My neighbors were astounded that their ball python "escaped" from a 55g tank(bare by the way, no hides, no nothing) that they had draped a blanket over. So it's not a single case of stupidity... it's rampant. But these are the same types that leave their infant with a large dog, or think it's cute to get a picture really close to a bull moose in the wild, etc etc.

It's just because there was a snake involved that people start going "We should make a permit system or outlaw those dangerous snakes!"

Why isn't there a push to ban dogs? They kill a lot more kids per year than giant snakes have... ever.