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[mastahcheese]

This isn't so much as a "problem" as it is a really dumb quirk of mine, and I want to know if anyone else has this issue or what your thoughts on it are.

At the place where I work, we don't have an employee restroom, we have to use the same one as the customers, which doesn't really bother me, because the men's bathroom isn't actually "public", there's only a single stall, and there's even a lock on the door.
The bathroom is arranged as a U, with the sink at one end, and the toilet at the other end, and the door comes in from the side of the sink, so there is a little wall blocking line of sight to the toilet.
Now, if you walk in, and look around the door, there is a mirror on the wall that lets you see to the toilet without actually having to step all the way into the room, just peer your head inside, which I like, because walking in on someone on the toilet because they didn't realize there was a lock on the door is embarrassing for both parties.
Now here's the issue.

I've developed this routine that I do whenever I go to the restroom. I walk up to the door, listen for 1 second for any obvious noises, then knock 3 times, wait 2 seconds for a reply, then peer in the door at the window....
And then I leap into the restroom, and face the toilet to make sure that there isn't a vampire sitting there that I couldn't see through the mirror.

I am not making this up.

For the record, I don't believe that vampires exist, I don't believe in any other creatures that could be invisible through a mirror, and I don't think that a vampire would be using the toilet if they did exist, either.
I have literally no idea as to why I do this, and I want to know if anyone has this, or if I'm just totally paranoid or something.
I've never heard of a problem like this before.

[Eidolon]

I've developed this routine that I do whenever I go to the restroom. I walk up to the door, listen for 1 second for any obvious noises, then knock 3 times, wait 2 seconds for a reply, then peer in the door at the window....

Okay, sounds somewhat reasonable. No big deal.

And then I leap into the restroom, and face the toilet to make sure that there isn't a vampire sitting there that I couldn't see through the mirror.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Hang up some garlic in there, i guess.

[ChairmanPoo]

[kaijyuu]

Haha, well the only advice I have is to not be embarrassed by this little quirk of yours. In fact I'd use it as a sort of badge of pride for being a bit eccentric.

[Lectorog]

It's pretty normal to do things like this. People might laugh if they see you literally jumping into the restroom. But the overall principle is normal, if silly.

For example, for years I touched the lightswitch when I walked into an already-lit room in my house. To make sure I wasn't subject to some sort of illusion affecting my eyes but not hands, I guess. Not that I believed such a thing was possible.

[mastahcheese]

Hang up some garlic in there, i guess.

I would, but I don't think the customers would appreciate it much. Or my boss, for that matter.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

That's awesome.

Haha, well the only advice I have is to not be embarrassed by this little quirk of yours. In fact I'd use it as a sort of badge of pride for being a bit eccentric.

I'm not embarrassed by it, just confused. Not sure about a badge of pride, though, but thanks.

It's pretty normal to do things like this. People might laugh if they see you literally jumping into the restroom. But the overall principle is normal, if silly.

For example, for years I touched the lightswitch when I walked into an already-lit room in my house. To make sure I wasn't subject to some sort of illusion affecting my eyes but not hands, I guess. Not that I believed such a thing was possible.

Thanks, and I don't let people actually see me do this, I first take a normal step in, to make sure I'm not seen by any people outside, and then jump in and pull out the wooden stakes that I keep in my back pocket.

[QuakeIV]

For example, for years I touched the lightswitch when I walked into an already-lit room in my house. To make sure I wasn't subject to some sort of illusion affecting my eyes but not hands, I guess. Not that I believed such a thing was possible.

Thats actually a good contingency, if you ask me.

[Graknorke]

If it helps, I find it really difficult to close car doors due to unpredictable negative reinforcement from static shocks.

[gimlet]

Vampires and illusions and shocks, fine, just make sure you have always calculated an efficient escape strategy to deal with the real threat - *velociraptors!* http://xkcd.com/87/  http://xkcd.com/135/

[mastahcheese]

Vampires and illusions and shocks, fine, just make sure you have always calculated an efficient escape strategy to deal with the real threat - *velociraptors!*

Pssshhht, They all dead, everybody knows that Abraham Lincoln wiped them out in the Cold War.

Right after he repelled the Mongols.

[itisnotlogical]

If I know somebody else is in the bathroom with me, I absolutely can't do my business. Nothing will happen until they leave. I'll just sit, completely silent, wishing for them to go away.

[mastahcheese]

If I know somebody else is in the bathroom with me, I absolutely can't do my business. Nothing will happen until they leave. I'll just sit, completely silent, wishing for them to go away.

This is why I'm so happy my workplace has a lock on the bathroom door, I have the same problem.

[QuakeIV]

It isn't quite that bad for me, but I hate public bathrooms with a burning passion as well.  I generally go well out of my way to avoid them.

[Yoink]

It isn't quite that bad for me, but I hate public bathrooms with a burning passion as well.  I generally go well out of my way to avoid them.

Just so long as you go well out of everyone else's way as well that shouldn't be a problem.

[Tack]

I've been on long drives and decided to duck my head down and to the side in case there's a sniper trying to shoot me.