The Annoyers: Mysterious Sprayers, Pitters, Biters, and Crackers

In this chapter we document phantom assailants who were more of an annoyance than a deadly threat such as the kissing bug scare of 1899, which was triggered by a single American newspaper report. Soon hundreds of ‘attacks’ poured in from across the country. Few victims ever saw the bug in action as people redefined a variety of mundane skin conditions, puncture wounds, and insect bites as confirmation of attacks. During the 1950s, a mysterious figure dubbed ‘The Sprayer’ was said to have squirted an oily substance on Australian women’s dresses during their evening commutes. After hundreds of reports, authorities attributed the ‘attacks’ to ordinary events. We also examine episodes in England and the U.S. involving windshields with mysterious pit marks and cracks. While ‘phantom snipers’ with pellet guns were initially suspected, it later became clear that the ‘attacks’ had mundane causes.