I remember some time ago one of the internet aspie tests included a bunch of questions regarding hurried walking habits like running up and down down stairs, walking fast, taking the most direct path, jumping over obstacles rather than walking around them, etc.
I answered "completely agree" to almost all of those questions. I love to run up stairs. I can jump 5 or 6 steps with a running start. Before I enter the stairwell, I look to see if anyone is going where I would be going. If I would have to walk agonizing slowly behind them, I'll wait for a clear path or try another stairwell. I also love to slide down banisters. I usually walk quite fast and try not to step on the cracks in the sidewalk, not out of compulsion, but rather for a desire to regulate my speed. Lots of people like to walk on the grass between sidewalks to get directly from A to B, but I seem to do that more often or extremely than others. And jumping over, or up onto, things is always fun. Even when I climb a small curb, I don't just walk up onto it, I jump onto it.
Anyone else enjoy similar activities?
Anyone else enjoy similar activities?
Much so! For a while I had a habit of running down stairs while tapping the front and then the heel of each shoe on every stair - it made it sound like a large crowd was storming down the stairs... *grins*
I usually go up stairs on all fours (hands and feet).
I'm also more than eager to climb things, jump over things, balance on things, etc. I still walk on curbstones, occasionally.
Oh, yeah... climbing is also great fun. I have always loved climbing trees since childhood. Climbing trees is so fun and easy, I can't imagine why more people don't do it (at least those who are physically capable). I'm not afraid of falling because I'm careful and I know what I'm doing.
Curb-walking is another favorite (at least when there is no closely passing traffic). Sometimes, I also do curb-running. It's a great way to hone my sense of balance.
I always run up the stairs at work - the momentum when I run makes the climb easier.
Running up stairs does definitely seem easier than doing one step at a time. I wonder if it is a psychological feeling or if there truly is a physical advantage.
I usually go up stairs on all fours (hands and feet).
Ooh, me too - it has to be thick carpeted stairs, though...
I try to take the stairs as often as I can at work. It is better to expend some muscle power than it is to have electricity move a one ton elevator up and down a floor or two.
At home I have no freakin choice. I have to take the stairs. At least I am physically capable of carrying a 30 pound Trek bicycle up and down the stairs (almost nobody uses the bike rack, maybe there were bike thefts), even with a 30 pound backpack on, and even at 300 pounds (or 290 or going down).
Of course, I will use the office elevator to take the bike in to my office. We have only the most rudimentary bike storage here.
I cant walk slow up the staires...I fall over, so I have to grip the handle bar at school because he main stairway gets really clogged.
I always take shortcuts, I will even cut through classrooms to get to my destination faster.
Oh, I HATED those clogged stairwells in high school! And I always tried to get to my next class ASAP. We had 4 minutes to move between classes. I was always among the first few students to arrive in each classroom. Everyone else was busy in the halls with this strange activity called "socialization". They started coming in just as class was about to start.
I run up stairs--usually taking two steps at a time; I also run down stairs VERY fast
Same here!
Is the urge to run down stairs an aspie thing though? I often see other people running down stairs.
I do like to bounce up gutters, instead of just stepping.
I haven't been here long, but I want to say no post has really touched me so much as this one. I often think "Oh, that's like me," but this time it's so amazing. Of all the weird things I do, I never thought stair leaping and crawling and climbing was so widely shared.
Let me give you a NT perspective...... I run upstairs because I am afraid of lower levels. It must be something of the 'Nightmare on Elm Street Thing'. I have always been weary of basements though....
I wanted to add I have night terrors too though I may have them from past abuse.....
When I was younger, I convinced myself that if I didn't run up the stairs to my bedroom when going to bed, the day would be wasted. I'm 15 and I still have to run up the stairs, even when I'm incredibly tired
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I also hate the stairs at school. There are always people pushing you and my balance isn't great, so I have to keep myself from falling all the time.
I love walking fast. I love walking up steps fast. I hate seeing people doing things slowly. I know its wrong but seeing people do things very slowly makes me think they are lazy and shiftless when they are otherwise young and healthy. I like staying to the right and want everyone else to stay to their right. I also wait till all the slow stair climbers are past the floor I must race to. I do all my stimming when I am walking fast. When I walk fast the annoying sounds and smells of this typical world fade and I can get lost in my own inner peace for a bit. For me walking fast gives me a bit of me time in the middle of my day. I hate being up during the day I'd rather be up at night. I sleep soon as I get home and wake at 12 AM to 1 AM in the morning.
I hate steps when people crowd in because my balance sucks too and typical humans are always tempted to "Help" me without asking because, I also have Cerebral Palsy. So much Typical Human Help on the stairs requires touching and I hat being touched more than anything!