10 Things About Yourself

[Amicale]

Ten things

I donate blood regularly (60 units and counting)
I like climbing hills
I am afraid of airports
I won't ever travel in an aeroplane
I won't ever  travel in lifts (elevators)
I dislike taxis (cabs) and get into trouble at work for prefering to walk if the distance is under three  miles
I don't own a TV
I don't drive a car
If I have problem to solve I go for a walk
I hate shopping

Alison, I'm not sure I've seen you around before (sorry, very tired today, ha) but welcome.

Like you, I enjoy climbing hills, I prefer to walk rather than take a taxi if the distance is reasonable, I don't own a car, I watch very little TV, and I also go for a walk if I have a problem so that I can think it through. I used to donate blood often, but can't anymore. It's a really worthwhile cause/pursuit, though. I'm also not fond of shopping. In and out as quick as I can is my motto. Big box stores overwhelm me!

Anyhow, looking forward to seeing you around HAF.

[Asmodean]

Taxi drivers.

Some of the more interesting people I've met are taxi drivers.  ???

[Sandra Craft]

I am afraid of airports
I won't ever travel in an aeroplane

I used to be exactly the same, until I traveled across the country on a train.  First thing I did after getting a decent night's sleep was change my train ticket back for a plane ticket.  My fear of flying was permanently cured by my hatred of boredom.

I dislike taxis (cabs) and get into trouble at work for prefering to walk if the distance is under three  miles

I don't see how it's anybody's business at work how you get there, as long as you get there.  I used to do a 10-mile round trip walk to work every day, it helped me wake up in the morning and relax in the evening.

I will say however that I love riding in taxis, because I enjoy talking to the drivers so much.  They have some great stories and I've gotten into really interesting discussions with a few of them (including once a debate about Jacob and Esau).

[Asmodean]

See? You see?! Taxi drivers is perfect. Hmm... Haps The Asmo ought to become the patron of all taxis 

[The Magic Pudding]

See? You see?! Taxi drivers is perfect. Hmm... Haps The Asmo ought to become the patron of all taxis 

A popular but quiet taxi driver killed 12 people and injured several others before ending his own life in a horrific shooting spree in northern ...

Lunatic 'Taxi Driver' Kills Woman | Social | Peacefmonline.com
30 Sep 2011 ... He has been taken to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital by the police

How safe are taxis in Manila - Taxi driver kills exec in Manila ...

13 Jul 2011 ... (Upd) Taxi Driver Kills British Tourist in Zakynthos tagged: British tourist, Greece, killed, Laganas, laser pens, mascot England football team, ...

A Penal taxi driver killed himself yesterday after chopping and stabbing the mother and sister-in-law of his estranged wife. Praimchan ...

A Charlotte woman is hit and killed by a cab driver while walking along Interstate 277, and it isn't the first ..

12 Mar 2011 ... A 37-year-old man died in hospital after being hit by a taxi in a Stockholm suburb. Police believe the man was deliberately run over.

Look at all those search results for killer cab drivers.
Search for "taxi driver saves fluffy bunny" and what do you get?

No results found for "taxi driver saves fluffy bunny."

[Asmodean]

I'm sure I can find quite a few more incidents of soldiers, police officers and psychiatric patients killing people.

Besides, if one is going to go around afraid of being robbed, murdered or otherwise wronged by random strangers, then one can't really take a bus, buy groceries or come anywhere near a post office, no?

[The Magic Pudding]

I'm sure I can find quite a few more incidents of soldiers, police officers and psychiatric patients killing people.

Besides, if one is going to go around afraid of being robbed, murdered or otherwise wronged by random strangers, then one can't really take a bus, buy groceries or come anywhere near a post office, no?

Well I don't think that counters my argument, "the thing wrong with taxis is taxi drivers."
No, I think it expands the principle to "the thing wrong with society is people".

[Asmodean]

Ah! A great turning of the tables.

We are in agreement on that point.

[Sandra Craft]

I'm sure I can find quite a few more incidents of soldiers, police officers and psychiatric patients killing people.

And balanced by an overwhelmingly large number of people who've never been harmed by a taxi driver no matter how much time they spent in cabs.

Besides, if one is going to go around afraid of being robbed, murdered or otherwise wronged by random strangers, then one can't really take a bus, buy groceries or come anywhere near a post office, no?

Or nail salons.  The quiet seaside town where I work had a man come into a nail salon and open fire last year -- 8 people died, I forget how many were injured.  It was more murders in a few minutes than the town had had over the last 10 years.  It seems he was in a custody battle with one of women who worked there.  You just can't single any person or place out for whack-jobs.

[Amicale]

I suppose I ought to specify. When I said I preferred walking to taking cabs, it has nothing to do with the cab drivers. In my experience, cab drivers can be some of the most fascinating people I'll ever meet, because they tend to come from all over the world, and I've heard absolutely amazing stories! One man told me about how he and his family escaped the Rwandan genocide, and I was spellbound.

No, the main reason I don't often travel in cabs comes down to my wallet: a 10 minute cab ride often costs more than $20. 

[Sweetdeath]

I walk A LOT. My calf muscles are pretty hardcore. You wouldnt walk to be kicked by me. 

[Tank]

I walk A LOT. My calf muscles are pretty hardcore. You wouldnt walk to be kicked by me. 

No. Little Pony hooves are dangerous!!!

[Firebird]

Hey, some taxi drivers are cool. Like this guy:
taxi-driver-saves-girl-who-falls-through-weak-pavement-in-china

Anyway, realized I've still never done this one:
1. One of my majors in college was music, but I stopped playing after college. Still miss it
2. I met my wife on the internet. I wanted to write a thank-you note to the person who founded that site, until I found out he was fired for stalking most of the women who had signed up. He was later arrested for hosting underage drinking parties, some of which had goth/S&M themes. But I suppose I still owe him a drink.
3. My first hint of atheism came when I was 7 and my parents insisted the tooth fairy was real. I was so annoyed that I purposely pulled a loose tooth out and put it under my pillow without telling them. My father still talks about how I came running down the stairs the next morning holding the tooth, yelling "See? I told you she wasn't real!!"
4. Almost my entire family is bilingual, except me. I suck at learning foreign languages
5. I'm saner than most of my family, the only qualification being that I'm no longer in therapy.
6. I'm definitely the nice guy. But I've done some shitty things in past relationships.
7. I've started listening to more metal music. Part of me thinks I shouldn't like it because I listen to classical, so how can I like both? I'm often weird like that
8. Love baseball. Like basketball too. I'll watch American football, but it somehow never appealed to me as much.
9. I like meeting new people, though I'm actually quite shy at times. I have to force myself to be outgoing when I don't know someone very well.
10. I worry way too much about things. In my saner moments, I realize I'm so incredibly lucky to have the life I do with the family and friends that I love.

[Amicale]

Firebird, the metal and classical music combination isn't odd at all. Many metalheads like classical music. Why, I'm not sure. Maybe because some of the metal takes the basics of classical and runs with them. I'm not sure I'd call myself a metalhead, but I do like some metal (Iced Earth, Sonata Arctica, Dark Tranquility, Opeth) and I love classical. Metalhead friends of mine who are into black or death metal also enjoy classical. It's just a metal 'thing'.

[Firebird]

That's really interesting Amicale, and I'll have to check those bands out. I'm mostly listening to Tool, Dream Theater, and Metallica these days. I know rationally I shouldn't give a shit and just enjoy whatever I like, but I always second-guess myself. Just my nature.