Seriously Paranoid About...

[catalina_francisco]

While musing in the bath, I wondered what it was that really bothered people, almost or to the point of becoming paranoid...

For me, at the top of my list is my paranoia about the ever increasing amount of surveillance in all our lives...Being filmed wherever we go, having our internet useage and emails monitored and often kept on file for long periods of time, records kept of what you bought and where and being filed and kept, exchange of information about ordinary citizens who have no criminal record etc. I try not to think about it because if I do I know it will get me to serious levels of stress, but it is difficult when you hear the tip of the iceberg of what is happening on a regular basis.

So what gets to everyone else?

Catalina

 

[Life_Noir]

*lol*

Traffic stops....

Right before I left the country, I got pulled over at {Of all things} a construction stop.. Since I was less than a week away from being out of the country for over six months, I had not been attentive to what was expiring...

*sigh*

It still gives me a twinge when I'm driving..

Doesn't help that my I see VERY well in the dark... So the damned blue lights really fuck with my vision...


Oh...It cost me a bit over $1500 when I got back, to straighten things back out and drive again.

 

[Lamont Cranston]

Monitoring, storage and hacking

I share Catalina's concern -- it is one of the reasons that I took so long to make my first post here.

Frankly, I try to avoid using Google unless it is the absolute last way to find something. They never delete anything -- and since they're checking the words in gmail to match ad -- try to stay very far away from that.

It is not so much that I worry about my 'kink' coming out but hey, I have a paper shredder for every unsolicited piece of financial junk mail that comes into the house. Did you know that every one of those pre-approved credit card and mortgage re-financing notes has been credit checked? I've put a block on it with the credit rating agencies here in the US because even more than being 'outed' identity theft is a big concern.

Even if it doesn't end up costing you much in terms of lost money it will cost you big time in the hours necessary to get your records cleaned up so that you can 'do business' again.

I figure every email is basically a post card so you just have to use some discretion and be a little careful.

On the other hand, we can't live in the modern work without it so I have all the virus / spam / whatever protection I can think of and do whatever else I can think of to make my 'stuff' just a bit harder than average to get to. I figure that most misfits will take the path of least resistance. If they have to work at getting my information they're first choice will be to move on to the next person who hasn't thrown up some barriers.

 

[graceanne]

Ever since 9/11 I'm afraid to be away from my kids. I have nightmares about being in a building that's been hit by a bomb, and being able to hear my kids but not get to them. The entire time I was in San Francisco I was praying that we didn't get bombed. I won't go into the drugs it took to get me ON the plane.

 

[Lamont Cranston]

Ever since 9/11 I'm afraid to be away from my kids. I have nightmares about being in a building that's been hit by a bomb, and being able to hear my kids but not get to them. The entire time I was in San Francisco I was praying that we didn't get bombed. I won't go into the drugs it took to get me ON the plane.

If I had children I'm pretty sure that I'd join you with putting this at the top my list -- although in today's world it seems like there is just so much more to worry about children than there was for my parents. I know those are the greatest fears for my brothers who do have children.

 

[graceanne]

If I had children I'm pretty sure that I'd join you with putting this at the top my list -- although in today's world it seems like there is just so much more to worry about children than there was for my parents. I know those are the greatest fears for my brothers who do have children.

I've found myself in the hall, after an airplane nightmare, heading toward the kids room, thinking I need to lay on them and protect them from the airplane.

 

[Lamont Cranston]

I'm sure you have, but you -- and the kids -- face so many challenges from daily life that I think that must make parenting more difficult in the here and now. That said, I have my nieces and nephews who've been raised by good parents and they seem to be doing great. I'm sure your kids are too.

 

[Sir_Winston54]

<Snipples> I have my nieces and nephews who've been raised by good parents and they seem to be doing great. I'm sure your kids are too.

You obviously haven't read some of graceanne's posts about the things her progeny get into and/or say.

(For those with little/no sense of humor, please be assured that this is just teasing of one of our board's most beloved members, to or regarding whom I would never write something truly derogatory!)

 

[graceanne]

You obviously haven't read some of graceanne's posts about the things her progeny get into and/or say.

(For those with little/no sense of humor, please be assured that this is just teasing of one of our board's most beloved members, to or regarding whom I would never write something truly derogatory!)

Don't worry, I took it as a joke. My kids have MOUTHS. lol

 

[Netzach]

but where could they get that from?

My paranoia - good ol garden variety hypochondria.

 

[graceanne]

but where could they get that from?

Their dad - I'm an angel. *bats eyes*

Netz . . netz . . are you ok . . . YOU'RE TURNING BLUE!!

 

[Sir_Winston54]

Don't worry, I took it as a joke. My kids have MOUTHS. lol

Oh, I knew you would - but there seems to be a couple of people here whose sense of humor was unfortunately left out when they were created. Sheesh! You'd think they were cardiologists or something!

 

[LadyAria]

My paranoias:

Walking down stone or concrete steps
Germs - particularly bathrooms
Insects crawling on or in me while I sleep
Locking my doors (did I remember or not? That's a nightly ritual)
Turning off the stove, coffee pot, unplugging toasters, hairdryers when I leave the house
People not washing their hands (I'm in business and HATE shaking hands)
Rotting food (Is it expired or not? The sheer volume of food I've thrown out is just wrong but I'm paranoid it will make me sick)
Loosing my teeth = insane dental hygiene rituals
Eating in restaurants or cafeterias or other people's houses - Cleanness of silverware, plates, wait staff, food prep
Insects or stray animals being in my house

I could go on, but it already clear I'm a little bit of a loon.

