Before I begin my rant musings, I'd like to make it clear that I'm not denying that people have genuine phobias about all kinds of stuff. For the record, I have a bit of a phobia about vomit for example, and I always get a bit panicky when leaving bars late at night in case someone is pissed and likely to hurl in the tube or at my feet or something.
What really gets my goat is women - and it is nearly always women - who make the most enormous song and dance over their phobia.
Let's take spiders. One comes up in conversation. The drama queen phobic starts shrieking and and sticking her fingers in her ear and theatrically shuddering. She demands that no-one ever mentions spiders in presence again. Oh, and actually, can we not call them spiders anymore? Lets all call them scoobies or somesuch nonsense so that she never even has to hear the word.
I mean, get over it people. Okay, so you don't like them. Say sensibly, like the adult you are, "you know, I'm really quite phobic about spiders. Could we talk about something else?".
It just comes across to me as the worst kind of affrected girlie helplessness; "ooh look at delicate fragile little me with my high heels and boobies. Boo hoo! I'm fwightened of the big bad scoobie ! Please look after me and rescue me you big strong man you"
Why can't these women behave sensibly and with some dignity? It drives me mental. AIBU?