The spring that went "boing"

[matticus]

A bit late (ie totally too late) but having worked in workshops, whenever you droo something small...instantly fix your eyes on the area below where its falling. .
If your eyes are fixed, you tend to have a better chance of seeing something move through that vision.
If your eyes are darting around, its almost impossible to see something moving in that area.
If youre lucky, it at least let's you know the direction of travel.

It's a spring, not a mouse!

 

[Profpointy]

Two anecdotes on this, though neither was a spring, it was the same scenario

Took the derailleur jockey wheels apart to clean and fettle them, but dropped the tiny metal sleeve which forms the bearing. Was working outside on a chippings floor and could not find the bloody thing. I had a lathe at the time so made another one to the right size. It didn't seem to be something I could buy on its own.

Another incident: a friend was about to abseil down a 60m drop in a cave and as he put his weight on the rope it kind of twanged smacking him in the
face dislodging his contact lens which fell the 60m. I'd have bet my house that it was irretrievably lost but he descended and saw if glinting on what was luckily a hard packed mud floor. If the floor had been boulders, then no chance. He gave it a lick and back in his eye it went