# What are your strange and unexplainable habits? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 24, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-strange-and-unexplainable-habits/511394 "2009-09-24T17:14:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mahna\_Mahna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mahna\_Mahna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahna_Mahna)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-strange-and-unexplainable-habits/511394/21 "2009-09-24T20:01:20Z")
Apparently I’m not alone in my hatred of revolving doors. It’s totally irrational, since I’ve never gotten stuck in one or anything… but I’ll actually take a detour to avoid using one and will rush through as fast as I can when there’s no other choice. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-strange-and-unexplainable-habits/511394/22 "2009-09-24T20:11:54Z")
> [@xanthous](#): > > I won’t eat the outside edges of blueberry pancakes. I must eat from the middle outward, and usually stop about 1.5" from the edges. I can eat plain pancakes normally, but it’s pointless to eat from the outside in when eating the blueberry variety, because I’m just wasting prime blueberry real estate. I’m a delayed gratification person when eating so I’ll eat around the outside first and then get to the middle goodness. Same with hamburgers and sandwiches with crust. > [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Years ago, I vowed not to ever subject myself to hearing Free Bird again, and it’s a promise to myself that I have strictly kept. If it is being played in my vicinity, I take strong measures (up to and including minor violence) to either leave or have it turned off. I feel the same way about “Whoop! There It Is!” ---
**Author:** ![EpicNonsense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c37758/32.png) [@EpicNonsense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EpicNonsense)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-strange-and-unexplainable-habits/511394/23 "2009-09-24T20:17:08Z")
If I’m cooking something in the microwave, and I have to stir it… or if I just want to re-heat something that I was already eating, I always happen to rinse off the utensil I’m using, each and every time I stir, or place something in the mic. For some reason said utensil becomes toxic in my subconscious mind once it has made contact with the open air while something is in the microwave, and _only_ when something is in the microwave. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-strange-and-unexplainable-habits/511394/24 "2009-09-24T20:23:02Z")
> [@CyclopticXander](#): > > As for me, my mind apparently does not understand sidewalks. Anytime I am idly walking I will cut across the grass or whatever surface and take the straightest path to my destination. This means I often get wet socks and strange looks. Can someone share something to make me feel better? I always did this until I looked around and noticed the havoc it wreaks on grass and landscaping and decided it was actually pretty rude and self-centered. ---
**Author:** ![silvermist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@silvermist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silvermist)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-strange-and-unexplainable-habits/511394/25 "2009-09-24T20:29:10Z")
When we were moving from one state to another, our rabbits were in the back of a U-haul. My daughter would get in the back to feed and water them and change the papers in their cages. She came into the motel room and told me that I should make an appearance because they seemed to be depressed and she thought that they missed me. I was resting so I gave her a walkie-talkie and sent her to the truck. I talked to them this way but she cut in and told me to shut up because they were jumping around and looking terrified. So I made a personal appearance and they calmed down. We figured out that they must have thought I was trapped inside the little black box and it upset them. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-strange-and-unexplainable-habits/511394/26 "2009-09-24T21:06:08Z")
> [@Soylent\_Juicy](#): > > Every time I leave the house I tell my cat that I love her and when I’ll be home. In my superstitious little mind, if I _don’t_ say it then something bad will happen to me and I _won’t_ come home. I have four cats and not only do I say goodbye to them, I leave one “in charge”. (“So long everybody. Molly, you’re in charge.”) I rotate who’s in charge every time, so no one feels left out. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-strange-and-unexplainable-habits/511394/27 "2009-09-24T21:10:19Z")
