120 replies to this topic

[Wojo]

I don't mind spiders in their natural environment -- outside. In the springtime, the daddy-long-legs (not true spiders, but too spider-like to care) always congregate at the doors, and I just shoosh them away. It's when I see a spider inside the house, especially near my bed or clothes, that I develop a murderous streak, and have to kill it. They kill bugs? That's great, but stay outta my sight. Especially the very large ones that carry their abdomens a half inch off the ground; I don't wanna see that! Spiders bite when they are disturbed, confused, or cornered, and if they just happen to be in a shirts sleeve when I enter my hand, I don't want bit. Beautiful? Yea, beautiful gut trail under my shoe.

But what I really can't stand more than spiders is walking into spider-webs. This happens all the time in the spring and summer when walking through the paths in the glorious woods behind my childhood home. Get a spider-web across your face or back, and then I have to whip my shirt around in case I picked up a spider passenger. It's not their fault, they're expecting to snag a fly in that trap, or use it as a zip line between day web and night web. They're not expecting a two hundred pound gigantor to come huffing by. Wearing a hat through the woods usually takes care of this problem.

A lot of people are terrified of snakes, but as long as they stay outside, I'm usually cool with them. I've only ever seen one rattler in my life, and it was sufficiently far enough away from me (only ten feet or so, hahaha...) that I wasn't scared, but totally in awe. Having such a dangerous beast within striking distance of me, and living to show off the photos...was exhilarating.


Hippos kill more people in Africa each year than any other animal in Africa, according to some random undocumented statistic I hear or read but can't verify, but the easy solution is to stay out of Africa. Same with walruses; stay out of...wherever walruses live.

I'd say that my biggest fear of walking through woods by myself is coming upon a raccoon. Even more so than a bear, which I think I would be of comparable size to and could spook away. But a 'coon wouldn't have any fear of me if it were rabid, and I've seen what they can do to small pets that don't stay away. I don't want to have to get rabies shots.

I will say this, though. If I'm in the water (lake, river, ocean, bathtub, whatever) and something swims past my feet and I feel it, I about jump and make a path to shore. It might be a bluegill, or a snapping turtle, or a shark for all I know. I get spooked.

[Datameister]

If I'm in the water (lake, river, ocean, bathtub, whatever) and something swims past my feet and I feel it, I about jump and make a path to shore. It might be a bluegill, or a snapping turtle, or a shark for all I know. I get spooked.

Oh oh oh, that reminds me. I used to go camping with my family every summer at this amazing lake. We'd pitch tents, go boating, laze around on the shore, etc. And we always loved it when the waterline was high that year, because it meant a shorter downhill walk from the campsite to the lake. But the one huge downside to a high waterline was that there would always be a few scattered plants that ended up submerged in the muddy water. You wouldn't be able to see them through the muck, but as you swam around by the shore, you'd occasionally feel things tickling your feet.

Freaked. Me. Out.

Of course, there was something that posed a much greater threat - submerged tree stumps, which could really hurt if your foot collided with one. But those somehow seemed a lot less scary.

[Koray Savas]

I'm not a huge fan of swimming in the ocean, or swimming in general really. Haven't been for many many years. I like fishing though, go figure.

[Drax]

I don't like swimming either. It ruins my hair.

[alicebrallice]

I really don't like swimming in dark water/when I can't see the bottom, and I try not to watch any paranormal scary movies... still have nightmares about the grudge

[Stefancos]

Who swims in the dark?

[alicebrallice]

I'm sure a lot of people. but I was actually not referring to the time of the day.

[Stefancos]

If I goto the swimming pool and it has dark water, i would ask for a refund...

[Wojo]

If you go into the ocean on a bright sunny day, you will not always be able to see your feet because of how dark the water appears to be. Even if you stick your head under and peer through the briny murk, visibility is limited. Hence, dark water.

A swimming pool in the dark can be great fun. Especially if the neighbors can't see you.

