“Surprise” 

Posted on by Miriam

I had an extra passenger in my car yesterday. A totally unexpected  one.

I was driving to work when he made his presence felt. There he was, on my half wound down window, inside, a big fat hairy Huntsman, the size of my hand, looking me straight in the eye.

My first thought was “stay calm Miriam, no one ever died from a spider in the car. Stay in control of the car, just stay calm“.

That lasted maybe three seconds. The next thing I knew he was scuttling towards me.

Any pretense of calm vanished as he did Olympic moves to catapult himself from the window onto my seat belt, heading towards my head rest, and me.

That’s when I screamed. I don’t consider myself a hysterical woman but spiders in intimate proximity are not my thing.

And this guy was definitely invading my personal space.

Somehow managing to keep a semblance of sanity, checking to make sure no cars were behind me, I slammed on the brakes, spun the car off the road and did the quickest park in history.

With the engine still running I flung the door open and  jumped outside. I stripped off my cardigan and shook it out like a woman possessed. 

I was sure it had landed either in my hair or down my top.

Shaking and now late for work I had no choice but to get back into my car and keep driving, but I was keeping a close eye out for him.

Sure enough, within minutes there he was, on the side window.


He’d done a lap but was circling back to me. I swear he was stalking me, and he was fast.

Feeling slightly manic I swung the car into the nearest driveway, jumped out and finally, with a prod and the flick of a stick, managed to evict him. I was sweating and my heart was racing.

I don’t mind surprises but this was ridiculous. 

Anyone else share my phobia?

I don’t think Merlin is overly bothered by spiders. And as for Harry, he seems to have a healthy respect for them.


He’s always a bag of surprises with what he gets up to but, unlike the eight legged arachnid variety, his surprises generally put a smile on my face.

Wishing you a light heart and a tranquil journey and may your surprises be happy and peaceful ones.

Safe driving and don’t forget to check underneath your visor. 

In response to WPC: Surprise

158 thoughts on ““Surprise” ”

  2. I’ve had a similar huntsman experience except he was crawling down the seatbelt while I was wearing it. I somehow managed to fling the seatbelt off, pull over safely and jump out of the car in one move! Only problem was then I didn’t know where the spider was. He was in I was out! Found him after a few terrifying minutes and flung him out on the car mat. Phew didn’t have to sell the car 😉👌

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    1. Haha. sounds just like my experience yesterday. Seriously, it was terrifying. Took years off my life and I still reckon he’s lurking underneath my car. Funny you can relate. BTW, I’ve been following your WA/SA travels. Sounds like an amazing trip. Enjoy being home.

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      1. Thanks Miriam the trip was fantastic and has given me lots of material too. Love being home again surrounded with family and friends and it’s made me realise how little we need to be happy! Major clean out of our house happening.

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        1. So true isn’t it? Traveling and camping really does strip it back to the bare necessities. Enjoy being home, even amidst the cleaning!

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  4. Haha! Oh Miriam, that was such a funny read 😂 “this guy was definitely invading my personal space” – I love it! But I’m so glad you kept control of the car.
    The stalker huntsman. I met one of his cousins the other day, he was hiding in the boot of my car … much rather that than the behind the sunvisor though. So many spiders out at the moment – my Dad picked up a male funnel web next to the pool earlier in the week. Fortunately, he wasn’t bitten & Mr Funnel Web became better acquainted with a brick.

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    1. Oh dear, that’s a grisly end. Still, I can’t say I sympathise with Mr Funnel Web. Compared to our Harry Huntsmans they’re nasty suckers! 😏 Have a great weekend Kim.

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  5. Oh God I am almost hyperventilating here! I am pretty phobic about spiders, and I’ve read about your Huntsman kind. *shudder* I don’t know how you managed to stay calm enough to take pictures! I’d have been screaming and trying to escape as fast as possible to be able to take pictures of the (*&^(&^%(^ thing! See why I call you brave?

    I am so so so glad you’re okay, no bites, no accidents! Whew! Be careful!!

    Yeah, right, I’m supposed to try to get some sleep after this? lolol

    Love you dear one! *hugs* ❤

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    1. Hey Ness, trust me I definitely wasn’t feeling brave when he was so close to me. All I could think was f¥£#k. S#*t. I have to get out of this car. Hugs back lovely friend. 💕

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      1. I’d have been screaming that. You would have heard me screaming that, all the way from here! lol

        Love you, so glad you’re okay, and that you managed to calmly pull the car over!

        *hugs* ❤

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  6. lol you do write it very well and had the reaction I am now getting used to!

