Are there certain phrases or attributes that make you automatically distrust the person who utters or possesses them? Things that make you think, “Do not turn your back on this woman if she has a knife. Do not take a nap while this man is in the room. Do not stand near a third-story window while this child is playing.” I’m sure you do; most everybody does, but it’s different for everbody.
Mine is the any phrase with the words “Jews” and “all” in close proximity. The Jews run all the networks.The Jews want all the land."He’s just Jewish all the time. The combination gets my attention, and arouses my ire, and prompts me to reach for my derringer and make sure my back is not to the door.
Anybody else have a phrase, a behavior, even a style of dress that sets off your spider-sense?
If a majority of my cats dislike someone, it makes me wary. I have to say a majority, because I have had friends for years who have never met Mr. Spock. He goes under the sofa at the first sound of a strange voice. And Valentino loves everyone - he’d show the prowler where the jewelry is. If "Tino didn’t like someone, I’d probably never invite them in my home again.
More in line with the OP - if someone is always talking negative about others we know, I am wary of them. What are they saying about me when I’m not around?
Someone going out of their way to stand behind me. 9000 other places to stand in the room but they *have * to stand behind me. Makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up just thinking about it.
Typically masked gunmen shouting obscenities while waving guns alert my spidey sense. Other than that…
Seriously, I have run across maybe 3-4 people in my life, just casually, say at a convenience store or party, or something similiar, and the body has gone on full fight or flight mode, hackles raised, rush of adrenaline, they just give me the heebie jeebies. And on the surface, no obvious reason why. Never really hung around to figure out why I was responding the way I was, getting the hell out of Dodge was first on the priority list.
I am interviewing candidates for a secretarial job. One candidate had worked for the government for many years, and I asked her if she’d consider applying for work at a government agency again.
“I don’t really want to do that,” she explained, “because they do back ground checks.”
Along with my spider sense tingling, I saw a big red flag waving over her head.
“We’re going to have a mandatory company-wide meeting this afternoon.”
I’ve worked for too many companies that have abruptly shut down or laid everyone off at those meetings.
The last time I got one of those, it was announced that we were shutting down. Luckily, I’d just accepted a job offer at this company that very morning.
Like dahfisheroo said, it’s an automatic reaction I sometimes have with people - I can’t explain it or define it. Some people just set my creep meter off.
Oh, and people who say “trust me” way too often. Or when my boss says, “Do you have a couple of minutes to talk?” and won’t tell me about what.
I agree with this one, but I’l extend it to any cultural/ethnic/religious group: all Jews, all Arabs, all immigrants, all Muslims, all Pagans, all Christians, all Gays, all women, all men. It really sets off the old “demonisation of the Other” alarm.
Have you ever had that happen with people on TV, that you have never met in person? It used to happen with me whenever I saw Brian Mulroney (former Canadian Prime Minister) on TV. Nothing to do with his policies or anything; he just seemed so smarmy and unctuous, like he was always toadying up to Reagan.
*People who stand way too close and invade my Personal Space. Stand close enough that I can feel your breath on my neck and we’re gonna tangle. That includes people who are close talkers, of “Seinfeld” fame. You know, the people who stand really, really close to your face when they talk to you. Squick, baby. (I specifically exempt the lovely Johnny Depp. He can breathe wherever the heck he wants in my vicinity. )
*There are people who trip my internal alarm bells for no obvious reason other than the fact that my sixth sense has been triggered by them, and it is warning me at top volume to stay away from them. Some people just trigger that creepy, skin-crawly sense for me and I trust that instinct.
*People who too often preface their remarks by saying some version of, “I ain’t gonna lie to you, I…” Just makes my already naturally suspicious nature ratchet up the skepticism that much more.
*People who touch me unnecessarily.
Well, that came out badly. Let me 'splain: Squicked-out spidey sense was on full alert during each of my pregnancies, because some people felt it was perfectly fine to feel up my big belly - without asking. I actually pushed away a strange woman’s hand because she started feeling up my belly in line at the grocery store. Yanno, I don’t mind you asking questions about when the baby’s due. I like conversation and it’s a great way to meet people and pass the time while you’re in line. But shit, after she got ahold of my belly I felt like she owed me dinner.
