Over breakfast in my hotel in Mošćenička Draga, tourists are behaving as though wasps are the most dangerous beasts one can possibly encounter. They wave their hands, run, wriggle, spin around themselves, duck, swat, grimace in fear and disgust… What would they do if they were facing truly dangerous beasts?

Addendum (December 23, 2015)

This was the first time that I witnessed the fear of wasps after my move from Reading to Motovun. Over the years, I have witnessed it over and over again. In fact, I think the fear of wasps has been growing over time. I have also noticed that it is more pronounced with tourists that hail from the richest countries in the world. To wit, the more civilized the tourists, the greater the fear of wasps. This law must apply to all sorts of pests, but it must be more pronounced with the more unfamiliar species. The fear of scorpions, for instance, must beat the fear of wasps by a wide margin. The only reason for going on and on about all of the above is that all such fears pinpoint the civilized tenderfoot. And there is nothing I fear more than this particular species among species. Beyond all doubt, it is the most dangerous of all. It is destroying the planet of its birth, no less.