Should I stay or should I go?

I read yesterday that there were along with all the others, 353 female passengers, 3 barbers, four priests and a monk on board the Titanic when it sank on its maiden voyage.   It’s, apparently, a common held superstition among sailors that women, red heads, flowers, priests and dogs are bad luck, and some old time sailors would suggest that the cumulative effect of all these on board the doomed ship, angered the sea so much that it caused the terrible tragedy. 

And it’s a well-known fact that a lot of Airlines don’t have a row 13 on their fleet of Airplanes because of passenger’s superstitions, and it’s also suggested that air travel drops dramatically on a Friday 13^th.

Believe it or not, If you are travelling on a train, you are supposed to stop talking when passing under a railway bridge because it is unlucky no to do so.

Apparently too, there’s a legend that tells of Evil Road Spirits that have been latching themselves on to motorcycles for as long as there have been bikes on the road. These Evil Road Spirits are responsible for mechanical problems and bad luck along a journey. Legend goes on to say that by attaching a small bell onto your bike, the Evil Road Spirits will become trapped inside the bell where the constant ringing drives them insane, making them lose their grip until they fall to the ground. (So that’s where potholes come from?) Legend also has it that the mystery of the Guardian Bell carries twice as much power when it is purchased by a friend or loved one and given as a gift.

Also, another well know superstition is that anyone embarking on any sort of journey by whatever means should never look back once they set off, as this will mean bad luck for the rest of the day.  There are hundreds of other seeming senseless superstitions associated with travel all over the world. Like for example if you are Russian, you must sit on your luggage.  If you are Scottish you must leave by the same door that you came in.  If you were from the Philippines you would have to turn your dinner plate in a clockwise direction before you set out on a journey.  In Mexico you have to put your luggage on the front door step the night before you travel.  Try doing that in Tallaght!!  Jeez…If we were to believe them all or to carry out all the rituals associated with them before we went anywhere, then we would never go anywhere.

Last night I went (without doing any rituals) to a meeting of my new ‘biker’ friends.  We were meeting to have a safety briefing and be put into our groups and to get our itinerary.  When all the official stuff was finished I was presented with my very own ‘guardian angel’, in the form of a little metal pin.  Apparently I can’t go on the bike without it.  I was really pleased, I feel like I have been ‘accepted’ and I am one of the gang now.  They all wear an angel or a bell somewhere on their bikes and I have to wear mine pinned to my jacket while on our journey! 

But it’s OK, I’m not superstitious.  I’ll wear it! It won’t take me long to put it on, just a couple of seconds after I… make sure it’s not a Friday 13^th….spill water for good luck….clean the house….throw salt over my shoulder….make sure my underwear is not inside out….get a bird to poo on me…. find a four leafed clover…tie a bunch of mint around my wrist….put my lucky coin in my pocket….find a black cat…