Utter Freakout!

[andy-hughes]

I am sitting in my office with no lights on, just the light from my monitor, and about two minutes ago, a spider slid down a thread just in front of the screen, landed on the desk, and wandered off for an explore.

I was thinking, if it had been a foot further back, it would have landed on my head!!

Instant heart attack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[weecalf]

On the computer ,spider appears gotta be a pun there but I’m too much of a gentleman

[Toorak]

I understand your angst. I’m not scared by much but things with 8 legs freak me (including octopi in that)

[Mamyalynne]

Lucky omen that is.

[marval]

I would have freaked out as well.

[wolf63]

Frankie, my black and white Tiger, catches and eats Spiders. I am not bothered by them but some of them are large and can give you a fright when you see them.

[Toorak]

Wolfie - I set my avatar on them. He eats them too.

[albaqwerty]

would anyone like to know how many spiders the average human, in the average life-time eats whilst they're sleeping?

Oh, and vegans eat them too :-D

[teacake44]

I tend to attract many angry spiders on a thread. :0)))

[Bobbisox1]

Birds, hedgehogs yes, spiders No, they catch flies, I can pick them up no matter the size and release them back in the garden

[andy-hughes]

alba - // would anyone like to know how many spiders the average human, in the average life-time eats whilst they're sleeping? //

That would actually be none!

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/swallow-spiders

It's a myth as old as the internet itself, and was actually placed there in the very earliest days of the Web to see how fast it would circulate - the answer is, very! And it still does today.

As the explanation points out, spiders are far too fastidious to venture near a human mouth which is expelling moist air and noise - they would simply walk the other way.

Similarly, my grandmother always kept the plugs in her sink basin and bath because she believed that spiders crawled up the waste pipe to get into them.

I pointed out that there is the small matter of the u-bend which is full of water, which would prove a lethal obstacle, apart from the obvious fact that spiders are not keen on getting into damp pipes that gush water at regular intervals.

I also advised that the spiders she finds are simply travelling round the house and have slid into the bath sink or basin by accident, and can't climb out which is why she finds them there.

She never did believe me, bless her.

[Toorak]

When I was a child I ran a tap to pour a glass of water and a spider was flushed out - that is when my phobia started: I hadn’t given them a thought until then.

[albaqwerty]

it's surprising how many folk think that a spider will abseil down :-)

[-SharonA-]

Could have been worse:

[albaqwerty]

ooohm Sharon, thank you! I might just set that up to annoy Mr Alba tomorrow at some point :-))))

[Toorak]

I can’t watch that ^^^ ugghh

[retrocop]

//Using a Computer in the Dark
It turns out that using a computer in the dark can actually exacerbate eye strain. Not by a large measure, but enough that it may be worthwhile to reconsider how you use your computer in the evening. What happens is that when the lighting in the room around your computer is drastically different from the level of light being emitted from your screen, your eyes put more effort into focusing. It is the contrast in lighting that puts the extra strain on your vision. Working in a lit room evens out the light sources your eyes are focusing in, easing the strain. In fact, working in an overly bright room can also cause strain from contrast in lighting.//

[BAKERS DOZEN]

I love spiders. I think they are fascinating and they do no harm at all. Can't stand fluttery things like daddy long legs but spiders are great.

[david small]

My brother in law was sleeping In a barn with some mates.
He woke to see a large spider about to enter his sleeping friends mouth. He watched fascinated, the spider entered the mouth, the sleeping guy chewed it inadvertently. My in law thought it was hilarious. True story.

[10ClarionSt]

When I was in Florida, I killed a Black Widow Spider. I stood on it. A bit crunchy but they aint that big actually. It was only when I looked closely as I cleaned it away, that I realised what it was! Nearly James Bond, Dr No moment there!

[Mamyalynne]

Money spiders (Linyphiidae) do descend on a silken thread and bring luck to who they land upon.