Arachnophobia...

[661-Pete]

Just an idle question: how many CC'ers are afflicted by it?

I'm asking this because there have been several long threads running on the astronomy forum: it seems that most of my fellow-astros freely admit to throwing the screaming abdabs whenever one of our friends sets just one of his eight legs across the threshold .... so is it something with astronomers, or is it the population at large? Are cyclists made of tougher stuff?

Maybe I'm the exception that proves the rule; I'm fairly comfortable with Bruce and his cousins...

My theory is this: amateur astros often convert the dark dusty shed in the back garden into an observatory, and then spend long wee small hours lurking out there - which is of course the ideal time and place for Bruce & co to be at large...

 

[tordis]

I'm probably a bit of a weirdo, because I love spiders. No, seriously, I do. I wanted to get myself a grammostola pulchra, but some of my friends and family members promised they won't visit me if I do, so I decided against it. Whenever I'm near a terrarium, I can't stop looking at those lovely eight-legged creatures inside.
As I said, I'm quite weird.

 

[Jim_Noir]

I love spiders too, why fear them... wasps on the other hand!

 

[Davywalnuts]

If its smaller than a pea, roughly, with no long legs (yukkkkk) then am okay.. Anything bigger, and, well, I become a right girlie!!

 

[Davywalnuts]

Also a very good film still personally!

 

[scots_lass]

Can't stand them! Not quite as bad as I used to be (I used to get a neighbour to deal with them) but still have a problem with those huge ones that sprint over the carpet. Have been known to empty my bedroom of furniture at 2am in a bid to find a runaway! Helped by 2 glasses of wine for Dutch courage! And on wooden flooring, they look twice as big!

 

[2wheelsgood]

Not wild about spiders, but they do do excellent work trying to stamp out the fly menace.

 

[MajorMantra]

If its smaller than a pea, roughly, with no long legs (yukkkkk) then am okay.. Anything bigger, and, well, I become a right girlie!!

Pretty much the same here. Most bugs don't bother me much but spiders and to some extent large daddy long-legs type things (of the flying variety) give me the whim-whams.*

Matthew

*Technical term.

 

[trustysteed]

Once, while trying to catch a spider on the wall, it fell off and landed on the carpet where it camouflaged nicely into the brown shade. Got one quick look at it running towards my feet before I lost sight of it in some sort of magic eye picture blur. Cue me screaming like a girl (some sort of strangled yelp, really) and running up the stairs.

Little ****ers.

 

[Sittingduck]

Hate them, hate them, hate them, hate them...

 

[mangaman]

Not wild about spiders, but they do do excellent work trying to stamp out the fly menace.

My view exactly 2wheelsgood. I prefer spiders to flies. I've never seen a massive tarantulaesque spider in my house - if I did I'd probably be a bit scared.

I really hate mice.

I've lived in some places with mice in and they scare me (I'm sure there's a name other than mouseophobia).

They're so quick, you see them scuttling around out of the corner of your eyes. And they're dirty and crap everywhere.

I see spiders as my friends - hoovering up all the flies that get in.

Good film though as someone said

 

[yenrod]

Its the legs - they are soo creepy !

 

[ianrauk]

One of the reasons Mrs Ianrauk is so unconditionally in love with me is that I can pick up any spider of any size lurking about the house and dispose of in the garden. Though she doesnt like it when I pretend that I still have one in my hand and chase her around the house with it.. have got some excellent hi pitched screams over the years

 

[gbb]

I used to hate spiders with a vengeance...ughhh, frightened me something silly.
But in the back of my mind, i always knew it was irrational, so i set about conquering that fear.
Tried picking them up, but no, as soon as they move....girly squeals and flappy arms
Try garden spiders...fat body and short legs. They dont move fast, so they wont surprise you. I beat my fear with them...now i can hold house spiders, no problem.
You can conquer your fears.

 

[Intelligenthamster]

My mum and stepmum both had severe arachnophobia and my partner (male) also has to get me (a girl) to deal with them. I've never had a problem with spiders, and as I am one of those mozzie magnets who gets bitten half to death while nobody I am with gets nibbled, anything that catches and eats the little biting b**gers is fine by me.

Most revolting creepy crawly experience I know was suffered by by brother, then also my housemate, in a rented damp house. He paid a nocturnal visit to the loo in the dark and trod on a slug that had crawled into the house. He was barefoot at the time, his yelp of disgust woke me up!