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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To admire this woman's sang-froid? *(Warning: spider alert)

47 replies

TheAnswerIsDontThinkAboutIt · 17/12/2021 11:16

[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-australia-59693271 You'd have heard me from space if that was me]]

Grin
OP posts:
TheAnswerIsDontThinkAboutIt · 17/12/2021 11:16

www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-australia-59693271

Ugh link didn't work!

OP posts:
5keletor · 17/12/2021 11:19

I'd have made an embarrassment of myself on national TV, that's for sure. 😳

Sparklfairy · 17/12/2021 11:19

and this is why I could never live in Australia Grin

miffmufferedmoof · 17/12/2021 11:21

Shock She did very well!

CovidCorvid · 17/12/2021 11:24

Are they deadly?

Lockheart · 17/12/2021 11:24

I think I'd have just passed out, in all honesty!

Snakes and crocodiles and all the other stuff in Australia is fine by me, but spiders can fuck right off.

Lockheart · 17/12/2021 11:25

The sign language interpreter at 00:25 Grin

CovidCorvid · 17/12/2021 11:27

NZ had an earthquake recently when Ardern was giving a press conference1

JustJoinedRightNow · 17/12/2021 11:30

@CovidCorvid

Are they deadly?
No they are completely harmless to humans. But they can run quite fast and can be very big so they can definitely give you the creeps!

This lady handled that amazingly well.
When I was a teenager one crawled up my arm from the mail I had just taken from our mailbox. It was a really bright day and I couldn’t see at first and felt something tickling my arm, did not expect a great big spider on my arm! I stopped getting in the mail for a good while after that, but it did teach me a good life lesson for living in Australia - always, always look in the mailbox before putting your hand in!!

JesusInTheCabbageVan · 17/12/2021 11:32

@CovidCorvid

Are they deadly?
Don't do a Google image search folks, if you don't like spiders (well obviously...)

They aren't deadly bit apparently they're nasty, grumpy and huge:

"On average, a huntsman spider's leg-span can reach up to 15cm, while their bodies measure about 1.8cm long... They have been known to inflict serious defensive bites on humans... The effects vary, including local swelling and pain, nausea, headache, vomiting, irregular pulse rate, and heart palpitations, indicating some systemic neurological toxin effects, especially when the bites were severe or repeated...It is not always clear what provokes Sparassidae to attack and bite humans and animals..." (Wiki)

MaryAndGerryLivingInDerry · 17/12/2021 11:33

I’d definitely have peed my pants! Shock

TheAnswerIsDontThinkAboutIt · 17/12/2021 11:33

@Lockheart

The sign language interpreter at 00:25 Grin
Yeah, he was great, looked like he was loving it Grin
OP posts:
JesusInTheCabbageVan · 17/12/2021 11:35

There are hundreds of different species so I guess some are dangerous and some not, picking up on JustJoinedRightNow's post.

Apparently some of them can do cartwheels and handsprings Shock

TheDogsMother · 17/12/2021 11:36

Arrggghhhh I was warned not to Google it. Wow hats off to that woman, I'd have been running around screaming.

JesusInTheCabbageVan · 17/12/2021 11:42

I'm not an arachnophobe, but I can't see myself living in a country where you basically all have to be spider experts. The fact that they all instantly knew it was a huntsman Grin not just 'You've got a massive fuck-off spider on you'.

DropYourSword · 17/12/2021 11:43

@CovidCorvid

Are they deadly?
Technically no, but I'd have a bloody heart attack if one touched me!
MaryAndGerryLivingInDerry · 17/12/2021 11:44

@JesusInTheCabbageVan

I'm not an arachnophobe, but I can't see myself living in a country where you basically all have to be spider experts. The fact that they all instantly knew it was a huntsman Grin not just 'You've got a massive fuck-off spider on you'.
Yeah, this! Grin
BIWI · 17/12/2021 11:45

All children in Australia get taught about spiders at school - how to recognise them, which are venomous, etc. Last time I was there I went to an amazing exhibition at the museum about spiders (which included some displays of live ones Shock), and the amazing statistic was about how many people that year, or in the last few years (can't remember how many years) had died from spider bites.

Answer?

None.

DrSbaitso · 17/12/2021 11:48

@CovidCorvid

Are they deadly?
They're not poisonous to humans, but the sight of them can give you a heart attack.
MissMinutes24 · 17/12/2021 11:56

@JesusInTheCabbageVan

I'm not an arachnophobe, but I can't see myself living in a country where you basically all have to be spider experts. The fact that they all instantly knew it was a huntsman Grin not just 'You've got a massive fuck-off spider on you'.
Haha this exactly
MissMinutes24 · 17/12/2021 11:57

No idea if this is true but I saw a meme saying that in Australia an episode of Peppa Pig was taken off air because in it Peppa is scared of a spider and is taught that it's perfectly harmless and she shouldn't be scared.

Whereas in Australia spiders are very much not harmless

MissMinutes24 · 17/12/2021 11:58

Also there's a horrifying pic of Chris Hemsworth posing with a giant spider in his home (probably a huntsman?) i won't post it but if you Google it comes up.

It's fucking huge.

IhateBoswell · 17/12/2021 12:01

Holy FUUUCCCKKK 😑

FestiveFruitloop · 17/12/2021 12:02

I'm horribly arachnophobic and daren't watch that clip, but I am curious! (and also super glad not to live in Australia)

Soubriquet · 17/12/2021 12:06

She was very calm. Well done. Most Australians aren’t bothered by huntsmen as they know they are harmless. It’s the small spiders that are dangerous. Still wouldn’t be nice to have a massive spider crawling on you

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