Do I care too much?

[Misery]

There is a lot I don't notice but other animals I do. You're right, many people don't. When I walk around I'm aware of the birds that cross my path and stuff. But sometimes I see birds scrambling to get out of the way for other people because the people don't notice them and don't think that they even deserve their notice.

I'm torn on the insect issue. I don't want to kill them. However I'm deathly scared of a few types. I usually get someone else to help me with those. Remove them I mean. If possible.

Honestly, the best advice for dealing with scary insects/animals is just to learn more about them. I can think of more than a few bugs that look horrifying, but really arent. Ever seen a house centipede? If you want to see something that looked like it crawled right out of a nightmare, go look it up. Alot of people REALLY hate those things. The fact that house centipedes are *very* fast and quite large doesnt help... they could be on the ground one second, and in your hair the next.

But... they're totally harmless. In fact, they hunt and eat other insects that could be genuinely classified as problematic pests (ants, termites, and so on). My mom's house, there's alot of house centipedes for whatever reasons. They are very large. But I just ignore them when I'm over there... because I understand that they arent even remotely dangerous. Granted I can get a bit startled if I look down and there's one sitting on my foot, but.... eh. After learning and understanding, I've gotten used to them, and there's nothing scary there now.


Honestly though, I've always kinda wondered at the psychology behind the common fear of insects that many people have. It's always seemed odd yet fascinating to me.

 

[Rectify]

Honestly though, I've always kinda wondered at the psychology behind the common fear of insects that many people have. It's always seemed odd yet fascinating to me.

I think it begins with a 'bad' experience. Usually getting a fright or something like that. Well, that was for me anyway. After that it became illogical. I've got it on my list of things about myself I'd like to fix

 

[Mia]

I'm torn on the insect issue. I don't want to kill them. However I'm deathly scared of a few types. I usually get someone else to help me with those. Remove them I mean. If possible.

It's understandable considering where you are in the world. Here, there are very few that could cause me serious damage, virtually nothing is poisonous and many birds and insects are here for about five months of the year. Winter takes over and most birds fly south and insects go into hibernation.

 

[Mia]

Ever seen a house centipede? If you want to see something that looked like it crawled right out of a nightmare, go look it up. Alot of people REALLY hate those things.

Used to have them wandering about at night in the hallway to my apartment in the city. The only reason I knew they existed is that my dog would bark at them in the hallway, and I thought he was nuts, as I could never see them in the dark.

Smaller variants of centipedes produce nothing more than a painful, localized reaction, not unlike a bee sting. Larger species, however, administer more venom through a bite and can produce more extreme pain. While centipede bites can be extremely painful, they are not generally fatal to humans. You would have to pick them up though, or threaten them in some way or step on them for them to bite.

 

[Aspychata]

l had a scorpion visit in 1st grade sliding around on the floor. It was intimidating at that age.

 

[Fino]

Honestly though, I've always kinda wondered at the psychology behind the common fear of insects that many people have. It's always seemed odd yet fascinating to me.

I've read it as an evolutionary instinct, as a response to the fact that many bugs in many places can easily kill you.

But I think it also has to do with how easily fears generalize, primarily as a baby/infant/child. For example, being repeatedly startled by something that happens to be brown can generalize to an irrational of many other brown things that remotely link to the first one, triggering the same fear.

 

[Gracey]

I can't explain why those cyclists value speed over living creatures.

If I were to take a guess based on what you and others have written, I imagine those cyclists place less value on the lives of lesser phylum,

Far greater dopamine rush cycling at speed, meeting challenges of the cycling track than respect for the local wildlife.

Cyclists may hardly notice the animals are there?
Focused on challenge of track?

 

[Misery]

I can't explain why those cyclists value speed over living creatures.

If I were to take a guess based on what you and others have written, I imagine those cyclists place less value on the lives of lesser phylum,

Far greater dopamine rush cycling at speed, meeting challenges of the cycling track than respect for the local wildlife.

Cyclists may hardly notice the animals are there?
Focused on challenge of track?

From what I've seen, most people are about as focused as a coked-out squirrel. Distracted by everything and paying attention to hardly anything. Noticing nothing as they go. It's a wonder they dont run into every single tree on the route. Heck, it's a wonder they can even move in a straight line.

And that's not even getting into the ones that use their PHONES when doing stuff like that. I hate phones, did I ever mention that?

 

[Streetwise]

Sometimes I wonder if they get a shock when they see cars coming or some other reaction that causes them to stop. I recently 'nearly' ran over a possum's tail. He ran to the side but then stopped with his tail out on the road still. Anyway it was a near miss that made me think even more about how I drive - especially at night which I rarely do and don't like.

please if you have any other type of social media please promote kangaroo safety !what I mean is !if somebody hits something !please stop !and check there could be a Joey still alive! if possible put up a list of wildlife rehabilitators ,vets !.

 

[Judge]

Sometimes I wonder if they get a shock when they see cars coming or some other reaction that causes them to stop. I recently 'nearly' ran over a possum's tail. He ran to the side but then stopped with his tail out on the road still. Anyway it was a near miss that made me think even more about how I drive - especially at night which I rarely do and don't like.

