Got called a reptile freak today

Feel free folks! I stole it from Facebook as well! :D!

Most of the time, people just appear stunned when I say I have snakes. Then they do the whole pity head shake thing, you know what I mean.

I actually caused a scene once over one of my snakes. I went to a "Reptile Day" at my local petco, more out of curiosity than anything. Took one of my bigger girls with me. Several people were entranced by her. Had to pose with her for a few photos to prove a few people actually got "that" close to a huge snake. :rolleyes: Then I just kind of went walking around nosing. There were quite a few people there with their pets. Ended up over by the adoption area, and there is a whole group of ladies adopting kittens. So I walk over by the window to peek in, I'm certainly not going to just walk in, that would have been un-necessarily rude. One looks up and see me there and immediately starts bugling at the top of her lungs about how I could not come in there with that huge and dangerous snake that would eat the kittens.

I tried to be polite, I explained I had no plans to go into the room, I was just looking. She just keeps on bugling, and soon the others join her. "Keep that monster away from our little darlings! You just keep that nasty creature out there! You can't bring that viscous thing in here! You just need to take that freak thing and leave, yes leave before it hurts one of our babies!" That sort of nonsense. People staring and whispering to each other and nodding over those ladies comments. So I snapped.

I drew myself up tall, and said in a loud clear voice, " I had no intention of going in. I don't want one of your nasty tempered little flea ridden beasts hurting my beloved snake. I'd be crazy and a fool to let one of those destructive little monsters anywhere near my darling pet!" Then I turned and walked away. The ladies quit bugling and just stared after me stunned. The people whispering nodded their heads to me. One actually said. " Good for you, what idiots they are!" And loud enough for the kitten ladies to hear. Boy were they upset. How dare someone infer that my snake was better than their darling kittens.

Hubby was laughing his head off when we left. He told me he knew I was tough, but he'd been afraid I'd do something stupid. I told him I wouldn't do anything to endanger my snake, but they better hope non of them met me when I didn't have her to protect.

Gale

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Originally Posted by AK907

My wife on the other hand is known as the crazy rat lady because she always has a rat in her pocket or on her shoulder. The drive-thrus around here know us pretty well because we go through often with our rats and order them kid sized ice cream cones and other treats. It is always great meeting a new hire in the drive-thru window because they always spaz out when our one rat, Irwin, takes the dollar in his mouth, walks down my arm, pays for his ice cream and brings his treat back.

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this is not on the internet why? thats awesome

and yea, i get called reptile related names at work, but most people after they get over the "wtf?" moment seem to actually be quite interested and ask a lot of questions.

Yep, I've been there. Everyone who knows me calls me to relocate any 'bothersome' animal that they have in their yard or house. I enjoy it, and it keeps the animal from being killed, so it's a win-win. I've been approached at pet stores many times and asked for advice because I look like someone who "knows about reptiles" :D I suppose I do have the look about me.

I've been called things countless times in the past 2 weeks of owning reptiles, and unlike most hobbies, I feel bad-ass when handling things others are scared of! : )

i am 11 i get made fun of allot because i have 4 snakes .

Last year during "Senior Week" before graduation we had a "Senior Dinner" with awards, music, and a hypnotist and stuff. Well they had a roast where the class officers made up some funny awards just to poke fun at people in a good way. Well... you get the idea lol http://img.tapatalk.com/4c1344b1-2cfb-589f.jpg

Ive been called snake guy, bug guy, devil worshipper, devil. I love them all lol

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My co-workers refer to my place as the "house of horrors" :rolleyes:

Had my screensaver running today at work. I'm Receptionist, so people can see my monitor pretty easily at the moment.

My courier driver comes up, drops off my packages and points at my screen. He's like: "Is that your snake?!" I look and it was a picture of a ball python. I'm like: "No that's a friends. But mine is the same kind."

He proceeds to tell me horror stories he's heard, and tells me he has no idea why I would want to keep a 'dangerous' animal like that. So instead of arguing, I started asking him questions. If my corn snake is only 2" thick at her widest point, and 5 ft long, how would she possibly kill me? She couldn't even break my arm if she wanted to.

The more we started talking, the more mad he got that I had answers and explinations for all of the myths he had just finished telling me about. Once logic was presented, he just got huffy and left.

Moments after he left, a few co-workers came up to start telling me horror stories they had heard. At that point I was interally mad. And that's when I realized what the heck this is....

GOSSIP! People just LOVE to gossip! And they'll gossip about anything that makes their story sound interesting, because then they get attention. Even if it's at the expense of false facts or embelishing stories.

Thankfully, my one co-worker comes over, laughing and says: "He thought that your CORN SNAKE was going to KILL YOU?!" Meanwhile, this lady is scared of snakes. But even she thought it was ridiciulous.