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Snakes in public!

Okeetee_Corn_Snakes

Okeetee_Corn_Snakes

=O)
Hello everyone. This is my rant. I just have to let it out, and hopefully in the process get other peoples views on the matter.

I work at Walmart. Yes...that icky place. I came into work one day to find the place in a total uproar, people yelling and shouting, pushing and shoving and a man being escorted out by security. How is this so very different from any other day at Walmart you say? Havoc and people being rushed out by security? Well, one of the greeters turned to me with that big ol' happy yellow walmart smiley and said; "Was that your snake Grace? On that mans shoulders?" Ignoring this nonsense as her usual babble I said no and walked away, thinking to myself that it was probably a scarf or a lame prank with a rubber snake. The dollar store is, after all, just 10 feet away.

During my lunch hour I talked with a few people and indeed it was a snake on that guys shoulders. He scared so many people with the thing that security was alerted and he was escorted out. Around his shoulders, was not only a live snake, but a rather large boid. I am guessing a burm. It was too big to be a ball and another snake lover told me it was definitely not a boa. All boids are illegal in this Province. No exceptions. Fine by me if people keep them. I won't because if they get sick no vet can see them and the poor things do not deserve that. Now here is the part that really ticks me off;

Too many people see snakes as trophies. They parade them in public and waft in the sense of "power" that owning a snake "apparently" bestows. The reason this bugs me is because it is purposefully disrespecting the public and inadvertently putting the snake in danger. Anyone with a phobia of snakes could react in a very explosive way and harm the snake or snake owner. I have seen this behavior in people before when they have been forced to face their worst fears.

I keep my snakes hidden in public when I take them to the vet and such. If anyone asks, its a box of junk or whatnot, and I make sure the snake cannot escape. I say to myself that if I had a major fear of something I would like to get over it gradually (I know not all people think this way) and not meet it grinning at me unexpectedly around the next corner. I am not saying that we must keep our pets hidden at all times, I just think there is a time and place for everything.

So what do you people who are snake lovers, have to say on this topic? Do you think that people afraid of snakes should suck it up and learn to live with our pets? Its true snakes and other herps are becoming more widely accepted in todays society, but there are still many people out there who have old school opinions of our beloved pets.

(Thats another irk with me, people thinking snakies are satan, but lets not get into a religious debate lol)
 
I forgot to mention that many of these people who see snakes as trophies will get the burmese python because its temperament is so docile. Then when the poor creature overgrows its tiny tank, or eventually eats the family dog or worse, the snake gets eliminated. Good reason to have a snake eh?
 
Ugh, I hate that, too. I was once at a community festival and this man was walking around with a huge snake on his shoulders. Some people were scared silly, others were fascinated, but the guy was shirtless with countless hate symbol tattoos all over his body as well, and I felt sorry for the snake because I knew he was embarrassed to be seen with this guy. ;) But really, I can't imagine that the snake enjoyed this parade of strange faces all around him, and I think it's really disrespectful to take a snake into a crowd of people who are just there to enjoy the music and festivities without having this giant snake in the mix. It gives snakes and owners as well a bad rap.
 
I understand where your coming from but I enjoy taking my animals with me places, wether it be my dog, Iguanas or a snake. Their are people out there that are terrified of dogs does that mean I can't take my dog out? No it just means you have to keep your pet away from that person. So if you are going to take your pet out you should choose some where that doesn't have a lot of people so you are not crowd up next to some one who is afraid of that animal. In that guys case he just wanted to cause havoc. A store is not the place for any animal especially a snake. It's those kind of people that give reptile owners bad names, but I have no problem with people taking their animals out as long as they respect others and their animal.
 
it's people like him who are making it impossible to get the laws changed here.
there are people who are trying to get the law adjusted to allow small boids although so far nothing has been changed, i for one still hope it will some day, but people who break the law then advertise having them, selling them publicly or walking around with them are not helping.
i try to inform anyone who has boids here that they are illegal, sadly the pet stores occasionally sell them which makes it very difficult for people to know they are illegal.

i'm highly against snakes in public, it's just not fair to those who fear them, in your own yard fine, but not on the streets and definitely not in stores(well reptile stores are different)
 
To me, a person who would parade a snake around in public is someone who puts his own ego over the well being of the animal. He (or she) craves attention, ANY kind of attention. That person is saying "Look at me, look at me". To those people, the snake is just an attention getter and not a living feeling creature.

The only time I take my snakes out in "public" is for photo shoots, mostly in my own yard.
 
I am not of the mind that ~all~ people, who take their snake/s "out & about", are using/viewing their snake/s as a trophy or status symbol, or are just in want of attention, But ... I do believe that there are folks who do/are.
Either way, people who take their snakes into a public establishment, IMO, are lacking a bit of common sense.