Well there's always that phrase, "a deer in the headlights".

There's no telling how many mammals might react in a similar manner. And in some cases beyond our control to avoid as motorists.

 

[Rectify]

please if you have any other type of social media please promote kangaroo safety !what I mean is !if somebody hits something !please stop !and check there could be a Joey still alive! if possible put up a list of wildlife rehabilitators ,vets !.

Yes and not only kangaroos. We actually have a number of marsupials here and that is definitely a danger with road accidents. A sad death if the baby does survive impact.

 

[Rectify]

Well there's always that phrase, "a deer in the headlights".

There's no telling how many mammals might react in a similar manner. And in some cases beyond our control to avoid as motorists.

As you said it's unavoidable in 'some' cases. In others though, it's not. I'm all for reduction of speed limits for human and other animals sake.

 

[Streetwise]

As you said it's unavoidable in 'some' cases. In others though, it's not. I'm all for reduction of speed limits for human and other animals sake.

Also education ,instead of just concentrating on getting to your destination ,look !!!!around !!!!!notice !!!!!what is moving !!!on the sides !!!!!,of the road people are still !!!!!!killing animals I hate the term roadkill, to me it makes it an excuse ,they wouldn’t kill a human and then call it roadkill .

 

[Misery]

As you said it's unavoidable in 'some' cases. In others though, it's not. I'm all for reduction of speed limits for human and other animals sake.

Aye, the fact that unavoidable ones happen at all is... sad.

I had it happen once. I'm just driving along a road at night. I live sorta in the middle of nowhere... it's all backroads and such as long as I stay away from the shopping zone. And I'm driving, and there's this idiot... the ONE other freaking car on the road... tailgating me. Apparently I wasnt going fast enough. Because I'm stubborn and irritable, my usual reaction to this is to slow down further. But slowing down didnt prevent the next bit.

We have coyotes around here, alot of them. Enough to where if you have a small dog, you have to be very watchful, because they can, will, and have taken the poor things before. One guy in the subdivision had his dog taken right in front of him in his yard (of COURSE it wasnt on a leash... I hope that guy learned a freaking lesson from that one). So yeah. Plenty of coyotes.

Back to the driving, jerk behind me, me slowing down a bit, and then out of nowhere from the hill to my left, about 4-5 coyotes just come out of nowhere. They dart across the road. Because this idiot was RIGHT behind me, I could not hit the breaks without causing a major accident. I dont think I'll ever forget the image of those poor animals darting past in a line, or the impact from hitting the 2 that werent fast enough to cross in time. There just wasnt anything I could do.

Aside from that, there's the accursed birds. I swear, their entire function is to dart in front of my van at random intervals. They never fly AWAY from the giant lumbering metal behemoth. They *always* go straight at it. Dunno how I have not flattened any yet.

 

[Rectify]

I dont think I'll ever forget the image of those poor animals darting past in a line, or the impact from hitting the 2 that werent fast enough to cross in time.

That's so sad @Misery those things are hard to forget/put out of your mind.
While I don't make a habit of it I admit to slowing down in front of tailgaters too. If I'm already almost at, at, or just above the speed limit, and they are unhappy with that ... grrr.

 

[Rectify]

Also education ,instead of just concentrating on getting to your destination ,look !!!!around !!!!!notice !!!!!what is moving !!!on the sides !!!!!,of the road people are still !!!!!!killing animals I hate the term roadkill, to me it makes it an excuse ,they wouldn’t kill a human and then call it roadkill .

The thing is most people are taught, and most people do, concentrate on many things. But animals aren't viewed as particularly important to most people. They are not as special as people, they are food, they are clothing and shoes, they are 'problem' we have to fix, they are pests inside our homes.
I related on 'roadkill'...it's an awful expression. Personally I hate using the word 'beast'. I do understand the meaning, according to the dictionarly BUT it's so perjorative. The only real beasts I've known have been people.

 

[Mia]

A site to answer questions and plant trees:

Home - Plant The Peace

 

[AloneNotLonely]

From what I've seen, most people are about as focused as a coked-out squirrel.

I would have you know that squirrels are super-focused. Try sneaking up on them, it's impossible. Not that I would suggest it, however. They can transmit rabies and they tend to bite when you get close. The aggressiveness is probably because of the coke.

 

[Streetwise]

A site to answer questions and plant trees:

Home - Plant The Peace

I think they need a permanent band of autistic people in the Carmel Forest in Israel, give it six months and somebody Will set it on fire,they need permanent tree planters and Wildlife rehabilitators.

 

[Mia]

A Cora ball, that removes microfibers in the washing machine that end up in lakes and rivers. Polyester, nylon, and fleece synthetic clothing shed tiny pieces of plastic into our water, each time we wash them.

According to a recent paper published out of University of Toronto, The Cora Ball catches 26% of the microfibers per load from washing downstream. The effectiveness depends on several factors including what items are in the load, wash settings, wash frequency and the presence of pet hair (which helps catch fibers)! We are constantly testing to learn how it works best so we can share with Cora Ball users. (One plus so far for people with pets!)

Bought one today. Made in Vermont USA.