I am curious as to how many snake owners also get comments from others along the lines of, "Oh he has such a sad life because he lives in a tank." Both my parents and bf think this.

Personally I think that snakes in tanks have it pretty good. I acknowledge the fact that they can't really explore, but they have regular food, a safe environment without any predators, a heating pad, and an environment that is tailored to their needs. What more could they want?!