I do pay much closer attention when driving a bridge, over water or no. Driving the Golden Gate had my balls trying to crawl up into my gut, though.

Reminds me of this.  Poor woman:




There's also a bridge called the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, (in Maryland or Virginia?) that takes 25 minutes to get over and people freak out so they have a car service that will drive you and your car over.  Yeah, I'd probably freak out on this bridge.       





Here's the rest of it.  It disappears into the horizon.  



This bridge isn't like the one in Key West Florida that also goes on for miles.   The sea depth is about 6 to 8 feet deep, or that's what I've heard from Floridians, and it's very, very warm water.  Almost like a sauna.   In Chesapeake it's a loooooong way to the bottom of a cold, cold ocean.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Makes sense in a way, but I'd rather plan on not wrecking while on the bridge. I admit I do pay much closer attention when driving a bridge, over water or no. Driving the Golden Gate had my balls trying to crawl up into my gut, though.

Reminds me of this.  Poor woman:




There's also a bridge called the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, (in Maryland or Virginia?) that takes 25 minutes to get over and people freak out so they have a car service that will drive you and your car over.  Yeah, I'd probably freak out on this bridge.       





Here's the rest of it.  It disappears into the horizon.  



This bridge isn't like the one in Key West Florida that also goes on for miles.   The sea depth is about 6 to 8 feet deep, or that's what I've heard from Floridians, and it's very, very warm water.  Almost like a sauna.   In Chesapeake it's a loooooong way to the bottom of a cold, cold ocean.

I've driven and trained across the Lake Pontchartrain bridge as well. Not very high, unlike the Golden Gate, but still eerie to have nothing underneath you for 20+ miles except stanchions, lake, and swamp.

[Dom]

Reminds me of this.  Poor woman:




There's also a bridge called the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, (in Maryland or Virginia?) that takes 25 minutes to get over and people freak out so they have a car service that will drive you and your car over.  Yeah, I'd probably freak out on this bridge.       





Here's the rest of it.  It disappears into the horizon.  



This bridge isn't like the one in Key West Florida that also goes on for miles.   The sea depth is about 6 to 8 feet deep, or that's what I've heard from Floridians, and it's very, very warm water.  Almost like a sauna.   In Chesapeake it's a loooooong way to the bottom of a cold, cold ocean.

I've driven and trained across the Lake Pontchartrain bridge as well. Not very high, unlike the Golden Gate, but still eerie to have nothing underneath you for 20+ miles except stanchions, lake, and swamp.

I used to use the Golden Gate and the Bay Bridge constantly. I had a tire blow out on the Bay Bridge once. And, one time, everything came to a full stop. After some 20 minutes of sitting there, I climbed up the ladder into the top part of the bridge, to see over the island to find out what was causing it (It was a toppled truck). Man, the view was breath taking.

[Cavebear]

I don't like heights. When I was a child and Dad drove us north over a couple of bridges, I laid down on the floor. As an adult, I don't like ladders or having to get up on the house roof. I can DO that if needed but it isn't comfortable. I fell 16 feet off an extension ladder Jan 2021 and got busted up pretty bad. Heights have not been good experiences for me.

My sister moved on the other side of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge recently and wants me to visit. I don't want to drive the bridge. But I less want to be carried across it in fear. I'm safe to drive it, just worried.

On the other hand, that is not exactly a superstition, just a fear. I have no actual superstitions.

[eider]

Yes I have heard of that, in my culture its unlucky to use opal in an engagement ring this came about as a result of two things, firstly opals are softish stones and can break when being mounted in rings etc and secondly in the 19th century opals were becoming very popular round about the same time large deposits of diamonds were discovered in British controlled South Africa and the diamond merchants didn't like competition so its believed they started a rumour that opals were bad luck. I love opals they are hands down my favourite gemstone particularly black opal.

Most interesting, especially about the rumours started by diamond merchants.   
I like Welo Opal best of all, but the opals are just wonderful gemstones, literally.

[Cavebear]

Yes I have heard of that, in my culture its unlucky to use opal in an engagement ring this came about as a result of two things, firstly opals are softish stones and can break when being mounted in rings etc and secondly in the 19th century opals were becoming very popular round about the same time large deposits of diamonds were discovered in British controlled South Africa and the diamond merchants didn't like competition so its believed they started a rumour that opals were bad luck. I love opals they are hands down my favourite gemstone particularly black opal.

Most interesting, especially about the rumours started by diamond merchants.   
I like Welo Opal best of all, but the opals are just wonderful gemstones, literally.

My recollection of reading about wedding rings in general (yeah, no links) is that various gems (rubies, emeralds, etc) used to be quite popular but diamonds won out on the 1900s due to artificially-created supply limitations by the few miners of them. Was is rare is more valued even if contrived.

Personally, I prefer emeralds because I love green more than clear. Not that I would wear any ring (annoying things). I can't stand jewelry on me in any form. Even my watchband is Velcro. LOL!