 

[oddity83]

While musing in the bath, I wondered what it was that really bothered people, almost or to the point of becoming paranoid...

For me, at the top of my list is my paranoia about the ever increasing amount of surveillance in all our lives...Being filmed wherever we go, having our internet useage and emails monitored and often kept on file for long periods of time, records kept of what you bought and where and being filed and kept, exchange of information about ordinary citizens who have no criminal record etc. I try not to think about it because if I do I know it will get me to serious levels of stress, but it is difficult when you hear the tip of the iceberg of what is happening on a regular basis.

So what gets to everyone else?

Catalina

All the time, that and laws that seem to be tighting on peoples freedoms, plus the grocey store loyalty cards, I still can not figure out why they/we need them. The massive amount of credit, and refi offer that are pre-approved I get in the mail, which I never ask for, plus the call for the same, even thou I am on the national do not call list, (I was wary to sign up for that) the military style weapons that alot of police officers are carry... I could go on.

 

[graceanne]

All the time, that and laws that seem to be tighting on peoples freedoms, plus the grocey store loyalty cards, I still can not figure out why they/we need them. The massive amount of credit, and refi offer that are pre-approved I get in the mail, which I never ask for, plus the call for the same, even thou I am on the national do not call list, (I was wary to sign up for that) the military style weapons that alot of police officers are carry... I could go on.

How about if you don't have a credit/debit card it's becoming more and more difficult to pay bills or do anything? I had to borrow my moms credit card to fly to SF. I had the money, just no way of buying the ticket without a credit card. It used to be you could go to a travel agent and pay them - but now it's done online and for that you need a . . .credit/debit card.

 

[oddity83]

Another vaild piont from graceanne, credit cards seem to be almost a required form of ID or something. I don't have one, thus I cannot rent a car or tools, fly, or stay in alot of hotels.

 

[Kierae]

The fact that you have to have a credit history with the credit bureau in order to rent an apartment, start up utilities, etc. Ironic that I can be in major debt but can do all of those things because I have a credit history and yet my son (who has listened to me say DON'T get caught up in credit cards and such) is penalized since he pays cash for everything and has no credit file. He has to pay extra deposits on all of his utilities, and got turned down automatically for several places he was looking to rent. Several others would rent if he would get a cosigner or pay a huge deposit.

All of that on top of having to have a debit/credit card to do what prior posters have mentioned. My paranoia is around our government and watching more of our rights and privacy slip away.


~kierae

 

[PrimalGirl]

paranoia...

Ohhh..I can top that one... I received a letter in the mail from the state dept of taxation telling me that my info was on a database that was stolen from an intern's car...Talk about paranoia and "sweating bullets"

 

[zuzub]

I share Catalina's concern -- it is one of the reasons that I took so long to make my first post here.

Did you know that every one of those pre-approved credit card and mortgage re-financing notes has been credit checked? QUOTE]

Not true. Credit checks require the individual's permission. I know because I worked for a major credit card company. It may LOOK like they know all about you, but they can't really dig without your permission. The reason is that every 'hit' on your credit history/rating is actually considered a negative. The more hits you have, the less credit worthy you appear. While mailing lists/credit information can be shared, it's based on 'old information' (ie your last authorized credit check). They'll still want to see what's current and they can't do that unless you say so.

 

[zuzub]

I'm afraid of the world (as I know it) ending. Lately I walk through the grocery store and realize how amazing it is to have all this stuff at my finger tips. We don't even think twice about it. Abundance R Us. What will happen if resources aren't so easily come by?

 

[FurryFury]

Being left.

Because they are done with me or even if they die, it's still all about them leaving me.

 

[graceanne]

I share Catalina's concern -- it is one of the reasons that I took so long to make my first post here.

Did you know that every one of those pre-approved credit card and mortgage re-financing notes has been credit checked? QUOTE]

Not true. Credit checks require the individual's permission. I know because I worked for a major credit card company. It may LOOK like they know all about you, but they can't really dig without your permission. The reason is that every 'hit' on your credit history/rating is actually considered a negative. The more hits you have, the less credit worthy you appear. While mailing lists/credit information can be shared, it's based on 'old information' (ie your last authorized credit check). They'll still want to see what's current and they can't do that unless you say so.

Um, I second this. The way I KNOW that they haven't really checked your credit is I get those things all the time. Once I filled one out and mailed it back. I was sent a letter stating that my credit wasn't good enough for a credit card with their company. Evidently I wasn't pre approved.

 

[myinnerslut]

being left alone by myself and not knowing where i am or how to get back to a safe place (can you say abandonment issues?)

being lost (kind of the same)

parades (see both above)

 

[graceanne]

You know I don't fear abandonment, but I jump to that conclusions quicker than's normal. If someone's late picking me up I'm quick to think that they forgot about me, etc. I wasn't worried until they were already late.

 

[satindesire]

Getting old and/or fat.