Has anything genuinely creepy or unnerving ever happened to you?

Graces7 · 20-01-2020 01:53PM

Sometimes it is our perception, or the angle we see things at?

A couple of summers ago I told how I went a long walk the year I was new here. Walked where old paths had been and new to me. And got disorientated .

Saw a house I did not know with a great conifer tree overshadowing it .

When I got nearer, realised it was the ruined house next to my place.. The "tree" turned out to be the 150 year old gable end of the old cowshed caught at an odd angle that changed its shape.

And when I checked with a local there had never been a tree around here.

Just an unexpected distorting angle in an unfamiliar place. I was down that lane in half light very early today and it looked so like a tree that I remembered this .

Snails pace · 20-01-2020 02:40PM

debok wrote: »

Maybe they thought they saw someone standing in the gate (you). thought you were upto no good, went back to see what you were at, at that time of night, your gone when they get back ,(hiding in ditch) they shine torch to were what your at in field.

Yep, could be possible. Only thing strange was I didn't recognize the voices and it wasn't a local accent.

Graces7 · 20-01-2020 03:11PM

fCannot copy/paste on this machine but i found any number of references.
Try " why do some people make watches stop when they wear them" on yahoo answers.
A large number of positive replies

Also when we had nylon underwear I had to stop wearing it as it crackled and sparked and sparked visibly . Quite scary.

It happens; finally we tried a fob watch that did not come near my skin. That worked but several wind up watches I tried would not keep time on me but were fine on anyone else. .

saabsaab wrote: »

Sorry, not that I don't believe you or don't believe that this can happen but have you any search terms or links to that.

I saw this link, which says that static electricity won't stop a watch.

https://www.swagnavigator.com/why-watches-stop-working/

Day Lewin · 20-01-2020 07:13PM

Snails pace wrote: »

Slowly working my way through this brilliant thread and loving the stories. I'll try keep it as short as I can.

This happened to me last Saturday night, nothing ghostly but very unnerving. I was in my local pub having a few pints. I live in the country and a little over 2kms from the pub in the village. It was a bright frosty night and I decided I'd walk home, I gave my sister a text saying I'll be fine. It was around 12.30 and I had 4 pints.

I live on the end of a long country road (not a dead end). Its about 1.5 km long. Its straight and you can see from end to the other in the day. It's your typical country road with humps, hollows and pot holes. I was up towards the end of the road, about 400 m from home, it's not far off 1 AM.
I saw the lights of a car turn onto the road and it was coming fairly quick up the road. I got a gut feeling to stand well in off the road. I stood into a field entrance, turned my back to the road and pulled up the hood of my jacket. I wasn't wearing a hi vis. The car passed by fairly quickly but about 10 meters up the road it locked on the breaks and reversed back to the entrance into the field.
In the mean time I jumped the gate and hid in along by the ditch, there was a little gap I could hide in, where animals would take shelter. Two fellas jumped out of the car, jumped up on the gate and shined a strong torch across the field. I was absolutely shaking at this stage. I remember one of the guys saying "I was certain there was someone standing here" the other fella said "we'll drive around again and keep an eye out". They got back into their car and slowly drove away. This only lasted a minute at most.

Once I knew they were gone I rang my sister and asked would she pick me up. I was literally home but I was too scared to go the rest of the way for fear I'd meet this car. My sister picked me up in a few minutes. We went to the other end of the road to turn around. On our way back up the road, we met the car again and they were stopped at the field again shining in a torch.

I didn't recognize the car, it was an 08 shape Audi A4 with English plates and it was diesel, I knew by the sound. I'm glad I didn't find out what would happen if I met those people.

I'd say they were lamping, (that is poaching) possibly for rabbits but also possibly for the illegal disgusting trade in badgers for fighting.

If they thought there might be a gamekeeper or wildlife ranger watching out for them, no wonder they would be spooked and very wary.
And possibly, very hostile: you were right to be dead wary in your turn.

Snails pace · 20-01-2020 07:53PM

Day Lewin wrote: »

I'd say they were lamping, (that is poaching) possibly for rabbits but also possibly for the illegal disgusting trade in badgers for fighting.

