"It started tickling me."

[Phoenix too]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/tarantula-plane-air-transat-1.3590780

So much for TSA security (actually, TSA probably wasn't involved). I bet they didn't have any documentation/passports/etc.

 

[exavid]

C'mon it was a tarantula. When I was driving a school bus one morning there was a big commotion in the middle of the bus. That kind of thing didn't happen on my bus but there it was. I pulled over, walked back and asked what the heck was going on. One of the kids said there was a spider in the bus. I told him there's always spiders in the bus, step on it if it bothers you but stay seated and out of the aisle. The kid had big eyes and said, "It's a BIG SPIDER". I looked around under the seat and found a big tarantula. "Okay you guys, which one of you does this spider belong to?" A little boy piped up and said it was his and that he just opened the cage to show a friend. I picked up the spider and put it in the box and took it up front with me and told him he could get it back when he got off the bus. I got some pretty good street creds among the urchins for that. Of course they didn't know I used to catch those critters when I was a kid. They really aren't very aggressive and if you pick them up right they can't bite anyway. Kind of bristly feeling though.

 

[AJGUNNER]

C'mon it was a tarantula.

Kind of bristly feeling though.

Gave me a bristly feeling just reading about it. One more reason for bird shot in handguns. :lol:

 

[graygun]

I've seen them in Az and Big Bend but haven't touched one.

 

[noahmercy]

We had Huntsman spiders in Florida, the largest arachnid in North America...you could sometimes actually hear them walking on the ceiling at night! I never really minded our eight-legged critters until one night I woke up spitting legs... :shock:

 

[Fox Mike]

My first encounter with a tarantula was in a bar. Siting with a friend and looking to my right when I felt 'something' on my left hand. Turned and a 'friend' had place one on the back of my hand. I am not afraid of spiders but can tell you that it WAS a surprise. They are BIG spiders. I 'suggested' to him that he remove it and not do that to someone that might be a bit more afraid than I,and have something dastardly happening to it...like it getting mashed.

 

[m657]

I saw a film years ago showing how the natives ate the things....everything but the fangs....

this technique was to flip them on their backs into the camp fire until the hair singed off, the rip the back off & eat the 'back strap' first, proceeding at will until just the crab-like leg parts were sucked clean, then chewed whole....eventually just the fangs were left and the effects of the native kickapoo joy juice was starting to give the boys the nods for the evening.

 

[exavid]

Spiders are kind of like snakes. People tend to be afraid of them. If you know which kinds are safe and which aren't you can really cut down on the number you have to worry about.

 

[Colonel Daddy]

We had Huntsman spiders in Florida, the largest arachnid in North America...you could sometimes actually hear them walking on the ceiling at night! I never really minded our eight-legged critters until one night I woke up spitting legs... :shock:

Glad I don't live in that part of Florida! Chicken legs, when cooked right are good, but raw spider legs? Think I will pass! :?