SPIDER! EEEK!

[KMMCurly]

Okay, I am a former arachnophobe. Took me a long while to get over my fear of the eight legged monsters but get over it I did. Mostly. I will never love the things but I can keep myself calm enough to gently scrap them up and put them outside.

It would seem though that one freak decided to remind me why I was so damn afraid of them.

I'm putting a couple's shopping through, chatting away with them when out of the corner of my eye I see a large piece of brown fluff and it was ... moving?

I look down and what do I see but a huge brown spider of death heading straight for my arm!

I freak.

I fling myself backwards, knocking into my CW Andy and yelling "Oh my god!" and pointing a the descendant of Shelob. Cue wife looking down, I'm a former arachnophobe, she clearly was still living that particular nightmare. She lets out a small scream and backs quickly up.

CW A: What? What?
Me: Ohmigod! It's a freaking huge spider! ohmigod! ohmigod! It's huge!
CW A: Just kill it.
Me: I can't! A) that's bad luck B) if my mom ever found out she'd kill me 'cause spiders are a gardeners best friend and C) Have you seen the size of this monster?! If I tried to kill it it would eat my hand off!

At least point the husband has taken an interest in the proceedings and decided to check out what was calling all the commotion.

After seeing the spider that was causing all the fuss he rolled his eyes at the female panic and calmly picked up the spider, causing his wife to back away from him as if he had the plague and takes it outside (while the spider tries to crawl up arm! ew ew ew!)

The wife and I exchange embarrassed looks and giggles and I move forward again, allowing Andy to unsquash himself.

A few moments.

Wife: It was freaking huge though!
Me:I know!

[joe hx]

killing spiders is bad luck?

[BlaqueKatt]

I look down and what do I see but a huge brown spider of death heading straight for my arm!

Maybe it was actually "huge brown spider of lurve" and just wanted to hug you.....with all 8 little legs

[Argus]

Was it as large as the one on this page?

http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090729

[KMMCurly]

killing spiders is bad luck?

It's what I've been brought up being told, and I know other people outside my family who believe it so, yeah?

Maybe it was actually "huge brown spider of lurve" and just wanted to hug you.....with all 8 little legs

I don't want it to lurve me! And I'm sure this spider wanted to give the samn hug it gives to it's meals before it eats thier brains.

Was it as large as the one on this page?

http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090729

I'm sure this one was it's little brother. Also, rock on fellow girl genius fan!

[BlaqueKatt]

killing spiders is bad luck?

whole bunch of spider superstitions here

[Boggles]

killing spiders is bad luck?

It's incredibly bad luck bcause the spiders family might found out. Then suddenly you've got several of the multi-legged creatures from hell swearing a blood oath not to rest until you have paid for your crime. And then they'll be out to ambush you everywhere and you won't be safe anywhere or any when.

*runs and hides from the evil creatures*

[Anriana]

The husband sounds like a cool guy. People who squash creepy crawlies instead of taking them outside irritate me. I usually do the eek! icky things! dance for a minute or two then get them outside as soon as possible.

[Zombi]

The husband sounds like a cool guy. People who squash creepy crawlies instead of taking them outside irritate me. I usually do the eek! icky things! dance for a minute or two then get them outside as soon as possible.

I come from a country where pretty much everything can kill you, so I tend to employ the 'if it has more than four legs, it dies' principle.

Disclaimer: most Australian spiders won't actually kill you, but they will make you sick and give you a painful bite if you scare them. The Sydney funnelweb in particular is an evil bastard.

[4love]

most Australian spiders won't actually kill you

But they will scare the heck out of me! Seriously, a continent that contains the world's largest, most aggressive, and most venomous spiders? Forgive me if I never visit.

[blas]

My father has a "no kill" rule at my parents' house when it comes to spiders. Because the spiders will kill other insects. Ok Dad, why is there such a bug problem that we have to welcome spiders and treat them like part of the family, and give them hunting responsibilities, like we do for the cats when mice try to get inside in the winter?

I see a spider, or really, a bug of any kind...I'll squirm, but kill it quick. They don't need to live. They are pests.

In fact, a couple of weeks ago, I was walking towards my apartment, there was a beetle on its back trying to get back upright with it's legs all up wiggling in the air, and I took great pride in squashing it and kicking it towards my neighbor's door. That thing could have ended up in my apartment, crawling around and spreading doom everywhere it went, and then probably had babies.

[wagegoth]

As stated before, having been bitten by a black widow, I show no mercy.

My husband had the king of the spiders chase him down one night at work. He swears it was revenge, because he had to kill all the spiders because all the women working in the office would freak out.

[bean]

I... hate... no HATE insects. I will literally scream and run away if I see a roach of any kind (they terrify me ever since I lived in a rental house that had them falling off the ceiling as a child), and generally throw up if I see anything else. I recently saw a roach in my bedroom and refused to sleep in there for nearly a week (.... and I'm 31). That's how much they bother me. Even dead insects bother the hell out of me.

My store encourages customers to bring their own bags. We even give you 5 cents off your purchase for every paper/plastic bag you bring with you that we use, or 10 cents per reusable bag (generally defined as canvas, cloth, or recycled plastic).

Imagine my surprise a few days ago when I picked up a customer's stack of canvas bags and a HUGE brown spider ran out and started running toward my hand. I dropped the bags and screamed... the customer had a WTF look on their face and I just said "spider" and pointed and they screamed too. A coworker had to kill it for us.... and I still feel squeamish several days later.

In fact, a couple of weeks ago, I was walking towards my apartment, there was a beetle on its back trying to get back upright with it's legs all up wiggling in the air, and I took great pride in squashing it and kicking it towards my neighbor's door.

This right here has me itching all over and wanting to run away screaming... UGH. Damn you blas. I actually have my eyes closed typing this so I don't have to re-read it...

[Talon]

I'm one of those guys with a peculiar affinity for spiders. Yes they kill other insects, but I do wish they would clean up their plate afterwards

That being said, a few days ago I came home to the sight of the biggest spider I have ever seen indoors. It's body had to be at least a half-inch long. Since when do we get critters that big in southern Ontario? Sorry, here I draw the line.

I gave it a bug-spray-bombing, I figured it would die on its own. But being a spider-softie I didn't like the idea of it dying slowly, so I put it out of its misery with a flyswatter.

[Salted Grump]

That being said, a few days ago I came home to the sight of the biggest spider I have ever seen indoors. It's body had to be at least a half-inch long. Since when do we get critters that big in southern Ontario? Sorry, here I draw the line.

Same general continental area, and we have spiders that are about three inches across from legtip to legtip that hide in the corners under the eaves of the open porch. Big brown brutes that eat four-inch moths and possibly hummingbirds as snacks.

I figure they're crossbreeds of the common household spider and the Amazonian Bird-Eating Tarantula.