If they thought there might be a gamekeeper or wildlife ranger watching out for them, no wonder they would be spooked and very wary.
And possibly, very hostile: you were right to be dead wary in your turn.

Could be right, they had an ethnic minority accent so it wouldn't be uncommon for them to be poaching. But they'd surely use a van and not a car for poaching?

vriesmays · 20-01-2020 07:58PM

Was reading a book last night in Wow and it mentioned the band Butthole surfers. Said to myself, haven't heard them in years. About 15 minutes later one of their songs starts on the restaurant's background music system.

Lyan · 20-01-2020 08:20PM

vriesmays wrote: »

Was reading a book last night in Wow and it mentioned the band Butthole surfers. Said to myself, haven't heard them in years. About 15 minutes later one of their songs starts on the restaurant's background music system.

Sounds about as unlikely as a Dracula from Houston.

blinding · 23-01-2020 06:43AM

Snails pace wrote: »

Slowly working my way through this brilliant thread and loving the stories. I'll try keep it as short as I can.

This happened to me last Saturday night, nothing ghostly but very unnerving. I was in my local pub having a few pints. I live in the country and a little over 2kms from the pub in the village. It was a bright frosty night and I decided I'd walk home, I gave my sister a text saying I'll be fine. It was around 12.30 and I had 4 pints.

I live on the end of a long country road (not a dead end). Its about 1.5 km long. Its straight and you can see from end to the other in the day. It's your typical country road with humps, hollows and pot holes. I was up towards the end of the road, about 400 m from home, it's not far off 1 AM.
I saw the lights of a car turn onto the road and it was coming fairly quick up the road. I got a gut feeling to stand well in off the road. I stood into a field entrance, turned my back to the road and pulled up the hood of my jacket. I wasn't wearing a hi vis. The car passed by fairly quickly but about 10 meters up the road it locked on the breaks and reversed back to the entrance into the field.
In the mean time I jumped the gate and hid in along by the ditch, there was a little gap I could hide in, where animals would take shelter. Two fellas jumped out of the car, jumped up on the gate and shined a strong torch across the field. I was absolutely shaking at this stage. I remember one of the guys saying "I was certain there was someone standing here" the other fella said "we'll drive around again and keep an eye out". They got back into their car and slowly drove away. This only lasted a minute at most.

Once I knew they were gone I rang my sister and asked would she pick me up. I was literally home but I was too scared to go the rest of the way for fear I'd meet this car. My sister picked me up in a few minutes. We went to the other end of the road to turn around. On our way back up the road, we met the car again and they were stopped at the field again shining in a torch.

I didn't recognize the car, it was an 08 shape Audi A4 with English plates and it was diesel, I knew by the sound. I'm glad I didn't find out what would happen if I met those people.

These two will write in about the nutter all covered up in a field entrance who then magically disappeared altogether . It must have been some sort of Night Leprechaun . You didn’t happen to be dressed as a Leprechaun were ya ?

Nesta99 · 02-02-2020 12:53AM

Snails pace wrote: »

Slowly working my way through this brilliant thread and loving the stories. I'll try keep it as short as I can.

This happened to me last Saturday night, nothing ghostly but very unnerving. I was in my local pub having a few pints. I live in the country and a little over 2kms from the pub in the village. It was a bright frosty night and I decided I'd walk home, I gave my sister a text saying I'll be fine. It was around 12.30 and I had 4 pints.

I live on the end of a long country road (not a dead end). Its about 1.5 km long. Its straight and you can see from end to the other in the day. It's your typical country road with humps, hollows and pot holes. I was up towards the end of the road, about 400 m from home, it's not far off 1 AM.
I saw the lights of a car turn onto the road and it was coming fairly quick up the road. I got a gut feeling to stand well in off the road. I stood into a field entrance, turned my back to the road and pulled up the hood of my jacket. I wasn't wearing a hi vis. The car passed by fairly quickly but about 10 meters up the road it locked on the breaks and reversed back to the entrance into the field.
In the mean time I jumped the gate and hid in along by the ditch, there was a little gap I could hide in, where animals would take shelter. Two fellas jumped out of the car, jumped up on the gate and shined a strong torch across the field. I was absolutely shaking at this stage. I remember one of the guys saying "I was certain there was someone standing here" the other fella said "we'll drive around again and keep an eye out". They got back into their car and slowly drove away. This only lasted a minute at most.