    Our pets as kids was snakes, spiders and turtles. We used to poke funnel webs into match boxes for the money the hospital paid, venom research. Never thought we could be bitten. Loads of red backs under our house, they were just a part of life.

    Drove a really ancient VW combie van when I was a student and had a free-loading big hairy tarantula living in the back. He had the habit that whenever I started the engine he would come up to the windscreen, jump on my hand on the steering wheel, climb my arm and jump off my shoulder to stroll back home. It was his way of greeting, me, our little ritual. Then one night I was giving two girls a lift home and he did this ritual and the girl next to me went quite hysterical and grabbed the wheel. She nearly killed all of us so sadly I had to evict my hairy friend.

    Poor dears know a warm dry safe environment when they find it and cars are a sure bet.

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    1. I think I’d be hysterical too. Obviously I’m not made of the same tough stern stuff you are. Kate, you painted quite a picture here. I think I could happily do without the eight legged free loaders in my car. Though m, why do I have a feeling that he and/or his cousins will find their way back into my car. Thanks for the smiles this Friday night. xo

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        6. Hairy Harry, I love it! Already your heart is embracing our little friends lol They mean no harm. It must be hurtful to have so many big humans afraid of you when you are small and just trying to be friends.

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  7. I don’t think I would sitting in calm. Especially if it’s that big and crawling towards me. If it’s sitting peacefully far, far away from me then maybe I’ll stay calm. But I’ll be watching it like a hawk 😁

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  11. I’m with you – I don’t like them, they are too big, too brown, and to long-legged and hairy with beady eyes. I was terrified of them on the old school bus I travelled in as a child, they would run across the ceiling and I was sure they were going to drop on my head. I can managed not to have a panic attack now, and despatch them, but they still give me the heebie-jeebies.

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  13. OMG, I’m not usually scared of spiders but the size and close proximity of that one would have freaked me out! Plus, considering where you live, I’d assume it would kill me and would have abandoned the car in a flash …

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  16. For the most part spiders are OK (if they leave me alone), but one that size scurrying around the car? No thanks! I think I’ll stay up in my corner of the world where they are a bit smaller 😉

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  18. EEeeewe. Yuck. And I can’t smash them, especially when they are that big. I have to evict them or call someone bigger who can clean up too. Yuck yuck yuck! I’m glad you kept control of your car!

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  19. I am also very phobic about spiders, if I see one close by, I become super attentive of my surroundings and it kind of bother’s me The Whole day. I cannot watch them on tv itself. That is how creepy and crawly they are to me.

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  20. Yes, we share your shudders with that spider. They give us the creeps. The size of that thing is incredible. Are these regular in that neck of the woods? Like noted above they give us the “heebie-jeebies”!!! Glad it ended well for you but if we had been there I don’t know if it would have ended well for the furry one, lol.

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  22. I always say spiders are fine…as long as they stay outside. If they come inside, they do so at their own risk. But IN THE CAR?!!? While driving?!!? If I lived where you do, I might have to start buying Depends.

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  23. I admire your presence of mind to stay calm and continue to drive safely. Ordinarily, I’m pretty steady, but a spider that size, that close to me–and scurrying closer–oh, that would not have ended well. You’ve got some fascinating critters in your part of the world….

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  24. Hahahah, you had my skin crawling by the second sentence! I am not squeamish either, but there is something about the car that really gets me. I pulled out of my driveway one day and as I was accelerating I pulled the sun visor down and there was a large spider sitting there! I am short so my seat is all the way up and this dude was about 6 inches from my forehead. Not as large as your buddy, but big enough for me to see the detailed, hairy legs. I rolled the window down, rotated the visor to the side and swished him out with my bare hand. It was afterward when I realized that the wind from the car momentum could have blown him back onto my face! I was lucky that didn’t happen but my skin was crawling for the rest of the day!

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    1. Oooh, that happened to me once, years ago and ever since then I always, always check underneath my visor (even now) when I get in the car. You were very quick thinking though to fling the visor to the side and get him out. I probably would have just jumped out of the car! Thanks for sharing. Seems these spiders like coming along on the odd car trip with us doesn’t it?

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  25. Yikes Miriam – that is definitely one very ‘hairy’ spider and a very ‘hairy’ experience. I’m ok with spiders at a distance but definitely would be screaming if this monster came scuttling toward my head! xx

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      1. Thanks Miriam – I’ve woken up to beautiful blue skies although still chilly – Looks like the perfect weather for a great weekend. Hope you’ve enjoyed your Saturday too! x

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        1. Hey Wendy, enjoy your Saturday and those sunny skies. I’m off to get ready now for a big 50th birthday celebration party of a good friend of ours. Looking forward to it! Cheers. xo

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  27. Well, holey moley, I would have been behaving exactly as you did if that monster were near me! if I’m being honest here, I’ve acted that way for much smaller critters- they turn me into a hysterical screaming banshee!