[Dancefortwo]

I've driven and trained across the Lake Pontchartrain bridge as well. Not very high, unlike the Golden Gate, but still eerie to have nothing underneath you for 20+ miles except stanchions, lake, and swamp.

I used to use the Golden Gate and the Bay Bridge constantly. I had a tire blow out on the Bay Bridge once. And, one time, everything came to a full stop. After some 20 minutes of sitting there, I climbed up the ladder into the top part of the bridge, to see over the island to find out what was causing it (It was a toppled truck). Man, the view was breath taking.

The woman in that video crossing the bridge  is kinda how I am on an airplane.   I'm a real mess.  That's why I don't fly.

[Dom]

I used to use the Golden Gate and the Bay Bridge constantly. I had a tire blow out on the Bay Bridge once. And, one time, everything came to a full stop. After some 20 minutes of sitting there, I climbed up the ladder into the top part of the bridge, to see over the island to find out what was causing it (It was a toppled truck). Man, the view was breath taking.

The woman in that video crossing the bridge  is kinda how I am on an airplane.   I'm a real mess.  That's why I don't fly.

The first few years of flying I could never sleep on an airplane, not even on 11 hour flights. The last few years, I fell asleep as soon as I sat down.

[airportkid]

... There's also a bridge called the Chesapeake Bay Bridge ...

That structure is a double nightmare because part of it is a tunnel at mid-channel.  Some people fear both bridges and tunnels.  The best thing to do in that case is live 1000 miles clear of it, knowing no emergency will ever affect you from that far away and make you have to cross it.

But the fear of bridges etc. are phobias, not superstitions.  Phobias are very common.  My most intrusive phobia is a fear of spiders, which I acquired approximately 88 centuries prior to being born, as estimated by how intense the phobia is.  I've attempted over the years to overcome it, and am able now to crawl into crawlspaces without abject terror, but I still will not allow spiders to share a room with me, if I know they're in there.

I can see how some phobias can lead to superstitions, or become a superstition in addition to being a fear, but they aren't the same.

[mordant]

Well now we are talking about phobias, not superstitions.

I can truthfully say I have no superstitions. I have a couple of phobias that I'm aware of -- heights, and some forms of public performance. I did not like performing music with any sort of audience, even a small one, but can tolerate public speaking.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Well now we are talking about phobias, not superstitions.

Right. Both are irrational, but one has a basis in fact.

[Thingymebob]

I used to use the Golden Gate and the Bay Bridge constantly. I had a tire blow out on the Bay Bridge once. And, one time, everything came to a full stop. After some 20 minutes of sitting there, I climbed up the ladder into the top part of the bridge, to see over the island to find out what was causing it (It was a toppled truck). Man, the view was breath taking.

The woman in that video crossing the bridge  is kinda how I am on an airplane.   I'm a real mess.  That's why I don't fly.

I don't have a fear of flying, it's more of a fear of crashing.

[Thingymebob]

One definite superstition that I have is to never stand behind anyone who is throwing salt over their shoulder.

Hurts your eyes.

[airportkid]

... is kinda how I am on an airplane.   I'm a real mess.  That's why I don't fly ...

... I don't have a fear of flying, it's more of a fear of crashing ...

As a matter of statistical fact when you get out of bed in the morning and say "Today I'm gonna be as safe as possible" the safest thing you can do is get aboard an airliner and get to cruising altitude.  At cruising altitude the most likely mishap, where any mishap is as likely as accidentally flying to Mars instead of Philadelphia, is one of the flight deck crew committing suicide.  You faced greater danger during each of getting out of bed, having a shower, getting dressed, getting the car out onto the streets, driving to the airport, buying your ticket at the counter, and going down the gateway to reach your seat in the cabin.  Only slightly more hazardous than cruising is the takeoff and landing, but once the cabin door is closed and the airplane is underway, you're about as safe as it is possible to be than anywhere else on the planet.  Airliner mishaps are so rare that if one happens anywhere in the world, it's world news.  Not even winning the lottery rates world news, unless the stakes were some kind of record.

[Dancefortwo]

... is kinda how I am on an airplane.   I'm a real mess.  That's why I don't fly ...

... I don't have a fear of flying, it's more of a fear of crashing ...

As a matter of statistical fact when you get out of bed in the morning and say "Today I'm gonna be as safe as possible" the safest thing you can do is get aboard an airliner and get to cruising altitude.  At cruising altitude the most likely mishap, where any mishap is as likely as accidentally flying to Mars instead of Philadelphia, is one of the flight deck crew committing suicide.  You faced greater danger during each of getting out of bed, having a shower, getting dressed, getting the car out onto the streets, driving to the airport, buying your ticket at the counter, and going down the gateway to reach your seat in the cabin.  Only slightly more hazardous than cruising is the takeoff and landing, but once the cabin door is closed and the airplane is underway, you're about as safe as it is possible to be than anywhere else on the planet.  Airliner mishaps are so rare that if one happens anywhere in the world, it's world news.  Not even winning the lottery rates world news, unless the stakes were some kind of record.

