Ay ay ay, I don't know if I'd have the courage to do that. Some guts you've got then, Fomal. Good for you!
I don't think I'd call myself an arachnophobe as I'm not really scared of them, I just don't like them all that much, and if one startles me I can have a near heart attack.
I remember once when I was 9 or 10, I was in bed and just about to doze off, when I felt something tickle my arm. I opened my eyes to see, in the dim light of my bedroom, a quarter sized spider crawling over my bare arm. Yeah, I nearly had a heart attack. There's few things as unpleasant as being aroused from slumber to not only see but
feel a creature you know could have a harmful bite crawling on you. I remember throwing my covers over it, hoping to trap it there long enough for me to run to the restroom and get some tissue. I don't remember if I had plans to kill it or release it out my window, although I have to admit after being frightened to such an extent, I was probably planning on killing it so I wouldn't have to worry about waking up to find it touching me again. When I got back from the bathroom it was gone.
I then remember not sleeping much that night.
Another memory of spiders was when I was 11 and my family was camping in Colorado. There was a giant spider living in the ladies restroom at the campground. Seriously, I didn't even know such big spiders were in the US, I'm wondering if it was an escaped pet. It must have been 7-8 inches long. And yes, it was real and alive, I saw it walking. I was so creeped out by it I didn't want to go to the restroom after dark, and when I went during the day, I made sure I found where it was before I went about my business- always on the opposite side of the building if I could help it. It liked to hide behind the toilets, in the corner under the sinks and sometimes in the showers. It was light brown, thin and virtually hairless, unlike a tarantula which are stocky and covered in hair. I have no idea what kind it was, but it was big.
And yet another memory took place later that year, after my 12th birthday, when I was on a campout/field trip with my school. My friends and I were gathered around the campfire eating when I saw something move from behind one of my best friends. I looked closer and out from the shadows marched a tarantula. I screamed, and gave everyone else a heart attack. And again, the reason for my scream was merely because it startled me and I didn't like that in the least. It must have been drawn to the fire by the heat because it marched right into the firepit.
We saw a lot of dead tarantulas while on the outing too, after getting caught by birds or raccoons or something. They were all over the place in that park. I only saw two live ones, though. I didn't scream when I saw the other one because it didn't startle me so bad.
Now, I dislike spiders I suppose, but I respect them, and they can make cool pets. I greatly admire the beautiful webs they weave, and the beautiful colors they can be too. And if a small one crawls on me, I'll let it explore a little before letting it go outside somewhere. It's mostly just the big ones that I don't like, I guess, and I never like them startling me, which they seem to be very good at doing. But I'm not one to heartlessly kill them just because I don't like them. That's just plain mean.
They eat mosquitoes. Mosquitoes carry West Nile and Malaria. So spiders are our friends.
Scorpions though, no. Don't ask. I'm terrified to the depths of my soul of those things. No exceptions.