Do you startle easily?

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My co-worker always taps on my shoulder at work and it freaks me out everytime. I have no idea why it does too. Like you said, anything that I'm not expecting terrifies me. I was supposed to stay at my ex's apt. last month and I was waiting to be let into his building (security s**t) and my back was turned away from the door since I was watching the cars. It opens and jump around SCREAMING. I don't like surprises, LOL.

Not really, I'm usually so aware of everything going on around me that it's really hard for someone to approach me without me knowing. Loud noises don't normally cause me to jump either, if anything I don't react enough.

I am very jumpy, unexpected noises especially.

Living in a generally quiet and peaceful country town I seem to have become much worse in this respect. I'm not sure if the two are related however, but it seems likely. I feel I have adapted to the quiet.

My mom made the mistake of doing that to me when I was playing Guitar Hero last night, and I swung around to see who it was, and I almost hit her with the little plastic guitar

4th of July is hell for me too.

The phone just rang not even 10 minutes ago and it scared the hell out of me. I hate phones.........its like having someone yell BOO unexpectedly or something.

But yes, I startle very easily. Even if I expect someone to tap me on the shoulder it still surprises me and I jump.

A LOT more easily than I like to admit!
If someone comes up behind me and lays a hand on my back or shoulder, or taps my shoulder, I've been told I jump like I've been shot! (And my Mother is even worse than I am!) I kinda wonder if "dear old Mom" has AS, too?...

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An Asperger's man who has Autism Spectrum Disorder level 1- mild, with a sprinkling of Synesthesia.

I don't but my mom does.

I'm very jumpy! Especially if someone or something touches me unexpectedly. I hate when people do that.

I'm not really that jumpy. Usually if there's a loud noise I just stand still and think "what was that?"

I startle extremely easily. I usually jump, flail my arms, or tense my muscles.
I had a recent EEG and my neurologist said that while I don't have seizures, I do show an extreme reaction to the photic stimulation (flashing lights). My whole body spasms, and it felt to me much like being quite startled.
I wonder if it's related to that sort of reflex/reaction to other stimuli such as unexpected sounds, or touches, and that's why I have such a physical reaction to being scared.

Yep - like everyone else here I tend to startle very easily - and like Verdandi my most common reaction is anger. I've developed a similar thing to the_curmudge so generally I manage to internalise it.

I love the scene at the end of "The Fifth Element" where Ruby Rod gets startled - that's very "me"

I spend a lot of time setting up any mobile phones I have to carry - the tune has to be just the right kind and set to progressive volume increase - so I don't have a fit whenever the rotten things go off.

YES!

But beware, you know the fight or flight reaction?

Guess which one I have.

I may have been in trouble when my sisters scared me and I was only reacting naturally.

My reflexes are just extra good

What happens with justjelliot happens with me too...I've learned several forms of fighting through the years and, under specific sets of circumstances have been known to come around swinging. I've been in work situations where I've had to warn 'newbies' that sneaking up behind me is a very bad idea. The irony of it though, is that martial arts has, overall, helped calm the sudden switches into defensive mode...has helped me decrease (though not completely eliminate) the startle reactions. When I don't practice any of the arts, then I tend to startle more frequently -also when I'm overly tired and can't keep myself in 'discipline'.