Actually, escargot, now you mention it.....
Showing my nervousness of crane flies/daddy longlegs when I was about 11 (yeah, ok, what a wuss!) was possibly not too wise a move. The school playing field was covered in them one September. My so-called friends had a field day - literally!
However, spending the whole lunch break pulling the spindly little critters out of my pullover and/or shirt, where my fellow pupils had thoughtfully deposited them, went a long way to curing my phobia. Whenever I see one now, I smile fondly at the memory and silently thank my class mates who clearly realised that facing one's fears is the best way to exorcise them. Kids can be so wise!