People are not supposed to be taking ~any~ pets into non-pet establishments anyway ... but, regardless of that fact, I don't think it makes any sense to take a pet snake into such a place... or to any very public place for that matter.
Even if someone does take a pet into a non-pet establishment, dogs/cats (& especially puppies/kittens;) ), for example, are much more accepted, amongst the public, than are snakes.
There are people who have phobias, or hatred, of any one (or more) type of animal/s, and any one of those animals could be in peril, from those people, but ... with snakes being, apparently, high on the phobia/hatred list, and with their being more "fragile", they are at a higher risk of harm.

Venomous snakes, of course, go without saying;) but ... As far as very large snakes go (Burms as one example), I don't think these snakes, especially, should ~ever~ be taken to an uncontrolled public place. Anything could happen. Be it injury to the snake ... or the snake acting in an unpredictable manner where they could, suddenly, cause harm to a person or to another person's pet (Yes, this could happen with dogs, too, but there are some basic differences ... most dogs can be trained and snakes ~cannot~, snakes work off of very base instincts while dogs have had ages to be intertwined with humans, most mentally stable dogs enjoy human interaction, and etc.).

I can sort of understand that some folks may like to take their snakes "out & about", with them, but doing so is more for the human's desire/need.... whether they are flaunting a snake as a "trophy" or not. It is not as if the snake enjoys, wants, or needs to be in our company. If it seems the snake/s enjoy a bit of time being outside, or an owner wants to give them a bit of fresh air &/or some extra exercise, this can be accomplished in one's own, and safer, back/front yard.

My snakes never leave home turf (I see no point in it) but, if/when one of my snakes ever needs to go for a vet visit, it is in a box or cooler (not visible) and is not taken out until we are in the exam room. If any were to go to a reptile show, or any other reptile related venue, they would not be visible, during transport, either.
 
I think it's kind of disrespectful to others. As much as we all love snakes there are many people who are afraid of them. I have two friends who don't even want to be in the same room if I take a snake out of its cage, I don't chase them with snakes or force it on them even if I do try to talk to them about how tame and non slimey corn snakes are.
It's different than a dog just because dogs are kind of more accepted by more people. Even though I personally don't like it when large dogs off leash come up to me no matter how friendly the owner says they are.

Edit: Here's a little off topic rant. I think the one exception to the rule is displaying snakes at a reptile show. Yet at shows I have had people (the same ones who bring their kids for the petting zoo with no intention to purchase anything) tell me how disgusting they think snakes are. Here I am at my table with nice animals for sale and somebody standing there telling me how gross and creepy they are. Why do these people have to come to shows? It's not like I go to their hobby venues and put down whatever they are into! LOL
 
Burms are only docile when properly handled. They start out mean - maybe not as mean as retics, but definitely very aggressive - and they stay rather mean if not handled.

But anyway - I agree. I also have a problem with the people who carry their little tea-cup poodles with them in their purse. Dogs in public are fine, but I don't need a little dog yapping at me in the grocery store.

With paranoia about snakes, though, we do need to even more careful with them than with dogs and cats - it isn't fair to the public and it isn't fair to the snake.
 
Honestly, I think people really need to suck it up. I'm terrified of large dogs, yet people walk them right by me. If people are allowed to walk their pet dogs in public, why can't we hold our snakes? Granted, of course, that we take all precautions to make sure that no one gets injured.
 
In a way, this topic reminds me of cohab in that we have to ask ourselves who benefits from the practice. What benefit does a snake receive from being paraded around in public places? A dog needs to be exercised and allowed to do its "business", and some dogs benefit from socialization. A snake doesn't have these requirements. And no animal should be carried around in plain sight in retail or food service establishments.

In a perfect world, you could take your 9 foot burm to the park and it would be no different from someone else bringing their huge dog. But it's not a perfect world, and the majority of people out there are snake haters, and even some of the relatively indifferent people don't want to see a huge constrictor out in public. It would be nice if they would "suck it up", but they're not going to, and in the end there are more of them than there are of us. Nine out of ten people I've seen parade their snakes away from home (outside of snake shows) have been exhibitionist idiots, in my opinion. They care more about shock value than about the hobby anyway. If snakes were outlawed tomorrow, they'd just have devil horns screwed into their skull, or something.
 
I am considering taking a few of my corns to the WW1 memorial in town to snap a few pictures. It is a small park, and the memorial is set away from the street. IF I do this (big if), I may not get noticed at all. It's a really pretty place and although its "public" most people just walk by on the street and hardly glance at the park.
 
Large dogs need the exercise of being walked. Large pythons and boas are better of getting their exercise indoors where their temperature needs can also be met.
 
Roy Munson said:
Nine out of ten people I've seen parade their snakes away from home (outside of snake shows) have been exhibitionist idiots, in my opinion. They care more about shock value than about the hobby anyway.
Click to expand...

I think that's it right there, there's no reason for it other than exhibitionism. It does nothing for the snake.

If it's warm enough on Halloween my daughter takes Cheerio outside for a little bit as a "prop", mostly for shock value. That's about the same thing.
Don't worry, we're not crazy-bad snake keepers. It's for a short time. Jordan is a very good snake handler who thinks about the snake's needs. She is very careful to let people approach her, not vice-versa. At first most people think it's a trick, then most are interested. Some won't come near and she will back off for them.
 
