Crazy Urban Myths/Superstitions You've Heard

Zillah · 04-04-2009 05:20AM #1

So I was out in a bar a couple months ago with some friends and an American lady who had kind of invited herself along. Being in Bolivia we were able to smoke inside, and finding that I had no lighter handy I leaned in to light my cigarette from the candle in the centre of the table. The lady who was with us screamed in horror and dragged me away from the candle. Can't remember what I said but it was something like "Wtf?!" She explained, in dead serious tones, that every time you light a cigarette from a candle a sailor somewhere dies. I shit you not.

When I tried to explain that this made no sense she went on to explain in melodramatic tones, with a hand on her heart, that I could only understand if I had ever lost someone at sea.

(To pre-empt the smart asses: I once heard this thing about this Jewish guy who came back from the dead and can walk on water lol so clever. I don't care if you want to mock mainstream religion, this thread is for the more bizarre and obscure silly things you've encountered)

RATM · 04-04-2009 05:32AM

Urban Myth: "We should bear in mind that the fundamentals of the Irish economy remain strong"
Brian Cowen, 26th January, 2008.

FrostyJack · 04-04-2009 05:58AM

Does swans breaking people's arms count?

minidazzler · 04-04-2009 06:02AM

RATM wrote: »

Urban Myth: "We should bear in mind that the fundamentals of the Irish economy remain strong"
Brian Cowen, 26th January, 2008.

No, thats just a plain faced lie.

At least when Bertie lied to us we didn't care because he's just a teddy bear, Brian Cowen is an ugly cnut. Therefore he has no permission to lie to us!!!

Simi · 04-04-2009 06:14AM

RATM wrote: »

Urban Myth: "We should bear in mind that the fundamentals of the Irish economy remain strong"
Brian Cowen, 26th January, 2008.

Congratulations you just ruined a perfectly good thread. Sigh...

im_invisible · 04-04-2009 06:26AM

Zillah wrote: »

every time you light a cigarette from a candle a sailor somewhere dies.

heard this, not sure where from

Can't remember what I said but it was something like "Wtf?!"

how did you pronounce that? wootef

Quazzie · 04-04-2009 07:13AM

There must've been a lot of lighting fags off candles last night because I dumped a load of semen on a young ones face.

Wait! Did you say semen or sailors?

Zillah · 04-04-2009 08:34AM

Simi wrote: »

Congratulations you just ruined a perfectly good thread. Sigh...

His was pretty good considering it's after hours. For context, please see the post immediately prior to this one.

mikemac · 04-04-2009 08:52AM

I've always heard that swans are defensive creatures who attack you if you strayed too close. High probability of losing an eye

But for all the years I've heard this I've never heard of any incident, not even of a child straying too close

minidazzler · 04-04-2009 09:01AM

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

There must've been a lot of lighting fags off candles last night because I dumped a load of semen on a young ones face.

Wait! Did you say semen or sailors?

How young exactly????

(I'd post a Chris Hansen pic but this is AH so I can't!!!)

Shield · 04-04-2009 09:06AM

If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of being forced to withdraw cash against your will at an ATM, simply type in your PIN backwards to alert the Gardai.

SV · 04-04-2009 09:10AM

Re: Swans attacking, i've been attacked by one before. Nowhere near strong enough to break bones though, though they do have these little bastardy spikes on the back of their legs.
I think the whole walking under a ladder thing is hilarious, went under one in town before and i heard people gasp.. Sad times.

mikemac · 04-04-2009 09:10AM

Suppose you lost you car keys and they are home but you're stranded somewhere.
And these are those remote control car keys.

You could call the husband/wife and home on the mobile, they could press the remote control for the spare sets of car keys and it would travel over the mobile phone network and the signal could open your car.

