I'm not alone. I was always afraid of clowns as a child and I have never, at any point in my life fond them to be funny. I feel like I have closure on this issue now.

Don't send in the clowns

Wed Jan 16, 8:32 AM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - Bad news for Coco and Blinko -- children don't like clowns and even older kids are scared of them.

The news that will no doubt have clowns shedding tears was revealed in a poll of youngsters by researchers from the University of Sheffield who were examining how to improve the decor of hospital children's wards.

The study, reported in the Nursing Standard magazine, found all the 250 patients aged between four and 16 they quizzed disliked the use of clowns, with even the older ones finding them scary.

"We found that clowns are universally disliked by children. Some found them quite frightening and unknowable."

----

Hmmm, that gets me to thinking, who else do we find frightening and unknowable?

-Our smelly old aunts who used our cheeks like stress balls

-Dick Cheney

-Our bosses

-Queen Elizabeth

-The close-cropped hair, plaid wearing, female gym teacher we had in 4th grade (before we knew there were lipstick and butch lesbians)

Yup, the clowns are in good company.