Woman With Mildly Amusing Name Says: "I'm Afraid Of Bananas"

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A 21-year-old woman with a fear of bananas has been diagnosed as suffering from Bananaphobia.

Fran Dando is so scared of the fruit that even seeing one causes her to shake, sweat and sometimes vomit.

"It began when I was 7 and my brother put a banana in my bed as a joke," Metro quotes her as saying.

"I felt his horrible, slimy thing underneath my body. I was frozen in panic and hyperventilating. Ever since then, if I see one the same feeling comes back."

The children's worker admitted that she is embarrassed by the fear.

"I generally do not explain my fear unless a situation comes up," she said. "Then I will say, 'Sorry I am going to have to leave the room'. It is embarrassing - it is such a nonsensical fear."

However, Dando's 2-year-old son has not developed the phobia and loves bananas, which means she has to come into contact with them.

"I have to use a blanket to pick them up and put them in the trolley and then when I am at home I have to wear rubber gloves and use a tea towel to open one and give it to him," she said.

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Does anyone else have any unusual or inconvenient phobias?

Si.

http://www.mdhb.com/images/banana1.jpg

A banana. Fran Dando snapping on rubbers, not pictured.

Don't call my name, don't call my name. Fran Dando.

I get claustrophobia. But only on the London Underground. And even then, only on the Piccadilly Line. I think it's something to do with the size of the trains, which are slightly lower and narrower than on the majority of the other lines. I've really freaked out, and if in rush hour, I've taken to avoiding it entirely, either walking around Central London till I can go another route, or just getting the bus.

Ant x

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Don't call my name, don't call my name. Fran Dando.

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Can you hear the drums Fran Dando?

Si.

Damn - have you got her email address?

We're doing some artwork at the moment in our house, and this weekend we've been drawing bananas on their own and in a bunch. Only I'm not terribly impressed with my end result.

I was thinking I could send her a copy of my picture ... and if she vomits, then it must look suitably like a banana.

I used to have a whole bunch of phobias as a child, but I've kind of bit by bit knocked some of them on the head. Although I still occasionally will get a trigger of fear of heights.

But my comic fears are ... a fear of frogs (but not toads), which my family feel is hilarious.

And a fear of rusty ships - which is just bizzare. I guess it's the association of rusty ship -> wreck -> people have died. But all the same, driving by the junkers in Portsmouth I'd get this feeling of dread in my stomach.

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Originally Posted by Si Hunt

Can you hear the drums Fran Dando?

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Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fran Dando?

I got my leg trapped at the top of a slide when I was very young, and I've been scared of heights and a bit nervous of stairs ever since. I'll use stairs, but I'd rather use the lift if possible.