For shouting at a woman who was nudging a spider with her foot?

[jewishmum]

So I was in the mall, there was suddenly a commotion, people acting a bit elevated, enough for me to try to see what was going on.

I started walking over to a group of people, acting scared and some squealing. When I realised they were watching a woman from the group nudging and pushing a large Giant House Spider with her trainers on.

When I realised this, knowing how delicate their legs are, I loudly said "No! No, no ,no!" But she didn't hear and continued, so I started forwards and again loudly saying "no no no no!"

I scooped the spider up in my hands and put it in a nearby plant pot full of bamboo.

Looking back at where the group were, the woman was looking at me angrily, saying "I was just checking if it was alive, I wasn't gonna hurt it" pretty sure she swore about me.

Anyway I've been feeling rubbish about it and wanted an outsider's perspective.

This is like a scene from a horror movie to me!

I've done similar. I was in a restaurant when a large spider ran across the floor, one of the staff went over, but I was nearby and said something along similar lines as I thought they were going to step on it.

I don't like killing anything, but this was bloody huge so a glass and a piece or paper sorted it out! 👌

That's helpful, thank you.

I've always struggled with communicating with others, and always get people's backs up.

So next time, I will rush over if I see something similar happening, but I'll have a cheery disposition and say "don't worry, I'll get it". That way, they won't feel like I was making them out to be bad.

I do get that this whole hero scene sounds a bit far fetched and random, but it is true (although maybe shouting was the wrong word, it was more like raising my voice to be heard) it all happened very quickly and I felt quite anxious and bad about it afterwards.

Another poster said not to worry about it any more, which I'm also taking on board.

Thanks everyone and I enjoyed the jokes. 🙂

I get where you’re coming from, but does that right to life extend to mosquitoes? (I’ve suffered from from malaria in the past so I have a particular loathing for the little blighters.)

Spiders kill them, and other biting insects, so I’d feel exactly the same as the OP in the scenario she describes. Sadly, I haven’t managed to convince my DDs (13 and 10), who are completely petrified of spiders.

A lot of people are similarly petrified of spiders, which I think is the reason so many have voted YABU, and probably the reason for some of the more unpleasant comments.

It was nice of you to do that. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with shouting “no, no, no” to stop something getting hurt, it’s not as if you swore at them or got aggressive.

I would’ve done the same. So what if it’s a spider, it deserves to live & get on with it’s day! It’s a loving thing, spiders are important.

I often bollock the kids in the park for chasing/chucking stuff at the ducks/pigeons. No need, just leave the bugs/wildlife alone.

All this sniping here when you were yourself asking if you overdid it. I think what you did was appropriate - I'd have found it hard too to speak calmly faced with the prospect of a squashed spider. And at least you didn't shriek.

I think if you 'got over' your phobia by joining some groups and then deciding to hold them you actually didnt have much of a phobia of them in the first place. I cannot even look at them let alone bare to touch one with my fingernail. I spent 3 months last year seeing them out of the corners of my eyes or running across the floor every 5 minutes without fail. It is a real problem.
Anyway yes you probably did come across a bit of a loon tbh.

How do you think people get over a phobia?

Good for you op. You did a good thing. If some idiot took offence that's their problem.

You call the OP unhinged, but you yourself come over as very strange in your posts, whereas the OP sounds much more calm and intelligent.

Reach any further and you'll fall over. Overegged rubbish.

😂

Ofgs. Shouting no no no in a public place to a complete stranger is not being bloody calm.
What you mean is, you approve of OP and want to bash anyone who disagrees. Very mature.🙄

I properly LOL’d at the ‘various methods to be honest.’

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I'd be embarrassed by the overreaction, if I'd been witness to that. It's a spider, and it doesn't sound as though the woman was gleefully cackling as she removed its legs one by one. It's entirely plausible that she was only trying to nudge it out of the way.

Anyway, you saved the spider. Life goes on.

This happens to me every time I go out. 🤣
I hope you're joking? If not I apologise.

Killing a living being (even a disgusting, creepy one like a spider) purely for the fun of getting a rise out of someone who cares for spiders is definitely a lot more unhinged (or maybe just downright nasty) than shouting no a few times because you don't want a spider to be killed.

yeah, because the Sistine Chapel is obviously vital to the eco system.
No but the dramatic reaction was similar.
I thought of the Sistine chapel thread too while reading this, similar writing style.

So let me just check I've got this correct. In a shopping centre, there was a spider on the floor minding its own business. A woman spots it and so a crowd of people the gather around this woman and spider and begin to shriek and squeal. At this point the lady decides that the best course of action and way to entertain the crowd that surrounds her is by nudging the spider with her foot. You then come sprinting towards said group, woman and spider screaming, 'no, no, no, no!'

I'm sorry but that just didn't happen. Why in the world would a spider in a shopping centre cause any sort of ruckus, it just wouldn't and this story is completely made up.

Er, this is graded exposure therapy, you don’t just go and pick something up immediately because you decided to get over it! Phobias are treatable, though not an easy thing to go through. I won’t even begin to say how extreme my phobia was (not spiders) but on one occasion I tried to jump out of a moving car. It took work but I had to face it and over time I did. I get how awful a phobia is but don’t downgrade someone else’s experience because you still struggle.

No no no no!!!!

jesus what a load of drama, if she killed it she killed it what's with the whole 'no, no, no' thing and then picking it up how weird

I hate it when I have to miss work and dismantle a wardrobe to escape a spider in my room - even more so when I have to save one from an angry mob when trying to enjoy a day out.

Did this happen? No.
Did you dismantle a wardrobe to find a spider battering weapon? Also no.

You did the right thing, OP.

Some people don't see anything that isn't human as being alive.