Seeing *it* on the sidewalk

[alexikiss]

Not really graphic, but I avoided using words that might bother some people...

Ugh. You know when you just go out in an dirty urban environment and you're smelling urine and seeing bums and garbage and puddles and you just know *it* can be lurking anywhere you are walking. I went out tonight with a friend and I was being very cautious of where I was walking. At one point, out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw *it.* I didn't have to look twice. My friend, who is well aware of my phobia (and once had to calm me down when we saw it in a park), started showing me something in a store window. Turns out she HAD seen it and told me when we got home..."I don't know if you knew, but there was *** on the sidewalk...I thought you saw it...we walked right past it." I didn't really say anything in response, but I felt a feeling of dread that she confirmed it. I'm glad she didn't say anything at the time because we had just eaten frozen yogurt and were about to go eat pizza with pasta on it. (Yeah, I certainly don't eat like an emetophobe.)

Anyway, I hate when I am out somewhere and I can't even enjoy myself because I am consumed with every puddle and where I am walking. Then when I come home, I won't walk in with my shoes on...I'll carry them and put them in the closet until it's time to wear them again...eventually I forget about it and get over it. Does anyone else walk the streets with the same feeling one would get walking through a horror house? Haha

[oceanlove]

I don't really think about it that much, let's say I m not on the look out for it. Still as soon as I see a "stain" anything that could be it ...i freak , hold my breath and start walking fast and as far away as I can from it.

[julioa]

It bothers me if I see it but not VERY much.As long as I don't walk through it nor very near it.I went into a department store once and a employee was cleaning a disgusting and graphic puddle in the aisle.I of course went the other way lol

If they don't do it in my house or in my car , on or near me, I have no problem with .

[Lexi]

Oh, YES, I am the same way...I can't take two steps outside my house without my eyes darting everywhere, making sure there's no v* on the sidewalk, street, etc. It seems I am always seeing it everywhere, too....prolly just cause I AM looking for it, but still....just last week I saw two puddles of it on the street in a downtown area near my house..granted, there are a lot of bars there, but it's still v* and you never know for sure why it's there. I take my shoes off and put them in a closet, too, lol. Or, I'll leave them outside the front door and go out and Lysol them, THEN bring them in to the closet, depending on how traumatized I am! I'm glad I'm not alone in this...thank you for sharing!

[alexikiss]

Thanks for your comments!

Regarding emetophobia in general, I have gotten a lot better...or should I say, I don't let the thoughts consume me as they once did. I have actually come a long way. But there are certain things I am weird about, and that is one of them. I don't see that changing, either. The thing is, when/if I see a *puddle* I don't really think about why it happened and/or if it's contagious, it's just the object itself (if that's what you want to call it!) that terrifies me. Like if someone had a fear of spiders or clowns. I see it and I freak out! At least last night, I knew what I saw and chose to ignore it and not look back to verify.

Recently, I was vacationing in another big city that was actually very clean (aside from the homeless urine stench). Clean as in I literally saw people cleaning the streets with janitorial supplies. I had never seen that before. Anyway, late one night my friend and I were walking to the car and we were in an area where there are a lot of bars/restaurants. My friend suddenly said, "Ugh, it smells like puke!" I was having sinus issues so I didn't notice anything. I immediately felt nervous, especially because I didn't see anything anywhere. I would seriously rather walk barefoot on hot coals and broken glass than walk through *that* with a Hazmat suit on.

So yeah, just wondering if any of you had a fear of *it* literally - as opposed to the action of it, as is discussed much on the other topics. By the way, the Lysol idea seems like something I'd want to do!

[clare.ehlers]

I'm sort of similar. I have a great fear of actually v*ing or seeing someone else v*, but I also am just afraid of the stuff itself. That's actually how my emet started for me. When I was little, I was afraid of it just because I thought it was so gross looking! I don't remember ever v*ing myself, so when I was little, I never understood that not only does it look gross, but it's painful and tastes bad. Just the sheer sight of it freaks me out.

[yinyang79]

I really, really don't like walking anywhere near "it" either. I was in school, walking my class back from lunch, and there seemed to be something on the floor. All it took was a glance and then I kept to other side of the hall and my eyes averted. My kids though, bless them, let me know in detail what we were walking by. I guess I was having a good day, because it really didn't bother me that time. Maybe having the kids treat it as no big deal kinda soothed my nerves.

