What's the most pointless thing you do "just to be sure"?

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I look both ways when crossing one way streets.

― Graham, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I will check 2 or 3 times before I leave anywhere to see if I have my keys, because I'm always losing them. Which is why I'm somewhat surprised I didn't come up as being at least a moderate obsessive compulsive in the "luny" quiz.

― Nicole, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i hate being late so much that i always leave for places way too early, and thus end up being early and having to hang around instead.

― katie, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

that's not obsessive compulsive thats just making sure you can get back in when you return. Getting locked out is very embarassing, (speaks a man who knows)

― Ed, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I have to check the alarm several times to make sure it's set, sometimes within about two minutes of the last time I checked it.

― Ally, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I wear glow in the dark gloves and socks in case I wake while it is still dark and cannot find my hands or feet.

― alix, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Whenever I post something on IL* I always scroll down the page to see if the HTML came out.

― turner, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i think i've reached the point where it's more a question of what don't i do "just to be sure."

― fred solinger, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I know someone who pours all the water out of the kettle, then refills it, when making tea. Something might be wrong with water that's stood around for a few hours you know. (!!!!!!)

― Tracer Hand, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

That's actually not to wacky as I've discovered spiders hiding in tea kettles before.

― Samantha, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I do all of those things (apart from the socks one, though it is a good idea)

― jamesmichaelward, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I keep checking my trousers' fly in case it would be open. It never is. But that's because I check frequently, you know.

― Simon, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Apparrently, I don't check mine often enough. Seems as if I have one of Those zippers. Maybe I should buy my jeans in a place other than target. But I'd have to say the most pointless thing I do is to give my dog a bath. Next day he needs it again.

― Hank, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

technically water boiled twice has less dissolved gases and thus a lower acidity and potentially a different taste. BSI and ISO standards on making tea both state water should only be boiled once when making tea

― Ed, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Like Simon, I check my fly a lot. However I do have one pair of trousers where the fly tends to fall down of it's own accord, sometimes getting stuck and leading to an embarrassing wrenching-in- public scene.

That said, I refuse to throw them out. They're perfectly good trousers! I paid £7.50 for them!

― Ally C, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I hold my hand under a faucet for twenty seconds to make sure it's not dripping, twist my locker dial a ridiculous number of times to make sure it's shut, and often run back inside after leaving for school to make sure my bedroom door is shut.

― Maria, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I knew someone who got really sick from drinking old water from a jug, but that was about two weeks old.

― maryann, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

wash my hands after I eat my words

― Mike Hanle y, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The proper way to make tea is described in BS-6008, which is the six page specification from BSI. Of course they won an Ignoble Prize for that one.

― Mr Noodles, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

check my e-mail every thirty seconds while online. you never know.

― Menelaus Darcy, Wednesday, 17 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

When I leave the house I lock the door, walk fifty metres down my street, wonder if I did indeed lock my door, walk back, check, then just miss my train.

― Tim, Wednesday, 17 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

shit dont get into an argument with ed about making tea.

― ambrose, Wednesday, 17 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

what about the milk?? (noooooooo......) lower acidity sounds good to me, though.

― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 17 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

nine years pass...

(Live in southeast Asia) I have to shout out loud "I am turning the air con off" when I flip the switch. My machines are so old and expensive that if i go out and worry that they may still be on (on the rare occasions I use them) that it will cost me the earth. If I do not do it, by the time I am on the train to work, I presume they are on, as cannot remember turning them off. Hence the shouting.
Despite days of worry at work, have only left them on once in 7 years. Came back to a lovely cold room, which I could only enjoy for 5 minutes as, of course, I turned the air con off right away and cursed my forgetfulness.

I need to earn more money, or get cheaper machines!

― Proger, Tuesday, 17 May 2011 18:51 (fourteen years ago)

hit "refresh" on ilx 50 times a day

― Darin, Tuesday, 17 May 2011 18:53 (fourteen years ago)

I hit cmd-C twice when I want to copy something. It's from a bug in an ancient version of Mozilla that wouldn't copy the first time you did it, and it's stuck ever since. Which is a PITA as Office brings up a clipboard manager thing when you do it.

― stet, Tuesday, 17 May 2011 18:53 (fourteen years ago)

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