> [@postcards](#): > > I have four cats and not only do I say goodbye to them, I leave one “in charge”. (“So long everybody. Molly, you’re in charge.”) I rotate who’s in charge every time, so no one feels left out. I love this! ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-strange-and-unexplainable-habits/511394/28 "2009-09-24T21:26:01Z")
When eating small categorizable items, I eat to even their numbers. So if I’m eating skittles, and I have 8 red, 7 green, 5 yellow, 5 orange, and 4 purple, I’ll eat them in this order: 1 red 1 red 1 green 1 red 1 green 1 red 1 green 1 yellow 1 orange 1 red 1 green 1 yellow 1 orange 1 purple 1 red 1 green 1 yellow 1 orange 1 purple 1 red 1 green 1 yellow 1 orange 1 purple 1 red 1 green 1 yellow 1 orange 1 purple It’s not a very strong compulsion, but more often then not this is how I do it. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-strange-and-unexplainable-habits/511394/29 "2009-09-24T21:42:24Z")
You know those horrid foilish wrappers that come on chips or cereal bars? No matter how you crumple them up, they uncrumple. I don’t care for that so much. I fold them up, neatly, almost origami-like, until they’re the size of a quarter. A tight little compact unit, that will not unfold! I offer no explanation, yet I am compelled. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-strange-and-unexplainable-habits/511394/30 "2009-09-24T21:57:54Z")
> [@DooWahDiddy](#): > > I have the opposite problem. When I’m setting my alarm, for example, I _can’t_ set it on an even number or a multiple of five. So instead of 9:30 or whatever, it would be 9:23 or 9:33, something like that. I’ve tried to explain it to people but it’s hard when I can’t even explain it to myself. I do this, but it’s because the snooze button doesn’t have a duration of a multiple of 5, it’s usually 9 or (in my case) 7 minutes. So I figure I’m going to hit the snooze button four times and I want to get up at 6:00, so I set it for 5:32 or some such. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-strange-and-unexplainable-habits/511394/31 "2009-09-24T21:59:53Z")
I read the Straight Dope. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Violaceous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Miss\_Violaceous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Violaceous)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-strange-and-unexplainable-habits/511394/32 "2009-09-24T22:38:14Z")
> [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](#): > > It’s beginning to be the time of year where the parking lot is covered in crisp, colorful dead leaves. If I crush a leaf loudly with my left foot, I will feel unbalanced until I crush another similarly crunchy leaf with my right foot. I sometimes wonder if there are people looking down from the upper windows of my office building and wondering why I’m walking such an erratic path out to my car. > [@hotflungwok](#): > > When eating small categorizable items, I eat to even their numbers. So if I’m eating skittles, and I have 8 red, 7 green, 5 yellow, 5 orange, and 4 purple, I’ll eat them in this order: > 1 red > 1 red 1 green > 1 red 1 green > 1 red 1 green 1 yellow 1 orange > 1 red 1 green 1 yellow 1 orange 1 purple > 1 red 1 green 1 yellow 1 orange 1 purple > 1 red 1 green 1 yellow 1 orange 1 purple > 1 red 1 green 1 yellow 1 orange 1 purple > > It’s not a very strong compulsion, but more often then not this is how I do it. I do both of these exactly as described. In addition, when I have a digital alarm clock I must have it set twelve hours off exactly so that if the little dot lights up to indicate AM, it is in fact PM, etc. My husband doesn’t get it and it really bothers him. I always have to fight with myself to resist doing it in hotel rooms when I know I’ll forget to fix it and really screw with the next occupant’s morning. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-strange-and-unexplainable-habits/511394/33 "2009-09-24T22:40:14Z")
I prefer to sleep on the couch. I like to sleep on my side and have something to lean against. ---
**Author:** ![Surly\_Chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Surly\_Chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surly_Chick)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-strange-and-unexplainable-habits/511394/34 "2009-09-24T23:13:43Z")
> [@postcards](#): > > I have four cats and not only do I say goodbye to them, I leave one “in charge”. (“So long everybody. Molly, you’re in charge.”) I rotate who’s in charge every time, so no one feels left out. I didn’t think anyone else did that! My dad does it with his dogs whenever he leaves. He also assigns specific responsibilities: “Bart, you’re in charge of the window. Ramush, you’re in charge of the door.” ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-strange-and-unexplainable-habits/511394/35 "2009-09-24T23:33:27Z")
