And you thought the notion
of Snakes on a Plane was unnerving? On July 19, according to
the IndyStar.com, Douglas Herbstommer of Gilbert, Ariz., felt
a sudden, sharp sting on his finger while flying from Phoenix to Indianapolis.
He quickly realized what the problem was: an Arizona bark scorpion,
whose bite, though painful, is very seldom fatal. (Although “painful”
appears to be a euphemism here. Look it up for yourself; we’re too
squeamish to go into details.)
Herbstommer and his fellow humans rounded
up the 3-inch arachnid before he found the rest of its family, hanging
out in the overhead compartment — apparently stowaways from somebody’s
luggage. Memo to airport security: Quit fussing about those 4-ounce
bottles of shampoo and start keeping an eye out for scorpion families
on vacation. Everyone will be much happier if you do.
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