Are my stitches misbehaving or just uptight?/Cabling

[crocee]

I just watched a cabling video where you make cables without a cable needle since I am having a hard time finding one locally. The knitter teaching the video segment slipped two stitches off the needle and knitted the next two in line. She then went back and picked up those two slipped stitched and knitted them to make the cable. My question is concerning those two slipped stitches. They just seemed to sit there and wait their turn to be replaced on the needle in their new position. My stitches do not behave this way. They are unruly and want to visit the neighbors below. Once they disappear I would be hard pressed to find them without frogging the row I was working on, down to the row below. Is this because my stitches are too uptight and I have not taught them to behave? OR do cables behave differently as a rule?
Andi

[Mirl56]

when I cable w/out a needle, I don't like to leave them flopping loose for long. I usually slide the next 2 stitches onto the right hand needle, slide the 2 loose ones back on the left, then the 2 on the right needle back to the left needle, then knit them all.

As far as not being able to find a cable needle, nearly anything will work. Do you have a safety pin, a spare dbl pt needle, a toothpick, a bic pen (w/out the ink cartridge), plastic coffee stirer, plastic yarn sewing needle, bent paperclip - I've used any of these in a pinch for a cable needle.