Hanging washing on the line is an exercise in colour co-ordination. The peg bag comprises mainly blue and white plastic pegs, with several red ones and, I believe one yellow peg. And a few wooden pegs, but I don’t use those because I don’t like them, the design being too retro for my taste. Anyway, black clothes must be attached to the washing line with white pegs. So must blue items. I like the pleasing contrast this offers. However, problems can arise when a large load of black and blue clothes is washed, because I don’t always have enough white pegs. In such cases, I tend to improvise by slipping a red peg into a row of three holding up a black item, and hoping nobody notices. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-strange-and-unexplainable-habits/511394/36 "2009-09-24T23:41:38Z")
I hate to walk over street gratings. I can do it, but I have to steel myself. It’s not entirely unexplainable - once when I was a child I was looking into one and had a moment of vertigo - but seriously it happened ONCE and that was 25 years ago. I have to use a Dixon Ticonderoga pencil for a standardized test. I will also use a Faber-Castell Mongol, but they’re hard to find anymore. Oh! when loading silverware in the dishwasher, there must be an equal number in each slot. If this is not possible, the distribution must be symmetrical. ---
**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:** [September 24, 2009, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-strange-and-unexplainable-habits/511394/37 "2009-09-24T23:52:12Z")
> [@postcards](#): > > I have four cats and not only do I say goodbye to them, I leave one “in charge”. (“So long everybody. Molly, you’re in charge.”) I rotate who’s in charge every time, so no one feels left out. > [@Surly\_Chick](#): > > I didn’t think anyone else did that! My dad does it with his dogs whenever he leaves. He also assigns specific responsibilities: “Bart, you’re in charge of the window. Ramush, you’re in charge of the door.” Every time I leave the house I announce, ‘‘Merlin, be the best kitty there ever was. Which is the only kitty you ever are!’’ My cat’s general superiority was confirmed when my professional cat sitter friended me on Facebook just to tell me he is her favorite. When I wear pants, I deliberately wear socks that don’t match. I don’t mean a black sock and a white sock, I mean a Halloween sock with a Christmas sock, or a pig sock with a butterfly sock. My best friend insists that I ‘‘giraffe’’ my food, which apparently means I stick out my tongue as a grasping tool first before pulling the food into my mouth. She is the only one who has ever noticed this, but when she pointed it out, my husband admitted he could see it too. This is apparently such an enduring image that I am represented in her cell phone address book by an icon of a giraffe. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-strange-and-unexplainable-habits/511394/38 "2009-09-24T23:58:58Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > My volume has to be set at an even number, or a multiple of five. I do this same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Baggins111](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@Baggins111](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baggins111)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-strange-and-unexplainable-habits/511394/39 "2009-09-25T00:28:14Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > My volume has to be set at an even number, or a multiple of five. I’m the same way except only even numbers. I chew gum constantly. I get the stuff in the blister packs. The gum MUST be removed from the pack in the correct order from one end to the other. You can’t just take one out of the middle and ruin the pattern. My friends do this just to annoy me. When I put my socks and shoes on it’s always left sock, right sock, left shoe, right shoe. If I accidentally slip my right foot into something like a flip-flop first, I must take it off and put the left one on before putting the right one back on. There are more. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-strange-and-unexplainable-habits/511394/40 "2009-09-25T01:29:11Z")
I am constantly playing with something in my hand. At work, I’ll often walk over to somebody’s cubicle to ask them a question, and then notice that I’m idly playing with a pen or whiteboard marker that I apparently picked up at some point when I was at my desk. Sometimes I’ll end up putting the object in my pocket – I’ve stolen the same pen at least 20 times from work. At home it’s my nail clippers that I often walk off with. I can never find the stupid things so I’m making a concerted effort to always return them to the bathroom. Before you ask: no, I’ve never smoked in my life. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-strange-and-unexplainable-habits/511394.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-strange-and-unexplainable-habits/511394.md?page=3)