Once I knew they were gone I rang my sister and asked would she pick me up. I was literally home but I was too scared to go the rest of the way for fear I'd meet this car. My sister picked me up in a few minutes. We went to the other end of the road to turn around. On our way back up the road, we met the car again and they were stopped at the field again shining in a torch.

I didn't recognize the car, it was an 08 shape Audi A4 with English plates and it was diesel, I knew by the sound. I'm glad I didn't find out what would happen if I met those people.

There were a spate of burgularies in my local rural area, one night when letting the dog out do her usual business and run out the back field she went mad barking. I shone the torch at where she was and saw a shady chap in a hoody dart over a ditch into the next field. Called Na Gardaí who were out in 10 minutes and had a good look around. Not suggesting it was the same incident obviously with the english plates (mistaken identity is a real fear in South/Mid Louth at the moment) but it was a nervy experience. The row of 11 houses here all have a field to the rear with the M1 parallel so if not a scumbag casing out houses a dirtbag spying in the back of houses is just as creepy. Neighbours eachside have been burgled in the last couple of years. We've been lucky but out varnishing window sashes during the summer there were obvious prise marks from a srewdriver. The dog is loud but would befriend anyone who gives her a pat - still must be a deterrant though...touch wood. Couple of times driving home a car has been pulled in in a gap in to a field and inevitibly next day there is an old sofa lying in the gap. Dashcams can be useful!!

04-02-2020 12:04AM

Kind of unnerving....

Went through airport security over the weekend in Dublin. I was selected for random pat down, got through that and then my bag was taken for inspection. They swabbed it twice and alarms were going off......I was escorted away for questioning and they told me my bag had tested positive for traces of explosive materials!!

I've no idea how it happened, not a bag I use regularly and normally in my wardrobe.....wouldn't even know where to start in getting explosive materials.
I was getting all sorts of looks being escorted away....questioning was in depth too...felt like a criminal. Finally they deemed me not to be a threat to civil aviation! Scary stuff tho.

Day Lewin · 04-02-2020 12:42AM

368100 wrote: »

Kind of unnerving....

Went through airport security over the weekend in Dublin. I was selected for random pat down, got through that and then my bag was taken for inspection. They swabbed it twice and alarms were going off......I was escorted away for questioning and they told me my bag had tested positive for traces of explosive materials!!

I've no idea how it happened, not a bag I use regularly and normally in my wardrobe.....wouldn't even know where to start in getting explosive materials.
I was getting all sorts of looks being escorted away....questioning was in depth too...felt like a criminal. Finally they deemed me not to be a threat to civil aviation! Scary stuff tho.

Nail varnish remover is explosive, do you use that?

04-02-2020 12:45AM

Day Lewin wrote: »

Nail varnish remover is explosive, do you use that?

Nope!

Airyfairy12 · 04-02-2020 01:02AM

368100 wrote: »

Kind of unnerving....

Went through airport security over the weekend in Dublin. I was selected for random pat down, got through that and then my bag was taken for inspection. They swabbed it twice and alarms were going off......I was escorted away for questioning and they told me my bag had tested positive for traces of explosive materials!!

I've no idea how it happened, not a bag I use regularly and normally in my wardrobe.....wouldn't even know where to start in getting explosive materials.
I was getting all sorts of looks being escorted away....questioning was in depth too...felt like a criminal. Finally they deemed me not to be a threat to civil aviation! Scary stuff tho.

Something similar happened to my friends sister a couple of years ago, they said they found traces of something in her bag, cant remember if it was drugs or explosives but it was very frightening for the two of them, they didnt know what was going on.
They kept her and her friend in for hours, they missed their flight and were in tears, absolutely terrified and said the questioning was so intense. Obviously nothing was found because they didnt have anything, theres no way they could have detected anything either as they wearnt stopped going through the first time and their suitcases were left in the hotel wardrobe the entire time.

