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Dear Tom and Ray:

I read your column regularly, and since you guys seem to be the reigning kings of answering unusual car questions, who else could I turn to? I have only been driving for about a year and a half, and I realized last summer that I have a very unusual problem during the warmer months. My problem is spiders. Yes, spiders! I'll be driving along, when these little yellow-white spiders come crawling out of the vents and other places. My boyfriend says he's seen them in other people's cars, and they're nothing to worry about. I realize you are both laughing, but this is serious, because I am arachnophobic. I came close to getting into several accidents because these creatures came crawling out of my vents. I don't have thousands to spend on therapy, and I don't think you can throw a bug bomb under the hood of a car. Any suggestions? I am actually petrified at the thought of driving again next summer. Susan

Tom: Sounds like you need my brother's favorite cologne...Eau Du Raid.

Ray: Actually, Susan, it's a tough problem. You can't really spray pesticides into the vents, because that poses a danger to YOU, too.

Tom: So unless there's some substance that's not toxic to humans (and we don't know what that would be), the best way to get rid of these spiders is with a good, cold winter. In other words, the problem should take care of itself. The spiders will disappear, and they probably won't come back.

Ray: And if they do show up again next summer, you can always "simulate winter" by blasting them with your car's air conditioner. Try running your air conditioner at full tilt boogie all the time. That may mean you'll have to wear your Bronko Nagurski Long Underwear all summer, but it should send the spiders hunting for warmer climes (like your boyfriend's car). Good luck.

It's NEVER cheaper in the long run to buy a new car. Want proof? Order Tom and Ray's pamphlet How to Buy a Used Car: Things That Detroit and Tokyo Don't Want You to Know. To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1993 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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