[Koray Savas]

A swimming pool in the dark can be great fun. Especially if the neighbors can't see you.

Especially if they can see you

[Quint]

Make sure you always check the toilet seat...

[Koray Savas]

I would be able to stand in that stall recording that.

[Marian Schedenig]

I'm not even able to click "play" on that video...

Here's something for those afraid of heights:



I was trembling when I watched it.

[Quint]

Fuck, that was freaky. Heights are a state of mind, though - and defeatable - that climb was astonishingly high, but it wasn't anywhere near as dangerous as climbing a mountain, or even a rock face. Still, it takes nerves (and balls) of steel nonetheless.

What blows my mind even more is the thought of those who constructed the tower in the first place...

[indy4]

Awesome (and scary) video, Marian!

Fuck, that was freaky. Heights are a state of mind, though - and defeatable - that climb was astonishingly high, but it wasn't anywhere near as dangerous as climbing a mountain, or even a rock face. Still, it takes nerves (and balls) of steel nonetheless.

Height is a state of mind when you're in an airplane or ski lift or something, because the chances of crashing are slim. But if you're free climbing something that high I'd say the fear is very rational. Regardless of training, one bad move/stroke of bad luck could end it.

[Koray Savas]

Holy fuck that takes some serious balls. Couldn't pay me a million to climb that. Imagine the climb down! I think it'd be easier to just parachute off.

[BloodBoal]

I think the Englishman should be banned for posting that spider video.

[Stefancos]

Why not ask one of our Moderators via a PM?

[BloodBoal]

I did, but didn't receive any answer, and I thought it was time to make things move faster before he posts another spider-friendly video!

[Richard Penna]

I'm not even able to click "play" on that video...

Here's something for those afraid of heights:

...

I was trembling when I watched it.

Holy mother of.... wow.

My hands are sweating right now after watching that. He passed the point at which I'd have frozen from absolute terror, and went on for several minutes more.

That's seriously f*****g high.

Without a doubt, a fear of heights is the one fear I really, really wish I didn't have. I must have inherited it from my dad, as my mum is absolutely fine.

[Quint]

Awesome (and scary) video, Marian!

Fuck, that was freaky. Heights are a state of mind, though - and defeatable - that climb was astonishingly high, but it wasn't anywhere near as dangerous as climbing a mountain, or even a rock face. Still, it takes nerves (and balls) of steel nonetheless.

Height is a state of mind when you're in an airplane or ski lift or something, because the chances of crashing are slim. But if you're free climbing something that high I'd say the fear is very rational. Regardless of training, one bad move/stroke of bad luck could end it.

He wasn't 'free climbing' in the strictest sense, though. He had a ladder and man-made footwells to aid him. Fatigue aside, it was no more dangerous than a climbing a window cleaner's ladder. The view below is the only thing to make that climb any more perilous than it is, but block that shit out and you're good to go.

[indy4]

Awesome (and scary) video, Marian!

Fuck, that was freaky. Heights are a state of mind, though - and defeatable - that climb was astonishingly high, but it wasn't anywhere near as dangerous as climbing a mountain, or even a rock face. Still, it takes nerves (and balls) of steel nonetheless.

Height is a state of mind when you're in an airplane or ski lift or something, because the chances of crashing are slim. But if you're free climbing something that high I'd say the fear is very rational. Regardless of training, one bad move/stroke of bad luck could end it.

He wasn't 'free climbing' in the strictest sense, though. He had a ladder and man-made footwells to aid him. Fatigue aside, it was no more dangerous than a climbing a window cleaner's ladder. The view below is the only thing to make that climb any more perilous than it is, but block that shit out and you're good to go.

Sure, but a rational person would have reason to fear climbing up a window cleaner's ladder without any harnesses.

[Quint]

I suppose. I dunno, heights just never bothered me. I wouldn't say I'd want to climb that tower, not in a million years. But I like to think I'd be capable.

