People are people, I guess.

[briawna_itabp]

Thats so terrible. I don't see how people can be so ignorant.

[MarkS]

With all due respect, you can't say you didn't even slightly expect this sort of issue. Every single one of us knows the general consensus when it comes to snakes. People are ignorant. One snake is the same as the rest to them. They don't want to take the initiative to learn about something they fear, so they continue to make themselves look like insensitive morons.

Actually, that's not the usual response I get from people around here at all. I do a lot of educational hands on shows with various other people from my herp society and have shown off my animals to literally thousands of people. Also nearly every person I know from friends to coworkers knows that I keep reptiles, especially snakes, in my home. Yet negative comments are actually pretty rare. Maybe it is a regional thing, this far up north we don't have any venomous species so the average kid growing up around here never heard their mom tell them to 'look out for snakes' every time they went outside to play so they didn't grow up with that fear. I don't know, maybe something to think about.

[PghBall]

i have a pic of my baby (who's still at the breeder's) on my facebook and i have yet to get a negative comment...thank goodness. but yeah i hate people's ignorance as well. my own dad falls under that...he goes along with that "a good snake is a dead one". my mom believes snakes are evil because the bible depicts satan as one. what if satan took the form of a cute little bunny rabbit...does that mean all bunny rabbits are evil now?
wheres the logic in that?
[shakes head & shrugs]
i just shrug and go on with my day. no sense in getting worked up over something thats out of my control, especially if the people in question arent willing to listen.

I'm 37 and my mom hates the fact that I have my snakes. When she brings up any false statement regarding them, I correct her and tell her to do some research on a Ball Python. I also remind her that she has two 140+ lb dogs that are far more dangerous than my snakes. Conversation usually ends there...but then there is my rats......

[PixieMaple]

Yuck, people need to get a grip...
Most people who I tell about my snake just get weirded out and say "oh... why do you have one?". An awkward conversation ensues.
And among my group of friends, I'm the "weird" one for having a snake. Cause you know, they're suuuuper dangerous and "slimy"

[rabernet]

I have hundreds of friends on Facebook, probably 1/2 are reptile friends. The other half I guess are so used to my FB picture (which is the same as this avatar) that I don't get negative comments. My co-workers all know that I keep and breed ball pythons, some are afraid of snakes, but none make negative comments about my animals. They respect ME enough to not say negative things.

[wilomn]

No thanks for asking, but I happen to have a whole lot of "drop-it" lying around the house, care for some?

So, the potty training was not so successful as one may have wished it was? Mommy issues?

I can believe that but I don't think it's pertinent to this topic.

[Animals As Leaders]

So, the potty training was not so successful as one may have wished it was? Mommy issues?

I can believe that but I don't think it's pertinent to this topic.

Nailed it right on the head!!! Good for you Wilo, you smarty pants!! You must have graduated second grade!! Maybe you should just keep your un-pertinent comments to yourself, so we don't have to discuss b.s on someone else's thread! Freaking rude...

[Peeved kitten]

When I am confronted by people who are ignorant about snakes I do the most unintelligent thing ever, I give them true facts! I have found that if you blatantly tell them that what they are talking about is wrong and they are being ignorant they will either get all pissy and walk off, or they are so shocked it give me a few moments to explain their misconceptions.

I'm really horrible with other people's fears though, I don't have quite enough common sense to have much myself. I have a hard time understanding why something 1/10th your size that is non-venomous should scare you. I also try to find and show a statistic of dog bites, and then mention I've never been bitten by my snake. (I've been bitten by dogs before, although as a breeder you would expect that!)

Honestly the biggest issue are the people who have an "irrational" fear, they are so blind to everything but the fear. No amount of information can help someone who has decided to close their eyes and cover there ears. :/

[BlissfulChaos]

My Mom used to hate snakes. She's was def a border line phobic! Well I've gotten her to touch my BP and even be with me when I feed her. She now wants to hold her....well eventually she said. And even made a comment that made me smile ear to ear....she said she wants one of her own!

[Alexandra V]

Also, one of our friends posted a status on her facebook saying (i'm paraphrasing) "When I see a furry dead animal on the road I feel sad, that must mean I'm sensitive and caring. Today I saw a big black snake dead on the road and I was happy. Is that bad?". And everybody except me said No, of course not.

that doesn't make much sense... I mean, to feel bad for any animal would be sensitive and caring. as soon as you say "but when I see dead snakes it makes me happy" that makes you prejudiced, not sensitive and caring.