h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

it's the suprise element. between envelopes in your letter box. in the spines of books. behind pictures. that, the sheer size of them and the fact, as the entry mentions, they move like the clappers.

they also have a strange instinct to run TOWARDS you rather than away. cups and containers placed over them will often result in them running up your arm.

i once had a dog come in from the garden with one perched, alien like, on the top of his head. those great long legs gripping the side of his head like a hat.

and unlike other spiders who will settle into a web in the corner of the ceiling, these things have the run of the house. safely on the laundry ceiling today...on the rear side of your shampoo bottle tomorrow.

my wife got a bite from one of these while sorting the laundry a little while back. she tells me it hurt like hell for a few days.

Nice to learn of your own experiences, sound much akin to mine I must admit! They scare the heebee jeebies outta me, I remember fumbling in the cupboard under the sink for a torch one blackout and coming out with my arm covered by numerous legs and for some reason the torch had grown them too...ARGH!

Needless to say, I dropped the torch and flung my arm away in an attempt to dislodge my new passenger. He flew off alright - and I flew in the opposite direction. Heart was in my mouth and I ended up sitting on the couch with my legs tucked under me, the only light from numerous cigarettes until the power came back on.