[indy4]

Heights don't bother me either, but if the chance of death due to fatigue or carelessness is very high, I would make the logical decision to not put myself in that position.

[Wojo]

Imagine the climb down! I think it'd be easier to just parachute off.

I don't. Towers that tall tend to have a lot of cables that keep tension on it so it doesn't lean too much in any one direction and tip. Think about all the microwave towers you may see on the horizon, especially on ridge tops. A parachute could easily get tangled in these cables, killing the jumper, unless he could launch himself far enough horizontally to bypass all of them.

I also suspect that if the climber were to jump from the tower while up in the clouds, he would be electrocuted by capacitive discharge through the air. As long as he stays on the tower, he is grounded and safe. It's just a hunch.

[Marian Schedenig]

...which is why we wouldn't climb up in the first place.

[Datameister]

On the topic of spiders, I killed a massive black widow the other day whilst holding a 50-year-old cuckoo clock that easily could have held four of its siblings.

[BloodBoal]

Was it an epic battle, worth being sung by bards?

Let me tell you of the tale of Data, and his duel with The Mighty Black Widow...

[Luke Skywalker]

i killed around a hundred black widows (not counting the eggs and larvae...) when i worked in the field. the damn things loved to make cobwebs on the rabbit facilities.

Ours are huge, but then not as deadly. I've been told the bite is nasty enough to give you a real scare for your life though.

their webs are fucking strong, i photographed one that was eating a damn mouse dangling from its web!

Here it is: (sorry it was captured with a crappy mobile phone)

[BloodBoal]

Let me tell you of the tale of Manuel, Black Widows' Slayer...

[Trent Bennett]

The house I lived in Vegas before we moved up here to Utah, the back patio would generally be infested with Black Widows during the summer. I always got a chuckle when my brother David went out there and smashed them with his foot (while wearing shoes). There would also be times we sprayed ant stuff on them to watch them try and run away.

When my parents worked for my mom's parents in their dental lab, dad told me one time they put a Black Widow and a Praying Mantis in a jar together. The Black Widow looked like it had won as it spun the usual web around pray. Well after a short while, when they thought the Praying Mantis was dead, it cut through the web and killed the Black Widow.

[Marian Schedenig]

On the topic of spiders, I killed a massive black widow the other day whilst holding a 50-year-old cuckoo clock that easily could have held four of its siblings.

Should've smashed it with the clock.

[Stefancos]

A million years from now when human kind is long gone, spiders will still be there.

[indy4]

When I was a kid I used to smash ants for fun. Then I realized it was cruel and inhumane...

[Quint]

Yeah, not to mention boring. You should've tried a magnifying glass. The inhumane part soon goes away!

[Stefancos]

[Wojo]

When I was a kid I used to smash ants for fun. Then I realized it was cruel and inhumane...

There are one million ants on Earth for every person who has ever lived. Pick your fights carefully.

[Joey]

the only good spider is a dead spider.

I've killed many black widows, gasoline works best.

I've killed several tarantulas. I also spared one.

The Monkey eating spider I saw at the smithsonian institution moved and I believe my heart stopped. Spiders should never be that large, over a foot in diameter (.3 meters).

I'm not a fan of scorpions either, they are best dead.

I do not like Fire Ants, but I'm not scared of them directly, but I do not like their stings.

I am not terrified of cow killers, but having been stung once, NEVER AGAIN. Sadly they are beautiful creatures that say to the uninitiated pick me up.

[Chaac]

I miss paleozoic critters.

[Johnnyecks]

Ok, so the six hundred mile high stupidly insane climbing video did nothing for me.



The four second bathroom spider video, chilled my blood and has me running to put my shoes on.


So a fall so high up it would not only be deadly, but they would never find a piece of your shattered body... ever.... does not scare me.
But a thing that I outweigh by about seven landmass equivalents of Russia, is enough to chill me to the bone.

Thanks for the nightmares.