According to Wikipedia:

People with arachnophobia tend to feel uneasy in any area they believe could harbor spiders or that has visible signs of their presence, such as webs. If arachnophobics see a spider, they may not enter the general vicinity until they have overcome the panic attack that is often associated with their phobia. In some extreme cases, even a picture or a realistic drawing of a spider can also trigger fear. Arachnophobics may also be touched by or touch an object and be afraid because it could feel like a spider. Arachnophobics may feel humiliated if such episodes occur in a social setting.

That may may sound a bit extreme, but maybe it wouldn't be so unreasonable if you were walking along at night and your face went right into the center of a huge spider web.

Sure, you could google it afterwards only to find out it's a harmless garden spider, but the trauma genie would already have wreaked considerable havoc outside the bottle.

If it wasn't for my yard light reflecting off the web, I just might have caught a case of arachnophobia ...

Wow Dread yes that one would scare me if I walked into it. This year seems to be alot more spiders. Hope they are eating the bad bugs

one time I went deep into the John Crowe Mountains and had to sleep in the residence of this dreads dead parents -- he lived a couple of houses away with his lady.

It looked like mainly he used is deceased parents home as a laundry folding area -- this was about 1.5 hours up into the mountains from Buff's Bay area. In the corner area of the bedroom where I was told I could "rest" was this spider..... NO LIE THE SIZE OF A HAND... and a large hand too. I couldn't really cope with the situation, but sort of had to. I (luckily) had a sweatshirt with a hood, covered myself with a sheet... the thing was HUGE... Now I'm one who even gets creeped out with the yellow and black garden spiders that some times weave their web in my upstate NY garden.

And to make matters worst -- there was NO indoor bathroom at all and the next door neighbor's dog was a maniac who hated me. I think it was finally about 5 a.m. or so when I finally had to go outside under some of the bananna trees to pee. The dog (again) went WILD, showing me his huge big teeth.. and then I had to make my way (again) into the bedroom with the HUGE GIGANTIC spider living up in the corner of the ceiling.

I was told (the night before) 'yah nah bodda eet, eet no bodda you' ... and off they went, and there I was wondering if I would be robbed, raped, attacked by a huge spider, have my head chopped off... way up there by the great river in the John Crowe Mountains. That area is truly unbelievably beautiful though!

One time I was cleaning my daughter's closet floor, only those of you who have teenagers can know what that is like... I thought the spiders on the floor were those Halloween spider rings.. only until I got down real close I realized they were not plastic Halloween spider rings, but they were REAL SPIDERS. Luckily I had insect spray and obliviated them real quick.

Spiders for sure CREEP ME OUT. I remember my early times in JA -- one time staying long term at Premium Cottages during the rainy season and discovering a nice tea pot up in the far up upper corner of the pantry.. and then seeing the HUGE spiders nest.. and not going into the kitchen area for days..

Nice photos, Dread! Crazy looking spider, I am not loving him--but his home is awesome!

eeeeeeewwwwwwwwww dread!!! you said THAT is a common garden spider? i woulda screamed til the cows came home...i just detest spiders, roaches, rats, mice and snakes...and 40 leggers too...and i do not trust dogs that i have not known since puppyhood either...terrified of pits period...but i'm not a wimp...lol

I am scared of spiders and they sense it, so they have no fear of me, and I have been bit several times. HORRIBLE. I nearly jumped off the ledge of the penthouse deck at BCC when I saw one coming my way. Bobo and the King had to grab me to keep me from leaping over, thankfully. I hadn't even considered I'd be jumping to my death rather than facing a bite from a spider. BTW, they ALL look dinner plate size to me in my mind.

All this talk about spiders, reminded me of a funny email I read about someone wanting to make a payment with a drawing of a spider. Hope you all find it as funny as I did.

http://franksemails.com/pics/spider-payment/

Ummmm.... I'm kinda wishing I hadn't clicked on this thread. LOL. My skin is now itching. Wonder why?

give thanks...after this thread, i now have a serious case of duck bumps and perhaps will have nightmares...i KNEW i should not have looked at this thread again...lol