[ann32]

i used to work in NYC on 52nd and broadway. it was right around the corner from where they would have concerts...everyday i would freak out every morning walking to work and i would see vomit...it was so gross...it would be stuck in my mind all day...i had to change my route to work...

[Lexi]

Ewwww....what a way to greet the day. I'd change my route, too!

[barbiegirl]

i used to work in NYC on 52nd and broadway. it was right around the corner from where they would have concerts...everyday i would freak out every morning walking to work and i would see vomit...it was so gross...it would be stuck in my mind all day...i had to change my route to work...

A similar thing always happened to me when I lived downtown. It was a trendy, nice area (17th Ave SW in Calgary, for those who like geography), but there were lots of bars all along my route to work. Saturday mornings (I worked at 8 am) were the worst I would usually run into at least one puddle of v* on my short walk. It was so gross and I was always really anxious for the rest of the morning and sometimes even the rest of the day.

*Might be graphic*
I also was driving one day and out of the corner of my eye happened to see a homeless man v* bile all over in front of someone's house. I was horrified and couldn't go to the meeting I had planned. So bad.

[abbi]

So gross, I hate when this happens!

[SparklyxConfetti]

I was in Boston MA for something with my school. There was a drunk person leaning against a wall, and IT was all over the sidewalk. I flipped out. Awful.
But I don't usually tend to walk in fear of seeing it somewhere. It's really rare, and I've only seen it that one time.

[JustLacey]

I saw some just down my local street. It was like chunky Egg Mayo lol. There was some in the car park, and then some in the corner down the allyway, I didn't hold my breath because I though it was just a drunk teenager O_o XXXXXX

[Midnight Dream]

Urgh god! I have to say I always hold my breathe, walk fast and shut my eyes and look totally the opposite direction. Kinda hard walking with my eyes shut but it has to be done! x
YUCK

[Laura_Lou]

I would be like this too, I used to go to college in a really dirty part of town like right down the street from all the bars, so you can imagine on a monday morning after the weekend what it was like, I used to walk really fast and try and keep my eyes from wandering, its the same if im driving down the road and i see a car pull over kinda fast, i automatically start panicing and trying not to look just incase!

[alisonj42]

That is a good friend steering you away from it!
I have seen it the odd time and felt gross afterwards. It isnt as bad as when its in my own house though

[Midnight Dream]

Me and my mum walk round the block each night, we pass a pub each night. Yeah you can imagine, drunk people. . . and what happens when you drink to much, you *v Yes thats right there was *v on the pavement and I had to walk right past it! Ew Ew Ew x

[mooki]

I also was driving one day and out of the corner of my eye happened to see a homeless man v* bile all over in front of someone's house. I was horrified and couldn't go to the meeting I had planned. So bad.

What is bile? I didn't want too google it incase google image preview pulls up pictures of vomit.

It's just part of my routine when I'm walking to be constantly scanning the ground ahead of me looking for any signs of danger. When I'm in the middle of a large crowd such as exiting a sports game or concert at an arena, I'm REALLY watching my step. Since I live in a part of the country where it rarely rains, when it gets on the sidewalk, it can literally sit there for months on end. I can almost tell by how dried up looking the stain is how long ago it was done. Then I won't ever want to step on that spot on the sidewalk again. Ever. It's been tainted.

[Rebecca85]

Bile is a digestive liquid. if you are *really* ill and have no more food in your stomach, bile can come up.

[mooki]

Bile is a digestive liquid. if you are *really* ill and have no more food in your stomach, bile can come up.

What color is bile?

[JustLacey]

What color is bile?

I think it's like a pale greeny colour, I have never actually v'td bile before though xx

[JustLacey]

On Friday afternoon, a giant bit of v* was on the pavement, with a rancid smell, and chunks!!! It's frozen to the ground, and it's like a orangey greeny colour :/
The school won't clean it up because it's JUST outside the gate!!!

I have walked past it 2 days in a row now...

[Midnight Dream]

Oh god Lacey thats horrible! Is there any other direction that you can walk into school by? x