Ghost Etiquette 101: Boundaries, Sage, and Saying “Hey, Fred” | Haunted AF

Spooky season pulls up in a purple hearse as Mike Reiner welcomes Julie Fisk and Rebecca Black—the hilarious radio vets behind the hit pod Haunted AF. We talk real-world hauntings, fake ghost vids (we see that fishing wire), Dallas-Fort Worth’s creepiest spots, and why renovations are basically a Ouija board for the dead. Somewhere in there we accidentally name the spirit in Mike’s house Fred and immediately start provoking him. Sorry, Mike. You’ll get tips for finding legit scares around DFW (from Hangman’s House of Horrors to the Kalita Humphreys Theater), a crash course in “talking to your ghosts politely,” and a monster tale from a Canadian farmhouse that will make you rethink nocturnal wildlife. PLUS: Haunted AF’s live show at Texas Live (Oct 1), a promo code for Hangman’s, and Rebecca’s new pod, Unsolicited. It’s cozy, creepy, and totally unserious—like chicken nuggets shaped like ghosts. Boo appetit. Resources mentioned Haunted AF podcast Texas Live — Haunted AF live podcast, Oct 1 (free tickets) Hangman’s House of Horrors (promo mentioned in-episode) Kalita Humphreys Theater (Frank Lloyd Wright’s haunted beauty) “Your Dark Companion” with Mike Reiner Chapters 00:00:00 - Cold open chaos: false start, lightning, and sports-radio brain 00:01:08 - Mike’s welcome + “September isn’t fall, fight me” 00:02:58 - The Haunted AF duo returns (and shamelessly sells merch) 00:04:07 - Origin story: radio roots → global ghost hotline 00:07:24 - Believer vs. skeptic: the dance of wanting it to be real 00:08:19 - What actually scares pros who hear this stuff all day 00:09:31 - Marriage as a jump-scare sport 00:09:44 - Mike’s mystery noises: is it a ghost or a raccoon? 00:13:02 - Meet Fred, the newly christened house ghost 00:15:32 - Ghost etiquette 101: set boundaries, use their name 00:17:26 - Halloween is our Super Bowl: Texas Live, Oct 1 (free tix!) 00:22:27 - Big Tex must be haunted (right?) + Fair Park lore 00:23:20 - How they find stories: the Google-and-receipts method 00:25:18 - Lady of the Lake “proof”… and the Photoshop plot twist 00:28:08 - Fake videos vs. subtle real weirdness (Stanley Hotel tease) 00:30:16 - Take a million pics, back-to-back: Galvez bathroom shadows 00:31:46 - Scaring each other at Cane Rosso (and yes, hair pulls) 00:32:55 - DFW scare guide: Hangman’s, Beaumont Hotel, Forest of Shadows, Fright Fest, Denton vs. Grapevine 00:38:23 - Old City Park/Millermore: security spooks & the ghost app image 00:41:20 - Kalita Humphreys Theater: Frank’s bathroom cameo & flickering lights 00:45:24 - McKinney pubs and the shoulder tap you feel 00:46:27 - Breakfast wine & the petty ghost that snitched (or saved) 00:49:24 - Canada farmhouse reno: hyena-mane thing & a whistling barn 00:54:47 - Posting cadence + Rebecca’s new pod Unsolicited 00:58:37 - Cowboys Netflix doc: Reiner’s 90s nostalgia and locker-room legends 01:01:02 - Why Mike loves talkers (and how this show works) 01:02:21 - Like, share, review—cast your pod-boosting spells 01:03:28 - Fred, you’re on in 3…2…1 (sign-off) Thanks to our monthly supporters Matthew Kamper W hammons B Smith Robert Stoolfire Thaddeus D. Matula Rachel W Scott Lewis cody SIMS John Gilbert Robert Saunders Kiffer Sidney Long Pattie Rhyner Davidson David Ashlea Bullington James Corona Gordy John C Caffey Joe Lindsey Cam Jillian Wright David Moore Becca Moore Mike Rhyner Your Dark Companion ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★