> Of course, my experience was almost ruined because I am agoraphobic, and can't handle being in large crouds of people. I mean, people were litteraly on every side of me. But, I digress....
>
> famous


I always thought agoraphobia was fear of open spaces. Is it the crowding that you can't handle (like claustrophobia, being closed-in) or the idea of all those people? No offence intended if this is too personal. I'm just interested to know. It must make life difficult.

I often get edgy in people-intensive situations like trying to get out of a crowded movie theatre, where you have to stand in a bunch of people and can't move in any direction. I think with me, it's not the actual people so much as the feeling that I can't move freely or escape if I need to. (Although God knows what I think I might need to escape from.) It's the same if I have to sit somewhere I can't get up and move away from if I want to. Neither of these are major issues, and I don't get to the stage of being panicky, but I certainly prefer to avoid such situations.

I have a feeling it's because the worst thing I can imagine is not being in control of myself, which is also why I have never tried alcohol or drugs, even when I was a teenager. This tends to make people think I've got some bizarre psychological or religious problem, which I guess says something uncomplimentary about the state of society.

Brunnen-G