It's crazy how they can get away with scaring people like that. Id wonder do they pick out random people.

Monkey2019 · 04-02-2020 09:45AM

368100 wrote: »

Kind of unnerving....

Went through airport security over the weekend in Dublin. I was selected for random pat down, got through that and then my bag was taken for inspection. They swabbed it twice and alarms were going off......I was escorted away for questioning and they told me my bag had tested positive for traces of explosive materials!!

I've no idea how it happened, not a bag I use regularly and normally in my wardrobe.....wouldn't even know where to start in getting explosive materials.
I was getting all sorts of looks being escorted away....questioning was in depth too...felt like a criminal. Finally they deemed me not to be a threat to civil aviation! Scary stuff tho.

Same happened my father. Found traces of "explosive materials" on his hands.
He works as a cabinet maker and had been spraying a kitchen the evening before so they said that's what it would have been!

fitzparker · 04-02-2020 09:47AM

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

It's crazy how they can get away with scaring people like that. Id wonder do they pick out random people.

I doubt they pick random people to terrorise and bring to tears. it's not a Netflix series.

Im sure the swabs are random and by chance some sort of material was found, that's why it wasn't done going over.

Graces7 · 04-02-2020 09:55AM

fitzparker wrote: »

I doubt they pick random people to terrorise and bring to tears. it's not a Netflix series.

Im sure the swabs are random and by chance some sort of material was found, that's why it wasn't done going over.

watching the youtube customs series at UK airports. They use sniffer dogs and watch how passengers behave,

They have to be ultra careful given the possible effects if they miss something. And offenders are so plausible.

jiltloop · 04-02-2020 11:04AM

A tip I learned the hard way, don't bring a deck of cards in your hand luggage or handle cards before going through security. Playing cards can set off these scans and you can test positive for explosive material. It's some chemical in the cards (acetate I think?).

MonkieSocks · 04-02-2020 02:26PM

jiltloop wrote: »

A tip I learned the hard way, don't bring a deck of cards in your hand luggage or handle cards before going through security. Playing cards can set off these scans and you can test positive for explosive material. It's some chemical in the cards (acetate I think?).

That was what happened to the Birmingham 6, they were playing cards together

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham_pub_bombings#Forensic_analysis

jiltloop · 04-02-2020 02:28PM

MonkieSocks wrote: »

That was what happened to the Birmingham 6, they were playing cards together

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham_pub_bombings#Forensic_analysis

Yes, true! I was going to mention that but couldn't remember whether it was them or the Guildford 4.

Nesta99 · 04-02-2020 04:00PM

jiltloop wrote: »

Yes, true! I was going to mention that but couldn't remember whether it was them or the Guildford 4.

Maguire 7 also convicted on such spurious evidence iirc.

04-02-2020 06:30PM

I’d rather they disturb a hundred people incorrectly than let one through who has been at explosives.

saabsaab · 04-02-2020 09:56PM

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

Something similar happened to my friends sister a couple of years ago, they said they found traces of something in her bag, cant remember if it was drugs or explosives but it was very frightening for the two of them, they didnt know what was going on.
They kept her and her friend in for hours, they missed their flight and were in tears, absolutely terrified and said the questioning was so intense. Obviously nothing was found because they didnt have anything, theres no way they could have detected anything either as they wearnt stopped going through the first time and their suitcases were left in the hotel wardrobe the entire time.

It's crazy how they can get away with scaring people like that. Id wonder do they pick out random people.

What could happen is that the bags get contaminated by traces of what was in the taxi/wardrobe etc beforehand. Could also be a decoy trace contaminant added to tie up staff while real offending case gets by?

the14thwarrior · 05-02-2020 11:26PM

happened me lots of time, and i was stuck in a US airport for hours and kept going out for a smoke. when i kept getting hand searched and swabbed etc. i asked the security lady why the swab, what explosives etc. ?

she said she shouldn't tell but.....in her opinion it was the jeans with glitter/sequins on back pockets. she said they were showing up each and every time. they were brand new.
simple explanation

davidk1394 · 10-02-2020 11:45PM

Sorry for the long post but bare with me. I came across previous posts about hungry grass and this is my story.
I cut a small field of hay for an elderly friend of the family. The field is no bigger than 2 acres, old grass, theres a ruin of an old cottage that is covered in briars and bushes. The field is on the edge of an old mass path. During the summer he would ring me and ask me to cut the field when I get a chance. He would always insist i cut it during the day and never at night and not to get off the tractor. He always said theres a stone in the field and i wouldnt see it in the dark.

