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What's the scariest thing you've done?

(116 Posts)
Heirofthedog Thu 28-Apr-16 15:51:43

A few years ago my aunt did a hot air balloon ride for her 80th birthday. She absolutely loved it and only regretted not doing it earlier. I think the scariest thing I've ever done is stand up to my boss when they were harassing me. Or when I was left alone with my new grandchild for the first time terrified I was going to break him. Clearly I need to be more adventurous - is it too late do you think?

inishowen Fri 29-Apr-16 12:19:49

I'm very shy so the scariest thing I've done is take a job as a mystery shopper. I had to go into banks and building societies and pretend I wanted a loan, or some other service. I was shaking in my boots, as it was important they never guessed I wasn't a real customer. In the end, I was sussed by one bank manager. I had a phone call from my boss complaining about this, and I decided there and then the job was not for me!

GdnGuru246 Fri 29-Apr-16 12:11:53

Heavens - almost reached 65 (early May) and so many scary things -

First and probably most dangerous - desperate to get to the fireworks at Henley Regatta two friends and I thought we would hitch a lift - relatively short distance, five miles or so, safety in numbers we thought.... ha. In the car with some lads, think it was an old Humber with bench seats, the driver stopped en route in a quiet spot and told us we were getting out and going into the woods with them. It was a hairy moment which thankfully we talked ourselves out of and got home safely. My father was incandescent as you might imagine - grounded for a while, unsurprisingly, and never did get to see the fireworks.

Many years later in an attempt to escape a bullying ex husband I was in a relationship with a chap who lived in Barbados, a white Bajan who was in real estate, but it was only when I went over to stay with him for a week that I realised he had his own major problems and I would have been put in a gilded cage so that rapidly went nasty and I flew back to England.

Like others I am claustrophobic so having an MRI scan was terrifying too.

Calm and peaceful retirement now - probably!

meandashy Fri 29-Apr-16 12:00:51

Having back surgery was very scary. I was alone & I sobbed that much on the ward before I went down that the nurses pulled the curtains around me & told me to be quiet because I was upsetting other people! When I got to the operating theatre they asked if I had I cold! I said 'no I've been crying '!! ?
I was present for the birth of my granddaughter & the cold was around her neck, very scary ?

MaryXYX Fri 29-Apr-16 11:46:03

My first abseil at age 65 was a bit scary, but for me there is only one really scary event. That was at age 63 when I told my employer I was no longer a graddad but was now a grandmom. This was in a Software Engineering company, very much a young man's job.

NanaandGrampy Fri 29-Apr-16 07:54:17

I'm a navy brat Alima so I know there was a lot more to being a wren {smile] but those girls do know how to party wink

Coolgran I remember those days all too well and know how scary that drive would have been . When you look back you realise I think how lucky you were on occasion x

pompa Fri 29-Apr-16 07:44:20

Saying that I thought ladies bums looked good in jeans on GN. Still scares me today smile

Antjexix Fri 29-Apr-16 06:52:24

Changing my job and becoming a carer. I started of as a mobile carer and after 1 week training( shocking,I know) I was left on my own to visit clients. The responsibility terrified me, but I learned on the job and have now been doing it for over 3 years. I now work in a care home and love my job with a passion.

TwiceAsNice Fri 29-Apr-16 06:40:22

Thanks Wot he certainly was! Should have done it years before. I'm not scared of much now

Newquay Thu 28-Apr-16 23:36:06

Gosh I'm so glad I live a boring life. . . . .

Coolgran65 Thu 28-Apr-16 20:48:25

NanaandGrampy my appreciation to you.
I worked in Belfast city centre during those times and am aware of some of the situations that arose.

On the same theme, scary was going from one side of the city (home) to the other side of the city, to pick up my ds outside the students union at 2am when I had to make all sorts of circuitous routes to avoid barricades, burning cars, and impromptu "where are you going" car stops by guys in balaclavas.

