Poll of the Day > What are your "just to be safe" habits?

(+) Yeah! (+)

(In no particular order)

Whenever I go anywhere, even if it's just away from my desk at work for a moment, I pat the pocket with my personal cell phone, then the one with my work cell phone and keys, then the one with my wallet. Every. Single. Time. Saved me a call to AAA as I once started to lock my truck door prior to getting my keys from the dashboard (no electronic locks for me). Also saved me the hassle of driving off to work without my wallet as I didn't feel the reassuring bulge from my pocket, one time when I overslept.

Whenever I leave the house, I check every window and door to make sure it's closed and locked, every electronic appliance is turned off (including home network, but excluding the fridge), and that the cat is inside and has food and water. If door can be dead-bolted, it will be. Since this usually takes 5 or so minutes, I try to make sure to have 10 minutes or so to spare prior to departure. I'm going to work or out of the house. I won't be using internet or need air conditioning.

Whenever I park, I always engage the parking brake. I don't trust my twenty-year-old-transmission to not give out, even when I'm on flat ground.

Whenever I use an ATM or am at the pumps, I give the part of the machine that you insert your card into a good pull to check to see if there's a skimmer on it. The extra-effort of this was successful as it was rewarded once with a skimmer, of which I reported to the police. Also have automatic notifications of debit and credit activity to text and email me.

One of the last main ones is checking all doors, windows, appliances, lights, etc to make sure they're all turned off and locked-up tight before I go to bed. I'm going to bed. I won't be using the wifi or need the kitchen light on.

sounds like you have OCD tbh
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MasterSword546 posted...

sounds like you have OCD tbh

Sounds like? I know I am obsessive-compulsive. Still keeps me from burning the place down, from losing my wallet or phone, getting robbed, decreases chance of bank theft, etc.

The sum total of my preparedness is keeping a ton of shit in my car. Full changes of clothing, shoes, sunglasses, books. In my trunk I have a case of water and a case of beer too but really that's just because I've been too lazy to take them out. Could come in handy one day though so I guess that counts.

My life is sort of a barely-functioning shit show.

Edit: Oh, and I always have a flask of bourbon and a few condoms in my glovebox. I'm obviously classy af.
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I like to look both ways before crossing the street.
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Sometimes in the middle of the night I'll get up to see if the fridge is open, even if I wasn't the last one to use it, I do the same with windows and make sure the curtains on the first floor are closed so no-one could see inside. I also frequently get up at night and look out the window if I hear the slightest strange noise or if i feel if something is wrong, the fact that people tried to steal stuff out of our car and the fact my Mom forgot to roll up her windows during a storm multiple times doesn't help either. I have min-panic attack everytime it takes more than 15 seconds to find the thing I need/want.

I also do some of the same stuff you do TC, like the patting your pockets thing. And and bunch of other smaller things I can't remember at the moment.
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roll two, just to be safe
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I look both ways while turning, after looking both ways twice before making a turn.

95% sure there's no cars/people in my way after first look.
99.5% sure there's no cars/people in my way after second look.
99.95% sure there's no cars/people in my way after third look.

This is why.
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wear two condoms
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Cruddy_horse posted...

Sometimes in the middle of the night I'll get up to see if the fridge is open

Smart person. You don't want to get the suds, trust me.
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I always think my wife leaves the garage door open on the days she works early and did it one time. >__> I fight the urge to check these days, though.
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well I do the triple pat: phone, wallet, keys.
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Hmm....before leaving, I always have a routine to check each room for lights, power switches and the AC. Just before leaving, make sure that my phone, sunglasses, and car keys are in hand and that my purse is hanging at the crook of my elbow.

The moment I enter my vehicle, I ensure my purse is sitting at the front passenger seat with the seatbelt in place, my phone should be placed in the holder by the dashboard and connected via Bluetooth and put my seatbelt on securely.
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WastelandCowboy posted...

MasterSword546 posted...

sounds like you have OCD tbh

Sounds like? I know I am obsessive-compulsive. Still keeps me from burning the place down, from losing my wallet or phone, getting robbed, decreases chance of bank theft, etc.

Better safe than sorry.

:)
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I wait and watch for my garage door to go down when arriving at or leaving my home. I often check the back seat of my car before getting into it. And I almost always check my car door to make sure that it's locked; before my electronic lock thing stopped working (and I should probably get it repaired), I would click it a few times to lock to be safe.


WastelandCowboy posted...

Whenever I use an ATM or am at the pumps, I give the part of the machine that you insert your card into a good pull to check to see if there's a skimmer on it. The extra-effort of this was successful as it was rewarded once with a skimmer, of which I reported to the police. Also have automatic notifications of debit and credit activity to text and email me.

Tempted to do that.
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I also do the pocket pat, but usually only when I'm away from home, to make sure I don't leave anything behind in a public place. Leaving home, I always notice the wallet, and I'm not going anywhere without the keys (I can get back in the house if I forget them). It's the phone I have a problem with right now. I finally broke down and got a smartphone only three months ago, and it's bigger than any of my previous phones, enough so that it's not exactly comfortable to keep in my pocket. So I carry it out and usually leave it sitting on the center console in my car. This has resulted in my walking out without it, and leaving it in the car when I get home (sometimes until the next day, which should tell you how often I use it).

I also do the skimmer check. Haven't found one yet.

Don't have to worry about anything being left on, as I live alone, so nothing gets turned on unless I do it myself, and I always turn things off when I'm done. Same goes for the windows, which are generally only opened when I'm home for the day. I don't bother turning off the network router. It would be a pain to do that every time. And there isn't much point, since it sits right next to the DVR, which will never be turned off, as that defeats part of the purpose of having one (the other part is just so I don't have to sit through commercials).
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I also do the pocket check every time before I leave. I always make sure I have my wallet, phone, keys and knife

Cruddy_horse posted...

