The Guild of The Unheard Voices

[steampunknarwhal]

Yesterday, I was on my computer, and my parents were looking for me. I was in the room right next to them. There were no doors closed. They did not even see me. I was holding back laughter.

[Hez]

Marco?

[citizen_erased]

I have sneaked up on people so often without intending to, it`s amazing.

Same goes for online though - people often seem to miss things I post (or they just don`t care because I`m boring, I don`t know)

Funny story, I had to wear a bell 'round the 'Ouse. For bout two weeks, cause I kept givin' my mum heart attacks.

I can see my housemates make me do that at some point XD   the amount of times I have bounced off the stairs as noisily as I could, to come into the kitchen shouting HIIIIII at them, just to have them jump up because apparantly they didn`t notice me coming down the stairs. (Admittedly, they were usually cooking at that point, and cooking can become a very noisy affair in my house for some reason). But since similar things happen all the time - like nobody noticing I`ve been home all day - ....a bell might be a good idea.

[steampunknarwhal]

Hey, guys (and girls of course). I havent been on for a while because I have been in Wisconsin and my cottage has no wifi whatsoever. I am thinking about asking this girl I like out, but school just let out and I never see her. I have her e-mail and phone number, but I know that it is not very good to ask someone out like that. What should I do? 

[von Corax]

If you really never see her around, and really don't expect to bump into her by accident, then I'd probably email her, explain that I was emailing because I hadn't seen her in person recently, and invite her out for coffee. Once we were face-to-face and I'd had a chance to read her reactions, I'd consider asking her out to a movie or something.

Of course, given my track record, any advice I can offer in this regard is of dubious value.

[Hez]

I realize I am a complete dinosaur in these matters but in my day the phone was the main way to ask someone out.  Is this not done anymore? 

[von Corax]

I realize I am a complete dinosaur in these matters but in my day the phone was the main way to ask someone out.  Is this not done anymore? 

From what I can tell, not really. When was the last time you saw a cell phone marketed based on the quality of its voice calls?

[steampunknarwhal]

Thanks for the advise. I'll try.

[Lt. Thomas Corvidae]

You may have to turn off the perception filter first, though. Otherwise nothing will happen. Good luck!

I too have found I have the sneaky ability. Though I believe it is partially learned from years of living with cats, and learning to sneak up on them. Cats can be wonderful teachers. Another good practice, walking through the woods without making a noise.

[Lady Toadflinger]

Don't you love the way cats levitate straight up into the air when you do surprise them!? Then they put on that look that says "I meant to do that." I couldn't live without at least one around for comic relief.

[steampunknarwhal]

My friend owns four or five cats at his dad's house and even more at his mom's, so he is probably a ninja. Oh yeah, he's also a nerd (like me), so he's even better at not being noticed. Nerd power!

[von Corax]

A couple mornings ago I spent nearly a full minute nose-to-beak (actually about 25 cm distance, but no more than that) with a hummingbird.

[steampunknarwhal]

That must have been amazing. Once, while I was admiring the botanicals at the Morton Arboritum,(i know i spelled this wrong, but i forgot how to spell it) a robust squirrel scurried up to me, and I almost touched it, but proper judgement led me away from it.

[Banfili]

I was taking photographs in York, in the gardens next to the Art Gallery (near the Roman Wall) & one of the resident squirrels made itself comfy to watch what I was doing. We must have shared the space for about 10 minutes - as far as the squirrel was concerned, I think I was invisible.

We don't have squirrels here, but the possums are pretty cool!

[Adelaide Blake]

My invisibility seems to be in need of a re-jig, I often find myself able to walk up to animals without startling them, but am unable to do the same to housemates. Maybe some new dials are needed?!

[Lt. Thomas Corvidae]

Hmmm, one trick is to observe their actions for about a day. Knowing those you wish to be unseen to is the best way for preparing to be unseen.

[Adelaide Blake]

Another good trick would possibly be to fix the creaking stairs, but I hate getting my petticoats dirty, at least when there is no possibility of baked goods at the end of it. However, I shall take your suggestion for invisibility on the ground floor.

[Lt. Thomas Corvidae]

Creaky stairs eh? Those are the worst. You may need to find an alternate path to the upstairs. Or find the bits in the stairs that don't. Which is always a fun conversation starter when one is caught going up stairs in such a silly looking way.

[citizen_erased]

Creaky stairs eh? Those are the worst. You may need to find an alternate path to the upstairs. Or find the bits in the stairs that don't. Which is always a fun conversation starter when one is caught going up stairs in such a silly looking way.

All the stairs in my house are creaky, which to me makes it even funnier that people apparantly don`t hear me walking up and down them. I did however hear one of my housemates the other day, at 6 am. I could actually hear that he was trying to be as quiet as possible (though failing horribly). You know those people in films that go down stairs in this really odd way in an attempt at being quiet? That`s basically what I think he was doing. The mental image was really amusing.

What`s also really good practice in being quiet: working inside caves, and having a part in your tour where you take away the light and leave the group literally standing in the dark. I always sneak back, go stand right infront of the group (or sometimes, if I know they`ve formed a semi-circle, I`ll stand right in the middle), and then suddenly switch on my flashlight. With big groups the sneaking back thing isn`t difficult, sometimes I can just walk and not even bother trying to be quiet. But sometimes, especially with smaller groups (say, <10 people), they tend to go very quiet in the dark, and because you can`t see anything you suddenly hear every single tiny sound, so sneaking up on people turns a lot more difficult. It`s so satisfying when they still don`t hear me coming though 

[von Corax]

It can be satisfying, or it can get really annoying. I swear I have cleared my throat and shuffled my feet and people still jump when I tap them on the shoulder.

A few years ago I was shift foreman in a food-processing plant. I had been looking for the QA supervisor for some reason, and when I finally spotted her across the floor I made a beeline for her. I was about two metres away when she turned, saw me and gave a little squeak of surprise.

"What?!?" I asked. "I'm 'way over here!"

"Yes," she replied, "but half a second ago you were 'way over there..."

[Professor Phineas Brownsm]

How not to be seen...

How Not To Be Seen

[Lady Toadflinger]

Ah! We can always rely on Monty Python!!!!

[Jimmeh]

i suppose this is the place for me seeing as before today i have had conversations with people, they reply, and then with a sudden look of shock ask when i appeared. usefull some times, others its plain annoying like when shopping in malls people seem to not see me and therefore bump into me (i like my space especially when you're a stranger who smells, yuck.)

[DreamHazard]

I have been known to vanish entirely when people have been looking for me, there was one occasion on which I was playing hide and seek with some friends (ranging from about 18 to about 40 years old, it's always more fun as an adult ) and I hid on top of a filing cabinet. The rest of the group looked directly at me but I couldn't be seen. I could see directly into their eyes but they couldn't see me. To hide THAT thoroughly, it takes a bit more skill, involving breaking up your outline so you don't look like a person.

[Jimmeh]

I have been known to vanish entirely when people have been looking for me, there was one occasion on which I was playing hide and seek with some friends (ranging from about 18 to about 40 years old, it's always more fun as an adult ) and I hid on top of a filing cabinet. The rest of the group looked directly at me but I couldn't be seen. I could see directly into their eyes but they couldn't see me. To hide THAT thoroughly, it takes a bit more skill, involving breaking up your outline so you don't look like a person.

i love hide and seek i curled up and pretended to be a rock on the lawn once hoping to get found coz i didn't feel like hiding any more and still they walked past, i recon people like us are born with invisibility options