*Now, I know there’s various reasons why people might do this, but it just grates on that spidey sense when someone won’t look at me directly when we’re talking. If they can’t look me in the eye I just get suspicious. :rolleyes:
I really don’t like driving near people in crappy cars. I don’t mean the cost of the model, I am talking beat up, bondo’d, or smoking out of the tailpipe. I may not know who is in the car but the logical choices are: teenager, old person, degenerate, someone who has nothing to lose, just out of prison, driving to the demolition derby. None of that stuff is good and I try to get away from them as soon as possible. It is often difficult because of their lane wondering, unpredictable movements, lack of signals or smoke screen coming out of the rear. They rarely disappoint.
One night, my wife, young daughter and I were walking out of a restaurant at night. I was walking ahead of them and a crappy car eases up in the parking lot and sits there idling. My spider sense went off big time and I looked back to see my wife and daughter walking up right behind the car. I started saying “Get away from that car. Get away from that car!” in almost a full panic while walking back towards that car. Sure enough, the back-up lights went on and I started to run. About 1 second later, the car starts backing up rapidly towards my wife and daughter and they couldn’t move quickly enough. I have a LOUD voice and a BAD temper and I let out the loudest “STOP” ever hear and the driver threw on the brakes. By that time, I was committed to killing and and I charged the driver’s side door screaming. He had enough sense to tear out of the parking lot (forwards).
When people have to go out of their way to tell me they’re being honest, I assume they must usually be dishonest and I go on guard. “Well, OneCentStamp, to be perfectly honest with you…” always elicits a :dubious:from me.
Any businessman that talks about Jesus or God in the first five minutes of dealing with a customer. I actually reach for my back pocket to check for my wallet… right before I walk out.
I’ve got no problem doing business with sincere Christians.
I’ve also never met a sincere Christian who did what I’m talking about.
Not quite spidey sense here, but security people, too (not network/IT security)… not in retail situations or anything, but in business settings where I have to cooperate with them. The rate of “too danged picky or downright cranky” is just too high.
Ditto for companies with Jesus fish or Bible verses on their signs/ads/letterhead, for me at least. I never knew how widespread that practice could be until I moved to Texas. They like themselves some Geezus here, and they want you to know.
*Nicole Kidman. Something about her or her ‘look’ just says “there’s a knife in my purse and I’m just waiting to get close enough to you to shove it between your ribs.”
*Middle-aged men paying attention to my sons who don’t have kids. Flags go up all over on that one.
*people walking up to me when I’m unlocking my car door. I almost have to take the key out of the lock and assume a defensive stance until they either a) explain what they want or b) go the fleck away.
*Being asked to an unplanned meeting at a specific time and not being told why. (same reasons as posted by others)
*Someone who I clearly don’t know walking up to me on the street with a loud ‘Hi’ and a right hand extended to shake hands but with their left hand firmly in their pocket. Like I know whats in that left hand, buddy.
*Someone walking up to the drivers side door of my car at a light from the blind-spot. If I was ever going to run a red light, that would be the time.
*men who label themselves as Nice Guys – I immediately wonder when (and not if) I will be witness to a Nice Guys vs. Assholes debate, with the guy in question deciding he’s been a Nice Guy for far too long and it’s time for him to start being an abusive Asshole.
*men who are overchivalrous – by this I mean, they make a big deal out of holding a door open for you, etc., perhaps even commenting on their own chivalry, often only performing such gestures for you while letting doors slam in other people’s faces. I had a bad dating experience with someone like that, which leads me to believe that being overchivalrous is a signal that a guy’s a possible stalker-in-waiting. And the funny thing was that I worked with another guy at the time who had excellent manners and was chivalrous to everyone without ever feeling the need to call attention to the fact. I liked this guy. He was just naturally polite, as opposed to that other guy, who was an Asshole in disguise.
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