Thursday, July 17, 2014

Don't Fight Spiders With Fire

Somebody watched Arachnophobia one too many times this week.

In what I’m sure was a justified act of self-defense, a Seattle man clearly afraid of creatures with more than four limbs went to extreme measures to try and kill a spider this week. Who hasn’t?

But here’s where he went wrong: instead of using standard bug spray or a shoe, his weapon of choice in dealing with this eight-legged intruder was an explosive combination of spray paint and a lighter.

One thing led to another and the makeshift blowtorch ended up setting the house he was renting on fire and causing around $60,000 worth of damage in his attempt to defeat the spider. But even more disheartening and frightening for the citizens of Seattle, it is “unclear if the spider survived,” which means it might still be out there. (I smell a sequel in the works as the spider plots its revenge.)

I think the moral of the story is this: Irrational fear, unbridled anger and unchecked emotions can turn small nuisances into huge disasters. Think before you act, and then respond accordingly.

Oh, and don’t try to kill insects with fire. That, too. 

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