I do the same with windows and make sure the curtains on the first floor are closed so no-one could see inside.

I do that too. I don't like it at nighttime when other people can see in but you can't see out.

Talon5967 posted...

I finally broke down and got a smartphone only three months ago, and it's bigger than any of my previous phones, enough so that it's not exactly comfortable to keep in my pocket.

What phone do you have? I had a Z1 at 5.1" that felt a little too big in hand but it fit perfectly in pocket so when that broke I got a Z5 compact at 4.6" and it's pretty much perfect.
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Before I leave the house it's a check for keys, money, wallet, money, keys. Phone is a given.
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Zeus posted...

I wait and watch for my garage door to go down when arriving at or leaving my home. I often check the back seat of my car before getting into it. And I almost always check my car door to make sure that it's locked; before my electronic lock thing stopped working (and I should probably get it repaired), I would click it a few times to lock to be safe.


WastelandCowboy posted...

Whenever I use an ATM or am at the pumps, I give the part of the machine that you insert your card into a good pull to check to see if there's a skimmer on it. The extra-effort of this was successful as it was rewarded once with a skimmer, of which I reported to the police. Also have automatic notifications of debit and credit activity to text and email me.

Tempted to do that.

Do it
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TC were any of these actually yours or were they all reposted from Reddit?
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I use incognito tabs to look at porn.

Joking! ;) Don't got time to go incognito.

But seriously:

After locking my door and getting in my car, I always feel like I didn't lock it and have to get out and check it. I have yet to discover I did forget to lock it, but it doesn't stop me from checking.

My mom has 5 cats; she has always had multiple cats. Anytime I go to her house I have to walk around and make sure I see them all.

My partner messed up his arm in an accident and it's been kind of a constant pain for him lately, even though he doesn't complain about it much. Anytime I wake up in the middle of the night I roll over to make sure he isn't laying on his hurt arm.

I have my dog in the car with me a lot. I would say I ask my partner "What's Norma doing?" at least every five minutes when she's with us; absolutely paranoid she will... I dunno. Open the door? Honestly don't know what my freak-out there is about.
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Bugmeat posted...

I like to look both ways before crossing the street.

This.
And I wear a seatbelt.
And I check behind the shower curtain before I pee
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TsC_PoLiTiKz posted...

I use incognito tabs to look at porn.

Joking! ;) Don't got time to go incognito.

But seriously:

After locking my door and getting in my car, I always feel like I didn't lock it and have to get out and check it. I have yet to discover I did forget to lock it, but it doesn't stop me from checking.

My mom has 5 cats; she has always had multiple cats. Anytime I go to her house I have to walk around and make sure I see them all.

My partner messed up his arm in an accident and it's been kind of a constant pain for him lately, even though he doesn't complain about it much. Anytime I wake up in the middle of the night I roll over to make sure he isn't laying on his hurt arm.

I have my dog in the car with me a lot. I would say I ask my partner "What's Norma doing?" at least every five minutes when she's with us; absolutely paranoid she will... I dunno. Open the door? Honestly don't know what my freak-out there is about.

When you leave give the door knob a few good twists and a push.
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Crank one out at least three times a day, just to be safe.

quad tap: phone, wallet, employee card, apartment keys

always lean on the door I locked behind me to make sure it's locked

it's pretty common, and NO, it's NOT ocd, stop edgelording
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WastelandCowboy posted...

Still keeps me from burning the place down, from losing my wallet or phone, getting robbed, decreases chance of bank theft, etc.

i don't do any of those things and my house has never burned down, nor have i lost my wallet or phone with any regularity, nor have i gotten robbed, nor has my bank account been hijacked, etc.

so your rationalization is bullshit and you need to treat your disease.

I set two alarms every morning, each 2 minutes apart, on opposite sides of my room.
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What_The_Chris posted...

it's pretty common, and NO, it's NOT ocd, stop edgelording

This.
Unless you've been diagnosed by a doctor, stop saying you're OCD.
And you might want to look into the actual symptoms of OCD, because they're not what you think
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RCtheWSBC posted...

TC were any of these actually yours or were they all reposted from Reddit?

They're all mine. I was just reminded of the ones I do as inspiration for the topic.

Back up my porn
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I do a complete stop at a stop sign instead of doing a rolling stop.
Pocket check for keys, cellphone, wallet
Check to make sure there is no one in my closet when i go to bed.
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I make sure I have my car keys before I lock/close my car door.
Not dealing with that one again.

Steven010702 posted...

I do a complete stop at a stop sign instead of doing a rolling stop.

Everybody hates you.

shadowsword87 posted...

I make sure I have my car keys before I lock/close my car door.
Not dealing with that one again.

:)
And when I leave the keys in the car while I'm loading the trunk, I roll the driver's window down so I can't accidentally get locked out. I carry a spare set of car keys in my purse, but the purse is in the car, too, when I'm loading.

I'm turning into my mother, before she would leave the house, she checked the kitchen twice to make sure the coffeepot and stove were turned off. Yep. Just to be sure.
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I always check my fly before leaving the house. Gotta make sure it's wide open.
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I always clear the lint out of the trap in the clothes dryer. Don't want the house to catch fire if someone breaks in wanting to do laundry.
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I'm in the same "make sure I have phone, wallet, keys" system like, every time I move.

I do the parking brake every time, but that's likely just because my mom does it every time, so I think I picked that habit up from her.

Honestly, that's about it that I can think of.
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