About a month ago while I was still working at Target, I walked in to do some very quick shopping of some necessities with my snake. The reason why I had her out of the house with me in the first place was because I had taken her to the reptile shop where I bought her from to have something checked. I was transporting her in her deli cup but when I got to Target, I figured if a large dog could have a heat stroke in a car and die, so can this tiny snake. I really wasn't going to be more than 10minutes so I stuck her in my shirt. I was wearing a tank top and they have the extra material that is supposed to hold your boobs in place. It creates a pocket where she just coiled up and enjoyed the quick trip inside the store.;) lol No one saw her except for a male coworker as I was checking out and she started to poke her head out.

I don't think I'd ever take her out with me with the intention of having a shopping spree with her. That one time I chose her safety over the possible outcomes of taking her inside, yet I still kept her concealed. The entire time I was inside, I was nervous thinking someone might see her and freak out.


Clearly that man was a moron and did it for shock value rather than the safety of his snake from a heated car. Even if there was the possibility of him being concerned about leaving it in a heated car, with a snake that big, make the extra trip of dropping it back off at home. Just my .02cents.

--Aida
 
alan said:
I think that's it right there, there's no reason for it other than exhibitionism. It does nothing for the snake.

If it's warm enough on Halloween my daughter takes Cheerio outside for a little bit as a "prop", mostly for shock value. That's about the same thing.
Don't worry, we're not crazy-bad snake keepers. It's for a short time. Jordan is a very good snake handler who thinks about the snake's needs. She is very careful to let people approach her, not vice-versa. At first most people think it's a trick, then most are interested. Some won't come near and she will back off for them.
Click to expand...
Halloween is a bit different to wallmart on a saturday though...LOL..
Your daughter sounds like she understands that a snake is a good prop and vulnerable at the same time....
 
alan said:
If it's warm enough on Halloween my daughter takes Cheerio outside for a little bit as a "prop", mostly for shock value. That's about the same thing.
Don't worry, we're not crazy-bad snake keepers. It's for a short time. Jordan is a very good snake handler who thinks about the snake's needs. She is very careful to let people approach her, not vice-versa. At first most people think it's a trick, then most are interested. Some won't come near and she will back off for them.
Click to expand...

I agree with Mike. There's a time and place for everything, and Halloween is a good time to exhibit a snake! And it sounds like your daughter has a good handle on things.

I'm not suggesting that we hide our snakes at all times. I take mine out in the yard for photos. I don't do it if I see a lot of people outside, but I've been "witnessed" many, many times.
 
blueturtle said:
I was wearing a tank top and they have the extra material that is supposed to hold your boobs in place. It creates a pocket where she just coiled up and enjoyed the quick trip inside the store
Click to expand...

That is shocking Aida! I almost never put my snake between my boobs.
 
Everyone has great points... even some I didnt think about. Personally I would never take a snake into a store, let alone too far off my property (mostly just for the sake of the snake- how would I like to be them, taken to a parade or a store, and bombarded with crazy sounds, scary sights, and unable to hide from any of it). Scenarios would vary, but it would basically be the same idea. Sure Ive taken the occasional trip out front of my apartment which *is* a publicish area for pictures and a little exercise, but have still respected peoples' curiosity/horror. Anyway, thats neither here nor there...

Before I started writing, I was going to say how it was so selfish for him to take a snake out of thier comfort zone just for his own pleasure of 'parading' and shock value, but I then started thinking about it in another way, almost putting myself into that guy's situation. Maybe his reasons were good. However, I do use the term good very loosely here.

Not all the details of the story were included- like if he was respecting people's wishes of him to not be close to them with his snake, but one person flipped out vowing to sue the owner/manager (insert scenario here), and they had no choice but to kick him out. Maybe he didnt think he was doing anything wrong (especially if he was still respecting people), and only believed he could bring his snake because someone last week brought thier little yappy dog in (whether to make a point, or just from pure ignorance). Perhaps the snake and him had some special 'bond' (whether you believe he can or not), and the snake somewhat enjoyed hanging out on his shoulders just because.

There a ton of possibilities, but I guess my point is, maybe he wasnt one of those 'paraders', but a guy who really loved his snake. I know some of your responses, including one that might cross my mind, would be 'if you really loved your snake you would care enough to leave him home.' Im not trying to stand up for this guy, just throwing out a few more ideas to ponder.

But who knows... maybe he was one of "those people"

I guess this goes under the heading of "people are stupid" :headbang:

-1 for the pro-snakers
 
alan said:
That is shocking Aida! I almost never put my snake between my boobs.
Click to expand...

I'm going to assume the keyword(s) there is: almost never. lol

I put her there if I need my hands for something while handling her. Either way, she usually finds the place herself and will just hang out there for an hour or so if I let her. lol:licklips:
 
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