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

since I'm sitting here watching one, bumbling away across the wall.

I know they're universally unpopular, but- as someone who's not bothered by them- why?
I find them amusing, especially when they run. They are graceless. This one is trying to squeeze itself behind the cabinet, despite being fat. They look especially comical when they are determined.
The only ones I dislike are the ones with huge long legs which suddenly appear in the middle of the night... (oh, wait, that's Queex.)

I just have a phobia of them. For me, they are really really scary. I don't know why, thye just are. It's pretty of me. I think I used to like them when I was little, but I do remember a time when I was very little I picked a flower and this big giant spider crawled onto my hand. I ran into my house, screaming at the top of my lungs. As I said , I don't know why I'm afraid of them. They are just scary.

I have a REAL problem with spiders. Over the years I have tried to overcome my fear and have manged on several occasions to handle tarantulas. It did help a bit, but tarantulas are very different from the horrible big black house spiders that charge at you from nowhere - it's the way they run that really gets me going - and don't tell me they're harmless - my (ex)-husband was bitten on the hand by one as he was trying to remove it from the bedroom!!

I meant to mention that is purely a phobia as I am not normally squeamish and can happily handle cockroaches/bettles/earwigs/frogs etc.

I can sympathise with phobias, as mine are really daft (clowns, dolls, lifts and ironing boards (they look horrible when they're upright)- much sillier than spiders).
I know they can bite, but when I'm picking one up I try my best to act like a surface. I don't like the big leggy running ones, but it's their suddenness, not the fact that they're spiders.
Earywigs I really hate; they really hurt when they pinch, and they're difficult to remove from things. Nang.

I think spiders are cool creatures for many reasons, other than the fact that they manage to control 8 legs, just about. The also manage to spin a web which when woven to the same thickness as our cloth is bullet proof! The web initself is a feat of aerodynamic amazement, the catch breezes whilst hanging on a strand of silk to start the web, and they are so beautiful!

Mel

Especially on frosty mornings. Spiders themselves are quite attractive when you see them up close, especially tarantulas. They have a star-like shape which is appealing. When they run, though, they're just daft.

I think it's incredible how they manage to run, I have enough difficulty with only 2 legs!

Mel

They look a bit like they don't know what all the legs are for. They move four, then discover another two pairs. Maybe that's why they can't run long distances. I wonder if anyone's studied the way they move (like that famous film with the horse's legs) and found a pattern in it.

I know that some only use 3 pairs for running and 2 for eating and holding things!

Mel

On a personal level, everything is wrong about spiders. They move in a nasty, twitchy way, they are all poisonous to a greater or lesser extent and they will all bite you if they feel the need. They make a skittering noise when they move (although this can only usually be heard by arachnophobics admittedly ) and they have a nasty habit of suddenly 'leaping out', dropping on you or weaving webs that stick to your skin in a freaky, seemingly unremovable way... Uh.. although all of this is totally spoken as someone who used to be completely cool with them and then had a nest pop on her... tiny white spiders in clothing, hair, on face, in eyes, nose, ears... Okay.. apologies to fellow arachnophobes who are now having a major freak out.. lol.

On a unemotional, impersonal level, spiders are one of the most amazing creatures on this planet. The sheer diversity of types, brought about by their weak genetic structure, has led to the most intricate and ingenius webs, decoys and lures to capture prey. I was once told that only two of their eyes worked, but I recently saw a program that said that in fact all of them worked, which is amazing, but also disturbing. I once read that they have a unique lung structure too.. sort of like an accordian, with different compartments, so that if a part of it gets damaged, they can continue to function normally. I have also been told that if they get damaged, lose a leg for example, that they go into a sort of frenzy, because they don't have the ability to heal the wound, so must increase their intake to compensate for the losses. Does anyone know whether this is true?

As a final aside, one of my friends once went for hypnotherapy to cure her of her arachnophobia and she was completely fine for ages, picking them up and throwing them out. However, unless the original psychological problem is resolved, the hypnotherapy has to be reinforced on a regular basis, which she didn't do. Now she's back to being scared of them and she has a heap of terrifying memories of touching them. Great eh?

I didn't realise that you had to reinforce hypnotherapy!

Mel

I don't really like spiders either, especially not those with long hairy legs and a fat body (typical big sized house spiders). I KNOW it is not a rational thing, and it's not so much as being scared, more being repulsed by them. I don't go screaming on the top of my lungs, I don't back off or anything, I just go 'yuk!'

I heard that every one EATS three spiders on average every year, while sleeping (when you sleep with yourmouth opened and in the middle of the night, a spiders creeps up your face, etc etc). I don't believe it, since it would make me stop sleeping for a while if I knew it is true... Does anyone know if this could be true??

I think it depends on how many s there are in your house

Mel

I like Behemoth's opinions on spiders; even if you loathe them, they are fascinating. I never hear them move though- they've got padded feet, like cats.
Not to worry anyone, but isn't it hatching time now? I only ask because I've seen three spiders indoors over two days.
You can't possibly be scared of those silly zebra jumping ones, they don't move like other spiders- poke them and they hop backwards. Comedy!
Also, they have a weird illusiory ability that makes them seem much, much bigger when seen from below; when there's one on the ceiling, for example. Also like cats. And cats too inspire strong feelings- maybe they share some characteristics.

I like snakes as well.
On the 'Useless Information' thread, the stat. quoted is 8 spiders swallowed in your sleep per year.

It's funny I think cats are incredibly cool too

Mel

I never imagined that you could have phobias against ironing boards. I suppose those that have weird phobias have some sort of mutant memes.

Spiders are a fascinating breed. And I don´t have a problem with them. But I don´t like if they are big and hairy, like those that eat birds. Then I get a bit squeamish. But if I ever had a whole nest fall down on me, I think I would also find it really traumatising and probably be scared of spiders the rest of my life. My mom has actually told me that when I was little I once sat in the window watching a spider eat a fly for an entire hour. When it got dark I just found a flashlight and put a spotlight on it

The ironing boards thing stems from sleeping in the same room as one which was propped against the wall; it looked all bony. It doesn't help that people think it's really funny and do things like get behind ironing boards and dance; when there's a face peeping from behind the gap at the top, they look horribly like Iron Maidens.
Bird-eating spiders I find the least scary, since they're more like furry little animals.
Children are apparently never scared of spiders naturally- it's a conditioned reaction. Me and my dad used to catch bluebottles and stun them in a jar, then feed them to a spider that lived under the fence. Lovely!

Now I'm NEVER going to sleep again - unless of course I tape up my mouth - but then it would crawl across my face!!!! Urghhhhhh!!