I like them because they're slow moving snakes, but have some girth and weight. They're not enormous, but there's something solid about them that makes me feel more confident handling them.
I don't know. I know they get a lot of guff, but I really like my two. I've only had them for a month and some change and a week and some change, but they've been really nice, satisfying pets for me. They're not needy or demanding, they're not hard to take care of once set up, they handle well (I pulled the female out, deeply in blue, and was out of the room with her before I even realized it because she was just as calm and easy going as ever). I guess, basically, they're just easy, and absolutely not intimidating.