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  29. Oh, wow, Marion that must have been terrifying! I’m so glad you didn’t have an accident…I don’t think I could have maintained control of a car if I had a spider inside, coming at my face. And I’m not even especially scared of spiders. My son has a real phobia about them, so I can’t imagine how he would have reacted.
    Here’s wishing you no more unwanted traveling companions! Hope you have a good weekend to recover!

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  32. No question, I’d have crashed the car! Well done for being calm enough…
    I’m actually ok with spiders, as long as I can see them. It’s when I lose sight of them or get caught off guard I lose my shit. Not too bad here in Canada, but living where you do, you have the best collection of fierce and scuttling creatures to look out for!
    Have a relaxing weekend!

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    1. Yep, I know what you mean. The only thing worse than seeing a spider is when you lose sight of him … especially in the car. I had no idea where he’d gone.
      Hmm, yes we do have some fearsome creatures here but at least no grizzly bears! Have a great weekend too PC.

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  33. Well my comment above may sound brave or daft … but your story of a car dwelling spider triggered that memory. Then trying to sleep the ‘huntsman’ bit returned and I recalled an Indian monsoon in a remote hill village where my outside dunny/toilet was the safe dry gathering spot for several tribes. And like you and plaidcamper with more than twenty of those cuties wandering around the walls of a very confined space it was tricky trying to keep my eye on all of them … not so pleasant!

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    1. Ooh, definitely not pleasant, that sounds like something out of an Indiana Jones movie. Quite a challenge and puts a whole new perspective on the single solitary red back on the dunny seat!

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  35. I don’t think you overreacted at all. I mean, look at the size of that spider! I would have done exactly as you did. Had you rolled up your car windows the night before? Last summer, I forgot to one night and when I went into my car, there was an entire spider web built over the passenger’s seat with a spider in the center! Though much tinier than your spider.

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    1. Ooh yuk, yeah my windows were up. He must have already been on the inside. Gives me shivers just thinking about it. I often have webs built around my side outside mirrors. They must like looking at themselves lol.

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  37. Hello dear Miriam!
    Oh goodness…
    They are so intimidating aren’t they? When you see one you only hope they’re on the outside!!! You brave girl sharing space with him!

    Glad it all ended well for you both and hope you weren’t too late for work?? Hope it’s going well now too?
    Hugs from Di 🌹✨✨✨

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    1. Thanks Di, that nerve wracking spider episode set the tone for that day unfortunately but thankfully yesterday was much better. And today it’s the weekend so life is indeed good. Enjoy yours my lovely friend. Hugs xo 🙂

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      1. Oh that annoying little monster upsetting your day like that dear Miriam…
        Happy to read Friday was better for you.
        Yes, the weekend… before another short week too!
        Enjoy your days and ‘see’ you soon somewhere else. And I’ll let you know that Brigid just recommended your blog to me when she realised I was in Melbourne… just thought you’d like to know, as she is coming all the way from Ireland… 😍
        Bye again and sending you that warm hug.. 💐💕

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  40. Omg! Reading this gave me a shudder. Can’t imagine how it must have been for you. And that too, while driving. Great presence of mind. From that photo, he looks like a monster!!!
    I’m very, very scared of spiders too and they happen to be some of the few creatures that can make me scream. I feel as if they are stalking me too. In my house, I’m the first person to notice the presence of a spider and almost always it scuttles (more like flies with the help of its web) towards me. I take off in the opposite direction with a scream while the others have a laugh. What’s even more frightening is when we lose track of the spider. Then I’ve got no idea when and where it’ll turn up. But then again, somehow these creatures always manage to resurface​ when I’m near!

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    1. Oh yes, I couldn’t agree more Shweta. The only thing worse than seeing a spider is losing track of him and not knowing when he’s going to turn up again, especially when he’s is such close proximity. Take care.

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  41. Haha. I was laughing while reading your post. You made it so easy to visualize your battle with the spider. 🙂 BTW I didn’t know what a Huntsman was until now. It would have creeped me out too.

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  42. Oh that’s awful Miriam!! Well done on maintaining a semblance of calm and dealing with it without having an accident. I would have reacted in a similar way!! what a dreadful way to get the heart racing. I know they’re not dangerous but they are still very scary.

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  47. Miriam – I say this with no exaggeration. I would have plowed head on into the nearest tree in hopes that the air bag would deploy and kill it.

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