Obviously the web was an issue for the guy. He was still walking his route and walking right by the house, so he likely wasn't using it as an excuse to avoid going up one house out of a huge route.
Personally I think a lot of arachnophobes do it for attention. Kinda like "Look at me I am scared of spiders! I am a big burly man, but a spider scares me! Doesn't that make me unique, and different, yet somewhat sensitive?!"
I think that goes with a lot of phobias. People pretend to have them, to be quarky, and different. Then eventually they start believing their own lies. If a picture of a spider on a computer screen ruins your week, or makes you stop using the toilet, seek help.
I had a co-worker once that was deftly afraid of clowns (Coulrophobia). I convincingly pretended to share the same fear to strike up conversation and score with her.
Kinda like grown men breaking down and crying in public, to make them look all sensitive... same thing. I wonder what the name of the disorder is when you fake having a phobia to get attention... that is what I believe half people suffer from.
Personally I think a lot of arachnophobes do it for attention. Kinda like "Look at me I am scared of spiders! I am a big burly man, but a spider scares me! Doesn't that make me unique, and different, yet somewhat sensitive?!"
I think that goes with a lot of phobias. People pretend to have them, to be quarky, and different. Then eventually they start believing their own lies. If a picture of a spider on a computer screen ruins your week, or makes you stop using the toilet, seek help.
I had a co-worker once that was deftly afraid of clowns (Coulrophobia). I convincingly pretended to share the same fear to strike up conversation and score with her.
Kinda like grown men breaking down and crying in public, to make them look all sensitive... same thing. I wonder what the name of the disorder is when you fake having a phobia to get attention... that is what I believe half people suffer from.
It is not baiting at all. Just observations I have made.
This summer I was at the gym. There was a daddy long legs on the floor. I picked it up to carry it to the door so it would get stepped on. One of the girls that works there (girl 1) asks what I am doing, I open my hands and show her the spider, and she is like.. "oh, ok." Girl 2 comes over sees it and freaks out, and starts panicking. Girl 1 then all of a sudden after seeing girl 2 is afraid of spider does the same thing, and starts covering her mouth and panicking too, like it is the appropriate reaction. "It is cute to be afraid of a spider." when 10 seconds ago, it was just a stupid harmless bug.
Had a friend that always claimed to be terrified of heights. One day we are walking across that cable bridge in over a canyon Vancouver (Capliano cable bridge? i think) when I am out visiting him. Then it dawned on me.."I thought you were terrified of heights?" All of a sudden the show starts, and he is grasping at the rope holds, and says "Oh yeah... that."
I do not think it is unreasonable to think people fake phobias to get attention, that is all.