What is your weirdest phobia/strange hang-up?

Well a girl a live with is scared of cotton wool, and something else weird... what is it, shit can't remember. Another old housemate was scared of polystyrene, which is also weird, and this chick at work is afraid of buttons. She won't wear shirts with normal buttons on or anything like that. I really don't get it. I mean things like spiders, snakes are at least understandable from an evolutionary pov, but where does this stuff come from?

I can't think of any weird stuff myself, tho I'm sure there's probably something, i'll have a think, and find out what my housemate's other weird phobia was. Hmm maybe it was pennies? I think it was pennies.

edit - and clowns are fucking freaky as hell. Everyone's scared of fucking clowns

Jeez talk about putting a downer on things

Ewwwwww.... I've got the same weird phobia as one of John's examples. And I know exactly where I got it from as well.

When I was a kid, my mam worked in the rag trade as a machinist, she also had a machine at home to earn extra money. Apparently, I used to play with her button box a lot (no fancy fucking toys for us, y'know) until one day when I nearly choked to death on a button when I was about three.

After that, I hated anything with buttons on it and used to go mad at the sight of them. When I got older, school uniform was a real fucking trauma and when I left school, I never wore anything with buttons on ever again. I even got married in a T-shirt... funnily enough to a woman with exactly the same phobia. When I worked for the council, they decided to bring in a shirt and tie dress code. I told them to fuck off and continued wearing a t-shirt right up till the day they sacked me.

It can be a problem though because it really affects who I do or don't fancy. The most gorgeous and sexiest person in the world would look like boiled shit to me, if they're wearing something with buttons on. I fancy anyone in a t-shirt though.

Someone once suggested aversion therapy. So I suggested they fuck right off. I just think the world is full of sick people who wear those horrible buttony things. Ugh, it's them who need help.

The committee of nine. The morning after a night on the piss (limited to twice a week) I head for the computer to amuse and surprise myself as to what shit I've posted up. Nine times out of ten I can't even remember having written it. I was reading some hippy dippy shit about cultivating intuition and I think the alchohol brings it on. Anyways, no apologies but I do withdraw my speculations on Devrim having been a member of the ACF/AF. Upon further reflection, I don't think even the AF would accept a humanist.

dentists and maths. i am truely terrified of both.

People touching my hair when it's wet really weirds me out. It's not through vanity, my hair's a mess anyway and I don't mind what anyone does to it when it's dry, but wet no no no it's so nasty. Also hypodermic needles. Sewing needles are fine, piercing needles are fine, but hypodermic ones make me feel all sick and scared. They're not proper phobias though, just things I get really freaked out by.

A lot of people I've met are afraid of bananas, like properly scared. At school if I had a banana for lunch there would be at least 3 of my friends that would either leave the table or tell me to eat it when they'd left. One girl couldn't even be near a banana skin.

Or murdering nonces.

You lot should be careful, cos The Man is reading these boards

Clowns!!! & Sasquatch

well i think a few people know i do street medic stuff, but strangely, i get very queezy when talking about broken bones. luckily i've never had to treat anyone for a broken bone, if i did, i'd probably keel over!

broken pelvises are the worst, followed by the femur. ugh.

Also, people cracking their joints, ARGH!

I don't mind people doing that with their feet, but I can't stand people doing it with their hands

A lady I worked with was absolutely terrified of balloons; said it was the texture and squeaky noise they made. Given this was in a school setting, everytime we got the balloons out she had to swap with an assistant in another room.

I remember too from doing my psych. degree years ago, looking at all the weirdarse things people were phobic of; bibliophobia (fear of books) being my personal favourite.

Yeah, remember Winston Smith and the ratmask. Still, I can cope well enough with my phobia, if I have to, by psychologically regulating it into some something that's just mildly unpleasant. When I don't have to, it's keep that fucking shit away from me. I'm scared of fuck all else so 'The Man' has got no chance there. Other than that, I have a pretty high tolerance to pain.

Really short people who have all of their features in proportion freak me out. At the bookfair last year, JDMF spotted Jack and offered to introduce us, but (although, I didn't say so) I declined because Grace was next to him.

I have absolutely no idea why, but I have no problem joking about it.

Kylie's here?!?!

*hides under desk*

I actually worked up the courage to introduce myself later on. Appreciate, shorties.