# Strange abilities you seem to have **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 16, 2016, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-abilities-you-seem-to-have/760066 "2016-07-16T18:44:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2016, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-abilities-you-seem-to-have/760066/81 "2016-07-25T19:35:56Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > I can cause a lengthy red signal to change to green, and also make stopped freeway traffic start moving again. All I need do is reach for a little bottle of hand lotion that I keep in the car and apply a bit to my cuticles while waiting, and when my hands are all goopy and I can’t touch the steering wheel, traffic will magically start to move. OMG, we should team up! I control the stoplights, you control the traffic: together we control the world. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2016, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-abilities-you-seem-to-have/760066/82 "2016-07-25T20:25:14Z")
> [@Marion\_Wormer](#): > > People have seizures around me. > > After the first couple of times, I asked a doctor friend how to respond and he gave me instructions. So the next three times when it happened, I was ready. > > The last time a woman walking down the aisle on an airplane when she had a seizure right next to me. I caught her on the way down as she went into a grand mal then started barking out to people to get the flight attendant while I kept her from hurting herself. I didn’t save a life but I certainly prevented her from injuring herself. > > This mystic power has petered out after I entered old age; now my mystic power is that I can be invisible when I’m shopping for clothes. > > (Correction, there were 6 times. One was a petit mal so I didn’t have to do anything.) I was recently diagnosed with epilepsy and was gonna tell you to stay the hell out of Michigan, but on second thought, I am grateful for folks with your ‘super power.’ I didn’t know anything about seizures or how to deal with them until I had three in one day. I’m still not entirely confident in dealing with my own. So those folks you sent into epileptic fits are lucky you were there. Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Grestarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grestarian/32/3227_2.png) [@Grestarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grestarian)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2016, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-abilities-you-seem-to-have/760066/83 "2016-07-28T06:44:22Z")
I don’t know if these are related: 1. Unlike **Mr. Downtown** , I’m a product killer. Did you like the 100Mb ZIP drive? It was out for a couple years before I finally got one. I even bought a dozen ZIP disks. It was discontinued within 3 months. Did you like Pringles Thick Cut potato chips? They were around for a long time. I loved ‘em. Then I stocked up on a case. They were discontinued before I finished it. O’Grady’s potato chips, Keebler Butter-flavored ‘Tato Skins, Ruffles Thick n’ Hearty, Marathon Candy Bars, Pop Shoppe sodas, Chicago Brothers’ PIzza, Picnic N Chicken, Farrell’s Ice Cream, Mann Theaters… Not just food, though. Did you like Vicks’ Formula 44D cough syrup, Albuterol asthma medication, Gemco stores, Atari ST computers? I got into a band called The Storm and it petered out; I got into a band called RTZ – sorry Brad; I finally got around to seeing the band Foreigner – sorry about that Lou… I finally got to see an Eagles concert recently… 2. I don’t tend to think highly of spectator sports anyway, but I can make the home team lose just by attending the game. I killed the Aztecs’ winning streak under Don Corryell. I killed the Sockers’ winning streak after they won four Indoor Soccer league seasons in a row. I was invited to see the Padres vs the Cubs in 1984. It doesn’t even have to be my own home team. I went to visit a friend in Seattle and she knew some people with extra Huskies tickets… –G! Believe it or not, though, I’ve never been to a drive-in movie. Their demise is not my fault. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2016, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-abilities-you-seem-to-have/760066/84 "2016-07-28T13:13:38Z")
My spouse can make the San Jose Sharks lose by watching their games on TV. It doesn’t work in person, though. I wouldn’t let him watch their Stanley Cup Finals games on TV. He didn’t object. We went to one game and they won, though. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2016, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-abilities-you-seem-to-have/760066/85 "2016-07-28T14:09:43Z")
> [@Grestarian](#): > > I got into a band called The Storm and it petered out; I got into a band called RTZ – sorry Brad; I finally got around to seeing the band Foreigner – sorry about that Lou… I finally got to see an Eagles concert recently… I guess my ability is to cause bands I get into to stop playing their old stuff. Just in the past year 4 bands have done this to me whereas previously it had only happened once. Even when the new stuff is undeniably better, like with Pierce The Veil, I like some variety in my concerts especially since between them these four bands have only 6 albums they play from, and just 9 albums and 5 EPs even if you include all their stuff! Elvis Costello has much more than that all by himself and he still manages to work in all eras in his concerts (even if not all albums) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2016, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-abilities-you-seem-to-have/760066/86 "2016-07-28T14:17:39Z")
I can walk away from ridiculous situations. Most people do not have this ability, but if talk gets too stupid, I will either walk away if I can, or simply stop talking. I also have the ability to not talk better than anyone I’ve ever met. When I get really pissed off, I stop responding, except for answering questions with the shortest answer possible and in a monotone. I’ve done this for days with people who really get me annoyed. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2016, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-abilities-you-seem-to-have/760066/87 "2016-07-28T15:57:31Z")
I can make an entire stock of clothing in my size (shirts, pants, socks, drawers) disappear from a store just by thinking of trying some on in two days (forget about buying any). There may be one item left, but it will be mislabeled according to size. ---
**Author:** ![3trew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/13edae/32.png) [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2016, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-abilities-you-seem-to-have/760066/88 "2016-07-30T01:40:28Z")
My daughter is preparing for trips to several countries over the next couple of years. Aside from her ability to make all of my money disappear into paying for them, she seems to have caused one to leave the EU, one to have a series of devastating terrorist attacks, one to become bankrupt and teetering on the brink of fascism, and one to have a coup attempt and the subsequent backlash. Any government types, feel free to PM me to exchange large amounts of gold in exchange for a guarantee she won’t come to see your lovely homeland. I’m not taking fiat currency at the moment, since I can’t remember her entire itinerary and she may visit the US on short notice. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-abilities-you-seem-to-have/760066.md?page=4)