Alima Thu 28-Apr-16 20:45:21

I do not do scary things as a rule as they are too scary. Bit of a wimp really, fairground rides to high and fast, driving altogether too scary. There is one time in my life when I was really frightened. We found out that DD2 was married to a controlling, bullying and violent bar steward. Before she left him I was so frightened of what could happen to her and DGS. They are safe now.

Alima Thu 28-Apr-16 20:36:24

Respect, NannaandGrampy, all I did in the Wrens in the '70s was drink a lot and have a very good time!

NanaandGrampy Thu 28-Apr-16 19:09:04

Arriving in Northern Ireland in 1974 in the military and being shot at with 20 minutes of arrival ! I was armed with a truncheon , and wearing a skirt , tights and court shoes as women were not allowed to wear combats !!

Maggymay Thu 28-Apr-16 19:00:25

Learning to drive at the age of 52,after lots and lots of lessons and several attempts at the test I eventually passed after learning for a year.

Cherrytree59 Thu 28-Apr-16 18:57:49

In the delivery room. When my first Gc was born.
As my grandson was delivered the midwife pulled the emergecy cord and with in seconds the room was full of doctors and nurses.
My back was pressed up against the wall as I was trying not to get in the way.
I have never been so scared in all my life.
The emergency was that the cord was round my darling grandsons neck
All was ok in the end
But even now thinking of it makes me shiver!

harrigran Thu 28-Apr-16 18:54:29

When I had to have my MRI full body scan I wore a sleep mask and had classical music played through headphones. They were very kind because I was nervous when I arrived. When I came out there was a little girl waiting to go in and she happily skipped into the room, I felt ashamed of myself for being such a wuss.

petra Thu 28-Apr-16 18:52:21

I've been in many scary situations at sea, but the worst was a force 10 gale on a ferry in the bay of Biscay and the engines stopped for 30 mins. Everything in the restaurants and bars were smashed to pieces.

rubysong Thu 28-Apr-16 18:48:19

Singing a solo (the boy I love is up in the gallery) in a concert. I'm really not a good singer but somehow found myself in front of a roomful of people. I had made a fairly impressive dress, which helped, but the singing was very scary.

wot Thu 28-Apr-16 18:42:34

God, merlot, that sounds terrifying.
My friend and I, when we were 12, were told by an old woman on Brighton seafront, that the world would end in two years (Armageddon) we were really scared. Again scared coming up to end of 2012 as it was thought the world would end then. I don't care anymore though.

merlotgran Thu 28-Apr-16 18:37:08

Driving to West Sussex the morning after the hurricane in 1987. DH's father dropped dead with a heart attck while it was raging. He suffered anxiety attacks and was convinced a large tree outside the window was going to blow over on top of the house. We couldn't be contacted for hours because all the phone lines were down and it was our local policeman who knocked on our door to break the news.

It took us seven hours to get there and trees were still falling. Many roads were closed and in our haste we didn't think to pack anything to eat or drink.

I thought at the time it was the closest thing to Armageddon I would ever see.

phoenix Thu 28-Apr-16 18:37:07

Two things come to mind, having a cyst on my eyeball "popped" with a scalpel by my GP, and travelling on the bus just wearing a basque, stockings and suspenders under my coat to go to my then boyfriend's house and surprise him.

wot Thu 28-Apr-16 18:29:07

That cage they put on your head with the scan......yikes!!!

wot Thu 28-Apr-16 18:28:06

Good for you, twice. Wot an arse he must have been

wot Thu 28-Apr-16 18:26:30

You would think that surviving a scary incident would make all further ones a piece of doddle but it doesn't seem to work like that. Next scary th I g...having the roots cut out after bridge so to wore out. Worst thing is, I got nobody to accompany me. Avoidance is much easier.....I have cancelled my breast xray and my smear test. Don't want bad news.

jinglbellsfrocks Thu 28-Apr-16 18:26:24

Yes. The scan thing would be a biggie for me.