I've probably explained it badly but it's a well known one

Paddy Samurai · 04-04-2009 10:14AM

Zillah wrote: »

So I was out in a bar a couple months ago with some friends and an American lady who had kind of invited herself along. Being in Bolivia we were able to smoke inside, and finding that I had no lighter handy I leaned in to light my cigarette from the candle in the centre of the table. The lady who was with us screamed in horror and dragged me away from the candle. Can't remember what I said but it was something like "Wtf?!" She explained, in dead serious tones, that every time you light a cigarette from a candle a sailor somewhere dies. I shit you not.

When I tried to explain that this made no sense she went on to explain in melodramatic tones, with a hand on her heart, that I could only understand if I had ever lost someone at sea.

(To pre-empt the smart asses: I once heard this thing about this Jewish guy who came back from the dead and can walk on water lol so clever. I don't care if you want to mock
mainstream religion, this thread is for the more bizarre and obscure silly things you've encountered)

I was in the Blackforrest a few years ago.Walking along this track i came accross this Old Hag in a broken down hut.
She told me a spell for making people vanish ,poof!...up in smoke,gone,just like that!................not like that!..............like that!.
What you do is key in a user Id backwards 3 times ,while bollock naked ,covered in mustard and shouting "Out vile devil!"

So here goes.....................halliz,hillaz,hillaz

Eh..........did it work?.

monkeyfudge · 04-04-2009 10:19AM

psni wrote: »

If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of being forced to withdraw cash against your will at an ATM, simply type in your PIN backwards to alert the Gardai.

Oh no! My PIN is a palindrome!

Nodin · 04-04-2009 10:22AM

mikemac wrote: »

I've always heard that swans are defensive creatures who attack you if you strayed too close. High probability of losing an eye

But for all the years I've heard this I've never heard of any incident, not even of a child straying too close

Ahh yes, the 'Polish Question'......

Paddy Samurai · 04-04-2009 10:32AM

Apparently some of the native tribes of south america believe that if you sleep with a venomous snake in your jocks in increases your sexual potency.
Has anyone tried this?.

AnonoBoy · 04-04-2009 10:37AM

When I was in secondary school I remember some people firmly believe that Slim Fast milkshakes had worms in them that would live in your stomach and eat the food and that's how it helps you lose weight.

abouttobebanned · 04-04-2009 10:41AM

My missus told me this one as a true story...just like hundreds of missuses all over europe have done the same at some point.

Her friend's friend was over on holidays some place in europe and hooked up with this guy...long story short she comes home, finds a rash on her face...(lazily copies and pastes for the rest)

A few days later she gets a call from the doc sayn she has to go in, he cant tell her on the phone. When she gets there he says she needs to wait til the police get there before he can tell her, So she waits and when they arrive she's told she's got this disease that can only be caught from being 'intimate' with a corpse.

Anyway the police ask if there is anyone she's been with rrecently that might be that way inclined... (notice how nothing is asked about her being the necrophile, or any further inspection of her is needed), she pulls out the card, police raid the guy's place and find two bodies.

I do remember saying to my girlfriend...there's no way that's true. I swear, she says...haha

Thoie · 04-04-2009 10:46AM

mikemac wrote: »

Suppose you lost you car keys and they are home but you're stranded somewhere.
And these are those remote control car keys.

You could call the husband/wife and home on the mobile, they could press the remote control for the spare sets of car keys and it would travel over the mobile phone network and the signal could open your car.

I've probably explained it badly but it's a well known one

I've never really got that - now you're in your car, but you're still stranded unless the missus at home can also give you instructions on how to hotwire it over the phone. Maybe it would be more useful if you'd locked the keys in the car.

WoollyRedHat · 04-04-2009 10:48AM

abouttobebanned wrote: »

My missus told me this one as a true story...just like hundreds of missuses all over europe have done the same at some point.

Her friend's friend was over on holidays some place in europe and hooked up with this guy...long story short she comes home, finds a rash on her face...(lazily copies and pastes for the rest)

A few days later she gets a call from the doc sayn she has to go in, he cant tell her on the phone. When she gets there he says she needs to wait til the police get there before he can tell her, So she waits and when they arrive she's told she's got this disease that can only be caught from being 'intimate' with a corpse.

