What is the proper etiquette, when one is placing one's order at a fast food establishment....

[Coventina]

and one finds that a VERY LARGE spider is crawling on one's arm?

What I did was break out into a spirited dance, with lively arm movements, in an attempt to dislodge my partner. It worked but then he/she was dangling from my arm via their thread, and didn't merely fall to the floor. The people behind me backed away to watch my performance, and I guess to avoid having the creature inadvertently transferred to them.

After some more dancing, the spider was able to spin itself down to the floor, where it exited the scene quickly. The rest of the customers gave me a lot of funny looks. The woman behind the counter kept up the small talk about my hair, and her history of hair styles without seeming to have noticed anything.

I have to say, I've never seen another spider like it. It was really big and really WHITE. Most spiders around here are brown, or black widows. (Thank goodness it wasn't that!)

Anyway, wondering now if I shouldn't have just run outside with my dance partner? I didn't think of it in my moment of stress, but if you loungers think that was the better option, I'll do that next time. (Hopefully won't be a next time...)

[Docreed2003]

1. The correct response... ;-)

[Skittles]

2. I bet that is on video

are you on youtube yet, Coventina? I know what I would have done - exactly what you did - shake the damn thing off!

[Coventina]

5. Oh no! Geez! I hope not!!

[Skittles]

9. I hear you about those damn brown spiders

I was bitten on my right ankle by a recluse while retrieving something from an outside storage closet. My ankle swelled up so big I could not see my ankle bone. And it hurt! I got it treated but a coworker had to come get me for work for a while, I just couldn't drive well enough. Amazing the power a small critter can have.

[Coventina]

11. Ouch! Yes, those critters have sent friends of mine to the hospital.

They pack a wallop.

[Croney]

3. Run outside? No!

You'd lose your place in line! 😀

[Dale Neiburg]

4. Never had that experience....

But one day driving into work I felt tickling on my arm and found a black widow spinning a web there.

I pulled over and gently swept it off so it was on the outside of the car. And left. I suppose it blew off....

[Coventina]

6. Yikes!!

[Warpy]

7. Proper etiquette says you blow the spider off your arm

It'll go down on the same silken thread and scurry under some furniture. Then you avoid that table if you're eating in the restaurant.

[Coventina]

8. Blow! Right! Would have been much more dignified than my dance.

[OriginalGeek]

16. but far less entertaining

think of your fellow fast food passengers!

[Arkansas Granny]

10. If that had been me, the spider would have drowned when it reached the floor,

due to me wetting my pants.

[elleng]

12. Whatever 'stress' tell you!

[lunatica]

13. You danced exactly where and when you needed to

which was upon first seeing it.

[lastlib]

14. Fast food establishment? Proper etiquette?

What is this thing of which you speak?

[rurallib]

15. pretty sure that acting like your possessed by the devil is proper in this situation

Since it happens so seldom some folks may look a bit confused.
Speaking in tongues at this point would lighten the mood.

[GReedDiamond]

17. Don't know about the etiquette, but I have a couple of spider tales...

A good friend of mine kept what he referred to as a "pet spider." It was a medium sized spider, not a black widow or anything like that. He let it live in his bathtub since he had a separate shower.

One day, a mutual acquaintance of ours known as "Mountain Mary" showed up at my friend's house, and asked to use the bathroom.

When she emerged from the bathroom, she had the now dead pet spider on a pin. She explained to my friend that she was going to use it in an "art" piece she was working on.

My friend was not too amused, but admitted that he didn't warn her not to harvest his pet.

Second, Ive noticed that when I have a spider in my bathtub, the ants stay away. So I prefer the lone spiders to the many ants.

[Coventina]

21. Aw, that gives me a sad!

I also vastly prefer spiders to ants.

Nothing against ants personally, but there's just so darn many of them, it gets to be a nuisance.

[customerserviceguy]

18. You won't encounter

any spiders if you order through the restaurant's website.

Oops, bad choice of words there...

[Phentex]

19. I would scream and dance too but I am not particularly scared of spiders

I just don't like the element of surprise. Once I realized it was a spider, I'd brush it off if I could.

[Coventina]

20. I actually like spiders (the non-venomous varieties) but it was the element of surprise.

That, and it was a totally unfamiliar type to me as well. The little guy was clearly agitated, and I was a little worried about getting bit.

I am glad we both survived the encounter!



I find I do need to ament my previous statement: I like tarantulas, and they are venomous, but they are very gentle unless you scare them.

[True Dough]

22. Proper etiquette?

Would have been to place your order and then say, "And my little friend here will have..."



Just kidding. True proper etiquette would have been to order for the spider first, yourself second.