Yeah, I've heard this a million times so you're not telling me something I havent heard.  You could tell me airplanes are the safest place on the planet but it does nothing for my fear of flying.  I haven't flown in 20 years.   Last time I flew I got on the plane with my family but when I sat down in the seat I was such a crazy mess I immediately unbuckled my seat belt and got off the plane. They flew without me.  That's how severe my fear of flying is.

[Thingymebob]

As a matter of statistical fact when you get out of bed in the morning and say "Today I'm gonna be as safe as possible" the safest thing you can do is get aboard an airliner and get to cruising altitude.  At cruising altitude the most likely mishap, where any mishap is as likely as accidentally flying to Mars instead of Philadelphia, is one of the flight deck crew committing suicide.  You faced greater danger during each of getting out of bed, having a shower, getting dressed, getting the car out onto the streets, driving to the airport, buying your ticket at the counter, and going down the gateway to reach your seat in the cabin.  Only slightly more hazardous than cruising is the takeoff and landing, but once the cabin door is closed and the airplane is underway, you're about as safe as it is possible to be than anywhere else on the planet.  Airliner mishaps are so rare that if one happens anywhere in the world, it's world news.  Not even winning the lottery rates world news, unless the stakes were some kind of record.

Yeah, I've heard this a million times so you're not telling me something I havent heard.  You could tell me airplanes are the safest place on the planet but it does nothing for my fear of flying.  I haven't flown in 20 years.   Last time I flew I got on the plane with my family but when I sat down in the seat I was such a crazy mess I immediately unbuckled my seat belt and got off the plane. They flew without me.  That's how severe my fear of flying is.

I was an a plane once travelling from Manchester to Crete, can't remember the airport Herracilon or something, anyway it was a 4 hour flight and about half way through we hit some turbulence. Jesus Christ I was scared, I held the hand of a woman who I'd never met before for 10 minutes...
When I got off the plane I remember thinking ' I'm never flying again' then remembered that I'd got to get back.

[Thumpalumpacus]

The only time I've ever been afraid on an airplane was as a kid (who'd already done much passenger-time on jets from 737 and larger). We were on an F-27 twin-turboprop seating about 15 and got caught in a thunderstorm over D/FW. We were bouncing up and down for about five minutes, 30 or so feet a pop, and I started wondering if the plane could take the stresses.

[Thingymebob]

The only time I've ever been afraid on an airplane was as a kid (who'd already done much passenger-time on jets from 737 and larger). We were on an F-27 twin-turboprop seating about 15 and got caught in a thunderstorm over D/FW. We were bouncing up and down for about five minutes, 30 or so feet a pop, and I started wondering if the plane could take the stresses.

That's the thing mate. It's nuts and bolts at the end of the day, and we as passengers are relying on them being tight.

[mordant]

... is kinda how I am on an airplane.   I'm a real mess.  That's why I don't fly ...

... I don't have a fear of flying, it's more of a fear of crashing ...

As a matter of statistical fact when you get out of bed in the morning and say "Today I'm gonna be as safe as possible" the safest thing you can do is get aboard an airliner and get to cruising altitude.

You are not factoring in Covid while flying in a tin can with 300 other people, none of whom are masked, and long covid. Nor the asshats who have been going apeshit in-flight of late, which is a seriously bad trend.

[Dancefortwo]

Yeah, I've heard this a million times so you're not telling me something I havent heard.  You could tell me airplanes are the safest place on the planet but it does nothing for my fear of flying.  I haven't flown in 20 years.   Last time I flew I got on the plane with my family but when I sat down in the seat I was such a crazy mess I immediately unbuckled my seat belt and got off the plane. They flew without me.  That's how severe my fear of flying is.

I was an a plane once travelling from Manchester to Crete, can't remember the airport Herracilon or something, anyway it was a 4 hour flight and about half way through we hit some turbulence. Jesus Christ I was scared, I held the hand of a woman who I'd never met before for 10 minutes...
When I got off the plane I remember thinking ' I'm never flying again' then remembered that I'd got to get back.

I tried taking Xanax to calm me down.  I took about two Xanax about 6 hours before I flew.  One Xanax about an hour before we got on the plane and another couple mid flight.  You'd think I'd be a complete zombie but  I was still  terrified.  In some ways the Xanax made it worse because it was explained to me by a psychologist that my flight or flight was trying to override the Zanax and the terror of flying.    The psychologist had a name for this condition or response or psychological experience but I can't remember what it is.  He couldn't believe I took that many xanax and didn't overdose.  That's what fear does.  It takes you to a different world in your head.  It's really horrible.

[Thingymebob]

As a matter of statistical fact when you get out of bed in the morning and say "Today I'm gonna be as safe as possible" the safest thing you can do is get aboard an airliner and get to cruising altitude.

You are not factoring in Covid while flying in a tin can with 300 other people, none of whom are masked, and long covid. Nor the asshats who have been going apeshit in-flight of late, which is a seriously bad trend.

Yes, we are now acting as though Covid is a thing of the past, the headlines around it seem to have disappeared from the media over here.
Masks should still be mandatory not just on aircraft but all forms of public transport.