# Walking with your eyes closed **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 28, 2001, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-with-your-eyes-closed/84268 "2001-09-28T05:18:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![23skidoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/f04885/32.png) [@23skidoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/23skidoo)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2001, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-with-your-eyes-closed/84268/1 "2001-09-28T05:18:37Z")
This thread is inspired by Scary Bedroom Experiment. Next time you are out walking with someone (or walking alone if you are bold), try walking with your eyes closed. The open eyed person promises to warn the other person of anything dangerous. Walk. Count the steps. How many steps before you have to open your eyes? I can’t get over 20 steps. My girlfriend can go, possibly, indefinitely. What’s your “Blind Factor”? ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2001, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-with-your-eyes-closed/84268/2 "2001-09-28T08:59:01Z")
I’ve done this without help, before. I’ve gone an entire city block, knowing I have to correct my course if I feel my foot leave the sidewalk. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2001, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-with-your-eyes-closed/84268/3 "2001-09-28T09:23:07Z")
I can almost make it all the way across my house. I can’t imagine doing that outside, or in an unfamiliar area. ---
**Author:** ![TheThill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheThill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheThill)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2001, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-with-your-eyes-closed/84268/4 "2001-09-28T09:23:48Z")
I have done this too sometimes, haven’t counted my steps, but can usually make it about the distance of a city block (wouldn’t try it down a busy one though). Of course, you can make it much further with practcise, just ask any blind or visually imparied person! ---
**Author:** ![deepbluesea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ba9def/32.png) [@deepbluesea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deepbluesea)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2001, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-with-your-eyes-closed/84268/5 "2001-09-28T09:45:01Z")
When I was a teenager, I was forced to do this exercise on a semi-regular basis, and I hated hated hated it. At the time, five steps was the best I could do. I do it occasionally by myself, just to see what it’s like, and I can manage 15 steps. Of course, it does not help that I get dizzy when I’m trying to walk with my eyes closed. These days, when I ‘break’ doing that exercise, it’s usually 'cause I’m about to fall over. ---
**Author:** ![Cougarfang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c67d28/32.png) [@Cougarfang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cougarfang)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2001, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-with-your-eyes-closed/84268/6 "2001-09-28T10:20:58Z")
depends on who it is. if it’s a female classmate, i’d feel perfectly safe and go on indefinitely. if it’s a male classmate, i’d probably go about ten steps. if it’s a total stranger, i’d probably go maybe 20~30 steps. make what you like of that. ---
**Author:** ![Sparteye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Sparteye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparteye)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2001, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-with-your-eyes-closed/84268/7 "2001-09-29T04:22:55Z")
Last week, I heard a _thump_ from our foyer, and then my son started to cry; he had wapped his head against the stair banister. I ran to the stairs, only knowing I’d heard the sounds of impact and pain. “What happened?!” I yelled down from the top of the stairs. “I was walking with my eyes closed,” came the sobbing reply. Now, I thought the incident was proof that my son is an idiot, but now I learn that he was practicing an exercise in _trust_. Only, isn’t somebody else supposed to be there??? [sub]I worry about the boy; I really do.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2001, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-with-your-eyes-closed/84268/8 "2001-09-29T06:07:14Z")
On the way to the bathrooms at school, I will walk with my eyes closed to waste time. ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2001, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-with-your-eyes-closed/84268/9 "2001-09-29T06:10:04Z")
If you want kind of an odd sensation, go to an open field where you know there is nothing for you to hit and run as fast as you can with your eyes closed. See how long you can do that.