Is it *really* possible to trip over your own shoelaces? || kuro5hin.org


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Is it *really* possible to trip over your own shoelaces?

By komet in komet's Diary
Thu Mar 21, 2002 at 07:13:30 AM EST
Tags: (all tags)

I forgot to do up my shoelaces this morning (because I was preoccupied with Hi-Ho) and a lady came up to me and said, "your shoelaces are undone, you might trip over them". (Actually she said that in German). That got me wondering - is it really possible to trip over your shoelaces?

It would seem to me that you can only trip over your laces if a) the length of your stride is shorter than the protruding lace length, or b) in crowd situations where your personal space is smaller than the protruding lace length.
Both don't happen to me often. Perhaps this whole business is just a made-up story we tell children to get them to do their laces up?
So let me know: have you ever personally witnessed a shoelace-tripping in adults?

Related Links

Hi-Ho
komet's Diary

Is it *really* possible to trip over your own shoelaces? | 12 comments (12 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Well if you step on it..... (5.00 / 2) (#1)
by Lord of Caustic Soda on Thu Mar 21, 2002 at 07:29:40 AM EST

Then the person will probably be not very happy.....

I suppose it might be caught by something big and heavy...... once in a million times (so it'll happen 9 times out of 10 :)

Sure it is. (5.00 / 2) (#2)
by JackStraw on Thu Mar 21, 2002 at 07:44:12 AM EST

If your left shoe lace is hanging down, and you stop walking, first stopping your left foot, then bringing your right foot to rest next the the left. Your right foot can then be holding down your left shoe lace. You go to start walking, and fall on your face.

-The bus came by, I got on... that's when it all began.

That never happens to me. by komet, 03/21/2002 08:27:24 AM EST (5.00 / 1)

Very possible (5.00 / 2) (#3)
by Unicycle Scrub on Thu Mar 21, 2002 at 07:46:41 AM EST

It would seem to me that you can only trip over your laces if a) the length of your stride is shorter than the protruding lace length [...]

ITYM 'length of your stride is longer than the protruding lace length'. The trick of it is you step on your lace with the opposite foot, step with the now-bound foot, and, since you probably only have 6-10 inches of lace (post-yanking) available, your foot stops in mid-stride.

Those sufficiently trained in this art will have the mid-air foot pivot towards the ground as it falls in an abbreviated arc so that the toe, rather than the sole, hits the ground, at which point the resulting trip looks very impressive indeed. This is best accomplished by the novice by measuring out the exact amount of post-yank lace for this to happen naturally; the more experienced tripper can fake it convincingly, allowing for a more impromptu performance.

Shoelace probability. (4.50 / 2) (#4)
by maroberts on Thu Mar 21, 2002 at 07:47:38 AM EST

If it is truly nearly impossible to trip over ones shoelaces, there must be a finite chance that it is possible to do so. Since totally impossible things happen all the time you are very likely to trip over your shoelaces.

[..paraphrasing what I remember of Douglas Adams explanation of the working of the Improbability Drive in Hithc Hikers Guide ]

~~~
The greatest trick the Devil pulled was to convince the world he didn't exist -- Verbil Kint, The Usual Suspects

Surely it's impossible (3.66 / 3) (#5)
by Mister Proper on Thu Mar 21, 2002 at 07:52:36 AM EST

Other people always manage to step on my shoe laces when they're not tied though.

The K5ers that claim to have fallen over their shoe laces were surely hired by the K5 cabal. You'll see that over the next month they'll be paid in K5 ads. Sneaky stuff, that is. I wouldn't be suprised if I find this post modded as "spam" or "funny" either!

I gave you a +1 by Eloquence, 03/21/2002 08:12:35 AM EST (4.00 / 3)

Yes. (4.50 / 2) (#6)
by gordonjcp on Thu Mar 21, 2002 at 07:53:52 AM EST

Standing still, ensure that both laces are untied. Then, stand on your left laces with your right foot, and vice-versa. Now try and walk away...
Have you ever been towing a vehicle with a rope, and run over the rope?

Give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he'll bore you rigid with fishing stories for the rest of your life.

Aboop-boop (5.00 / 2) (#9)
by miller on Thu Mar 21, 2002 at 08:40:13 AM EST

This title intended for use in tombuck's diary. Apologies for the discontinuity.

Sure, been there, done that. My stride is longer that the length of my untied shoelaces, but I don't walk on an unbroken flat plane. I have to climb over things, turn sharp corners and step round people - all of these things can result in my feet being close enough together for me to step on a shoelace.

Never actually fallen over though. I'm not that much of an idiot.

--
It's too bad I don't take drugs, I think it would be even better. -- Lagged2Death

Embarassingly enough (4.50 / 2) (#10)
by wiredog on Thu Mar 21, 2002 at 08:44:09 AM EST

I've tripped over my own shoelaces. Yet another Bad Thing that can happen while drunk.

Peoples Front To Reunite Gondwanaland: "Stop the Laurasian Separatist Movement!"

Painful variant (5.00 / 3) (#11)
by Cwis on Thu Mar 21, 2002 at 09:49:12 AM EST

Stop at traffic lights on motorbike.

Find out that bootlace has come undone.

Simultaneously find out that said bootlace has wrapped itself round footpeg, tieing foot to footpeg.

Realise that you have already started to lean bike that way, so as to ease putting foot down.

Fall off motorbike, being interrupted half way to the ground by post of aforementioned traffic light.

Have bike land on leg - still tied to footpeg, effectivly immobilising self.

Wait for grownup to help you lift motorcycle off leg, unknot lace, and then affect dignified departure.

Works for me! A funnier variant was performed by a father of a friend, involving a kick-start lever and the flared jeans of the period.

Shoelaces? (5.00 / 1) (#12)
by I am Jack's username on Thu Mar 21, 2002 at 03:50:17 PM EST

Haven't worn shoelaces since I was in school about 7 years ago (uniforms). I walk several Ks every day and I've got have a pair of slip-in and a pair of velcro Skechers for work and gym, slippers for home, slip-in Royals for badminton, slip-in Relays for casual wear, velcro Bronx for formal wear, velcro and classic slip-ons, and sandals - who needs shoelaces?
--
Inoshiro for president!
"War does not determine who is right - only who is left." - Bertrand Russell

Is it *really* possible to trip over your own shoelaces? | 12 comments (12 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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