Why do people make tarantulas out to be vicious?

Question

Most people who live in a place where tarantulas aren't common would say they're poisonous or deadly, when in fact they aren't.(Unless you find a rare species of 'em.) I pick up tarantulas all the time. What do you think?

Answer 1

Are they not all carnivorous? That alone makes them vicious. We have none around here, other than a few kept as pets. Because there are some species that are nasty, the person not acquainted with them has to assume the worst until they know otherwise.

Answer 2

I've watched a lot of documentaries on spiders and I know they can't really hurt me...but they completely terrify me...too many eyes and legs and they are HUGE (anything bigger than a fly is huge in my opinion, haha)...I shudder just thinking about them

Answer 3

I'm a lover of spiders.  I find the tarantula to be beautiful and unless you accidentally find on in a banana bunch--which I never do--they're no going to bother anyone.

It's some sort of anti-reptile, anti-insect, anti-rodent mania I was born without. But they are dangerous to handle and have a powerful sting if annoyed.