Is this legal?

[Ikon]

Okay...leaving all the worries out...the snake is fine. Heats were all okay, humidity stayed decent, etc.....

Now...onto my problem. Where my burm stays is at a friends house. Well in December she got herself a boyfriend and moved in with him. Long story short she shut her gas, cable, etc off, leaving only electric on due to the snake. well they decided to move back to her house. They call the gas company to come out and check the meter...the girls that came to check the meter walked into her basement, saw the cage...and asked what was in it. when my friend told them it was a 15ft snake the gas company SPLIT, and refused to walk back into the house.

so now, in order for my friend to get her gas turned back on, my snake has to be out of the basement. Now by burms cage is 6' x 4' Thats frickin huge and in no way can I take it out of the basement (easily). And instead of giving a specific time when they'll be there...they tell her from 12-4. So now...my fricking snake has to be moved for hours....and Im not quite sure how Im gunna quite do that....

just wondering if anyone else has ever encountered anything like this?

[ThyTempest]

As long as you are not in violation of any laws or ordinances, the company should be obligated to continue working. Offer to accompany them to ease their nerves, and make sure the cage is secure, and show them that.

[Ikon]

Thats the kicker of it. They walked by the cage, and were in front of the meter that they needed to be at to turn it on. I wasnt there so I dunno exactly how it happened but yeah, they were in the basement...walked by the cage to the meter...THEN realized they had a problem with it.


Sorry shoulda clarified that

[ThyTempest]

I realized what happened. They should have just sucked it up and gotten it over with, but now that it is after the fact, they should still be obliged to do the work with or without the snake being there. I think as a courtesy, knowing that some people will be nervous/afraid of our hobby, you should offer to have someone there who is comfortable with the snake to ....

Show the worker that the snake cannot escape.
If they get over their fears, let them touch it etc to perhaps calm their nerves.
Offer to take it upstairs/in another room for a quick handling session while they do their work.

[Ikon]

All very good and valid points....

The viv is very easily seen as safe. It has two doors with huge locks, etc. The light was on, they could clearly see she was asleep/not going anywhere....

taking the snake "upstairs" isnt an option, with them knowing about it. According to them the snake can NOT be IN the house when they are there.

I completely understand that snakes, especially a 15ft Burm is not exactly "comforting" to those not herp friendly...but seriously? Lets say I keep pet pirahnas (sp?). Are they not going to come in my house because my fish are in their tank, even though they can, and will, attack humans and eat them?

[ev477]

That's pretty funny since the enclosure is secure. Maybe they'll get some discounts on the next gas bill since the guy was being unprofessional ... I doubt it though

[Ikon]

Right!...Its just annoying.

[ThyTempest]

How high up the chain of command have to talked to with the gas company? Personally, I think this is bs. I agree with Evan, this is very unprofessional, and if I were the gas company I would be thanking my lucky stars that they almost certainly have a monopoly in the area.

If you have not taken the issue far up the line yet, I would do that first. Be clear and concise on the fact that while the snake may be a bit intimidating, it is perfectly secure, and that it is a rediculous demand for the snake to be out of the house. This is in lines with a similar worker/meterman/whatever refusing to enter a house with a vicious dog. Understandable...but not when the dog is restrained in a crate, locked room etc...this is the same ordreal, but is exacerbated by the stigma of the public's view on large snakes.

[Ikon]

Well going up on the chain is my next step as we havent contacted anybody above the general operator or whatever. Not that we havent tried...but apparently the higher you try to go up on the chain, the longer you have to wait. My friend sat on the phone, on hold, for a half hour the other day, and thats just because she asked to speak to a supervisor

[ThyTempest]

Semantics can be important with this kind of stuff. Try asking for a district manager, local manager or regional supervisor, etc... If you are up to it, do some research to find the name of the person you need to talk to, and ask for them specifically when you call. Oftentimes the lowly operators are freaked out that you know their supervisor by name and won't hesitate to put you through.