Anyway the police ask if there is anyone she's been with rrecently that might be that way inclined... (notice how nothing is asked about her being the necrophile, or any further inspection of her is needed), she pulls out the card, police raid the guy's place and find two bodies.

I do remember saying to my girlfriend...there's no way that's true. I swear, she says...haha

Ye that's been proved to be fake by snopes

mikemac · 04-04-2009 10:51AM

Thoie wrote: »

Maybe it would be more useful if you'd locked the keys in the car.

True

You've explained it better

Spore · 04-04-2009 11:11AM

psni wrote: »

If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of being forced to withdraw cash against your will at an ATM, simply type in your PIN backwards to alert the Gardai.

Damn, it's a lie!

Boskowski · 04-04-2009 11:16AM

psni wrote: »

If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of being forced to withdraw cash against your will at an ATM, simply type in your PIN backwards to alert the Gardai.

Thats cool, I didnt know that.

Cunny-Funt · 04-04-2009 11:17AM

Zillah wrote: »

Can't remember what I said but it was something like "Wtf?!" She explained, in dead serious tones, that every time you light a cigarette from a candle a sailor somewhere dies. I shit you not.

When I tried to explain that this made no sense she went on to explain in melodramatic tones, with a hand on her heart, that I could only understand if I had ever lost someone at sea.

Please tell me you told her she was an idiot and proceeded to light multiple smokes from candles at every table?

I mean, what age was she?

Silly americans...

deco05ie · 04-04-2009 11:39AM

psni wrote: »

If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of being forced to withdraw cash against your will at an ATM, simply type in your PIN backwards to alert the Gardai.

what if your pin is a palindrome?

dublinario · 04-04-2009 11:43AM

deco05ie wrote: »

what if your pin is a palindrome?

That triggers the apocalypse, unfortunately. It's a glitch in the system, and quite a destructive one at that.

Capt'n Midnight · 04-04-2009 11:58AM

Zillah wrote: »

So I was out in a bar a couple months ago with some friends and an American lady who had kind of invited herself along. Being in Bolivia we were able to smoke inside, and finding that I had no lighter handy I leaned in to light my cigarette from the candle in the centre of the table. The lady who was with us screamed in horror and dragged me away from the candle. Can't remember what I said but it was something like "Wtf?!" She explained, in dead serious tones, that every time you light a cigarette from a candle a sailor somewhere dies

Talk about chinese whispers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_on_a_Match_(superstition)

The superstition goes that if three soldiers lit their cigarettes from the same match, the man who was third on the match would be shot. Since then it has been considered bad luck for three people to share a light from the same match.

The belief was that when the first soldier lit his cigarette, the sniper would see the light; when the second soldier lit his cigarette from the same match, the sniper would take aim and note if the soldier was friendly or foe; when the third soldier lit his cigarette from the same match, the sniper would fire.

Capt'n Midnight · 04-04-2009 12:00PM

The mythbusters are even more sinister.

Terry · 04-04-2009 12:11PM

Paddy Samurai wrote: »

I was in the Blackforrest a few years ago.Walking along this track i came accross this Old Hag in a broken down hut.
She told me a spell for making people vanish ,poof!...up in smoke,gone,just like that!................not like that!..............like that!.
What you do is key in a user Id backwards 3 times ,while bollock naked ,covered in mustard and shouting "Out vile devil!"

So here goes.....................halliz,hillaz,hillaz

Eh..........did it work?.

No. You spelled it wrong.

monkeyfudge wrote: »

Oh no! My PIN is a palindrome!

It's 8008, isn't it?

Dave! · 04-04-2009 12:11PM

Well my mate recently pointed out to me that "we only use 10% of our brain", and put it to me that, if we used that other 90%, we could perform all sorts of crazy mental feats.

I had to break it to him that that is in fact a bullsh*t myth...

Crazy Urban Myths/Superstitions You've Heard

Comments