Dread Pirate (Tom) RobertsMar 4

A guy at the Uni of Cbr carpark abandoned his car at the entryway, because there was a giant huntsman on the outside of the driver's side window.

He was apparently afraid of winding down the window to activate the entry boom gate.

Luckily my work colleague was in the car behind him, and helped remove the spider with a small branch.

Show threadDavid de GrootMar 4
@troberts having had large huntsmen spiders in a few of my cars, I can understand his trepidation.
Show threadKate BowlesMar 4
@david @troberts I have had one pop out from behind the sun visor and I pulled over and leapt out like a cartoon.
Show threadFredrik Graver

@kate @david @troberts This. Every time I think it would be nice to visit Australia some day, I am reminded of this.

I think I might just stay here in the nice, safe north where the most dangerous things in nature are moose. Moose can’t fit in a car.

Mar 4 at 5:27amWeb
Show threadDavid de GrootMar 4
@fgraver @kate @troberts to be fair, huntsman spiders aren’t dangerous, just large.
Show threadFredrik GraverMar 4
@david @kate @troberts You just say that so you can sacrifice the tourists to them in order to save yourselves.
Show threadKate BowlesMar 4
@fgraver @david @troberts It’s true though, they are largely (see what I did there) on our side.
Show threadFredrik GraverMar 4
@kate @david @troberts 😂😨
Show threadEconprophMar 4
@fgraver @kate @david @troberts
I'm with you Fredrik. I detect some survivor bias in these assessments of spider safety.
Show threadFredrik GraverMar 4

@econproph @kate @david @troberts It’s in the name, isn't it. «Huntsman» and «not dangerous» do not go together.

I’ve seen that video where one crawls into a car stopped for a red light. Opportunistic hunters, they are.

Show threadDavid de GrootMar 4
@fgraver @econproph @kate @troberts in my house right now… (a small one)
Show threadFredrik GraverMar 5
@david @econproph @kate @troberts Well. The only solution seems to be to burn your house down. Now.
Show threadKate BowlesMar 24

@fgraver @david @econproph @troberts

A large one has just shown up on the wall over our tv, raising the possibility that it has been living with us discreetly for a while. I am trying my friendliest feeling towards it but I know if it moves I will levitate across the room.

Show threadFredrik Graver6d ago
@kate @david @econproph @troberts Thus reinforcing my decision to stay well away from Australia…
Show threadEconproph6d ago
@fgraver @kate @david @troberts
I'm becoming concerned that mere distance from Australia may not be safe enough.
To me, it appears lack of an opposable thumb and visa card are all that's keeping those things away from a seat on the next Lufthansa or Quantas to wherever we're hiding.
Show threadFredrik Graver6d ago

@econproph @kate @david @troberts They don’t even need that much. Judging from how they can crawl into cars, I’m sure they can crawl onto a plane.

Would make for an interesting mid-flight experience…

Show threadDavid de Groot6d ago
@fgraver @econproph @kate @troberts I have bad news for you - according to iNaturalist, Europe is already infested in Huntsman spiders.
Show threadFredrik Graver5d ago
@david @econproph @kate @troberts I’ve seen our local variety. They’re the size of…a spider. Not the size of an average housecat like the ones you have there.
Show threadEconproph6d ago
@fgraver @kate @david @troberts
or a movie, "Huntsmen on a Plane"
Show threadEconproph6d ago
@kate @fgraver @david @troberts
Have you tried giving the TV remote to it and letting it pick the channel?
Show threadrob6d ago
@fgraver @kate @david @troberts although, as I understand it, they do occasionally try to.
Show threadFredrik Graver5d ago
@robparsons @kate @david @troberts I’ve had some very close (thankfully, no contact) encounters with moose, both with and without a car. I’ve never had one crawl in through the back hatch…
Show threadrob5d ago
@fgraver @kate @david @troberts man, you haven;t lived! 😀
Show threadFredrik Graver5d ago

@robparsons @kate @david @troberts And thank goodness for that!

Although I can still visualise—despite my aphantasia—the mamma moose that I came so close to that I believe my bumper was touching her fur when I panic-braked after seeing her and her two calves on the road, coming around a curve after dark in an 80 km/h zone… I certainly felt alive at that point! (And I was very glad she was too!)