I was talking to him a while ago and i asked him why he doesnt do anything with the field. He said the grass in the field is "fear gortha" or hungry grass. The field is supposedly cursed by people who died in the famine and if you step foot on a certain patches of grass you'll become instantly hungry. Unless you have a crust of bread in your pocket, the energy will be sucked from your body and you'll have an insatiable appetite. He warned me never to step foot on grass unless he was in the field. I laughed and said your having me on and thats its only a myth.

He looked backed at me seriously and said walk into the field at your own peril because the hungry grass is unforgiving. I was freaked out at his response and i never set foot on the field. I know some people will find this funny but I decided to take his advice.

http://nationalfamineway.ie/day-3-abbeyshrule-to-mullingar-c-27km-cathal-poirteir-on-hungry-grass-in-irish-famine-folklore/

saabsaab · 11-02-2020 01:10AM

I heard the same from the older people in the West. The cure was to have some bread on you if you strayed in to a patch.

Widdershins · 11-02-2020 10:19PM

Thats unsettling. I went for a walk near a famine village and felt really depressed by what I felt was an atmosphere...

So..the car park of the Galway train station. My ears feel really pressured and keep popping when I'm there. Only in that car park.

Also had bad leg cramps at the exact same time as my friend while we were in Galway city. Some odd little thing or other has always haplened to me in Galway city.

Sephiroth_dude · 11-02-2020 11:09PM

Widdershins wrote: »

Some odd little thing or other has always haplened to me in Galway city.

Do tell please.

Widdershins · 11-02-2020 11:17PM

I think I posted in the Wherer thread about a pair of flamboyantly dressed chancers who sidled up to me with tall tales and seemed to be up to no good. There are chancers in any city but only in Galway would one be dressed in a floor length leopard fur coat, fuchsia pink shirt and a grey man bun.

I need to have a think because my previous Galway trip was a few years back and it's a blur. I do remember theres always been lots os of people in arty costumes (a human sunflower) or a Macnas style flash mob of people ridinh big paper mache animals. But I said it to my friend last time and they said they always found Galway like anywhere else. So maybe I just have hallucinations, restricted to when I visit Galway. Although I think they changed their mind after the weekend there with me

saabsaab · 12-02-2020 12:07AM

Widdershins wrote: »

I think I posted in the Wherer thread about a pair of flamboyantly dressed chancers who sidled up to me with tall tales and seemed to be up to no good. There are chancers in any city but only in Galway would one be dressed in a floor length leopard fur coat, fuchsia pink shirt and a grey man bun.

I need to have a think because my previous Galway trip was a few years back and it's a blur. I do remember theres always been lots os of people in arty costumes (a human sunflower) or a Macnas style flash mob of people ridinh big paper mache animals. But I said it to my friend last time and they said they always found Galway like anywhere else. So maybe I just have hallucinations, restricted to when I visit Galway. Although I think they changed their mind after the weekend there with me

Yep. Standard Galway weekend then.

Blanco100 · 12-02-2020 12:10AM

368100 wrote: »

Kind of unnerving....

Went through airport security over the weekend in Dublin. I was selected for random pat down, got through that and then my bag was taken for inspection. They swabbed it twice and alarms were going off......I was escorted away for questioning and they told me my bag had tested positive for traces of explosive materials!!

I've no idea how it happened, not a bag I use regularly and normally in my wardrobe.....wouldn't even know where to start in getting explosive materials.
I was getting all sorts of looks being escorted away....questioning was in depth too...felt like a criminal. Finally they deemed me not to be a threat to civil aviation! Scary stuff tho.

Believe it or not playing cards can contain elements of a dry explosive substance.

Quite common, mate of mine was stopped for this

Has anything genuinely creepy or unnerving ever happened to you?

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