"RADAPHOBIA"
Reprinted from the ACJ - May, 2003

“Are you frightened”, Strider asks Frodo. “Yes”, he replies. “Not nearly frightened enough”. Everyone is afraid of something. Most of the time that fear keeps us safe by making us cautious. Sometimes that fear may overwhelm us. Causing us to panic or perhaps become paralyzed into inaction in the face of danger. That state of paralyzing, irrational fear is known as a phobia. Are you afraid of the dark? You have Nyctophobia. Afraid of heights - Acrophobia. Afraid of anything new – Neophobia. Afraid of everything. You suffer from Pantaphobia. Fear of writing your next Health Watch article – Graphaphobia. A quick look at the web,(you have Arachnaphobia if you screamed at the word, web) reveals that just about anything can cause a phobia. Fear of snakes – ophidiophobia. Fear of otters – Lutraphobia. Fear of phobias – phobiaphobia (I’m not kidding).

In the automotive repair business we have our share of concerns; money, safety, customers, employees. If these become intense they may develop into full blown phobias. Some of these conditions already have names. Some will after this article. As Lucy tells Charlie Brown “If we can identify your fear, we can label it!” See if any of these strike close to home.

Day to day life, in the shop, can be terrifying. A fear of automobiles is Motorphobia. This usually develops over time, leaning over a fender, scratching your head. Ergophobia is the fear of work. It runs rampant on Mondays. Fear of an employee with Ergophobia is Lazyassaphobia or Ineptophobia. Missing wrenches can lead to Loanatoolaphobia. This condition can worsen into a fear of finding tools at the bottom of the boilout tank – corrodedmessaphobia. After years of working on plastic tank style radiators, your guys may develop Snapatabaphobia. Shoving a rod-out tool through the side of a tube can result in neucornochargaphobia. An irrational fear of recurring overheating problems is known as Mistathermostataphobia or may be Faultywaterpumpaphobia. Terror at the thought of using the wrong coolant is Dexcoolaphobia.

Up at the front desk, the phobias can be overwhelming as well. Fear of angry customers has been linked to yelatmeaphobia, as well as, reameaphobia. The fear of the number 13 is called Triskadekaphobia. A fear of that old Chrysler steaming into the parking lot for the thirteenth time – Triscomebackadekaphobia. Perhaps the most widespread office phobias are those concerning insufficient customer funds. Conditions such as, stiffedagainaphobia, bouncedagainaphobia, and of course, elasticheckaphobia are a danger.

Take a deep breath when these fears grow inside of you and realize that by facing these fears, head on, they may lose their ability to scare. If not, visiting a shrink may help. As long as you don’t suffer from Iatraphobia. A fear of doctors. Rest assured all of these phobias pale in light of the greatest fear known to ACJ subscribers. Bibliophobia – the fear of reading one more Dave Brown’s Health Watch article.