Negative reactions to having snakes shipped to your work? (also a slight rant)

[artgecko]

I know this could go into general herp, but I felt that ranting about people belonged more in the OT section (if you disagree mods, feel free to move)...

That said, I'd love to hear your experiences of odd reactions when you've had snakes shipped to your work or somewhere other than your home... Today I had my first and it's a doozy.

Here's mine:

Today was the third time I've had a herp shipped to my workplace, the first time was a gecko, second was a sand boa, and today I got a BCA male. Before the first shipment I cleared it with my "boss" the head master and I have informed him of the other two, to which he responds "as long as I don't see it" (because he's afraid of snakes).

I teach at a private school, so there's always someone to get the package, and in the past, the secretary has discreetly handed it to me, I've tucked it under my desk, and no one's been the wiser. I will tell those I know are interested in herps beforehand and when I check to see that my critter has arrived alive, I will show them if interested. No students know, no staff, etc.

This week I informed the secretary in the office nearest me, no problems as usual.. I did screw up though... I didn't inform the new office staff in the other school office because packages are always delivered to the office nearest me.

When my box arrived, along with it came the new HS secretary, a "coach", and a HS student wanting to know what was in it.. When I told them they wanted to "see it". So, I said OK, and did my normal check for him being alive, didn't take him out of his bag but let them peer in the top. I was careful to explain that he is harmless, can't get out of the shipping box, etc. When the coach asked if it was legal to get a snake in the mail I said yes.

In less than 10 minutes I find our accounting controller (basically our office staff manager) at my door asking what I got and then telling me that I would need to take him home at lunch instead of after school and that she had not heard of my other deliveries. She also told me that I could no longer get snakes sent to school because, and I quote.. "all it would take is one child going home and telling their parents that a snake got shipped to school". Apparently word had spread "over the entire school" that I had gotten a snake. and people were "upset". *sigh*

I am going to speak to our new headmaster-in-training (he's taking over next year) about it tomorrow and tell him that I had notified the previous headmaster. Although I will abide by her request if he says to, I feel that it is unfair to me. I would also like to know who was "upset" so that I can have a chance to clarify this with them (not to yell but to educate)... Ignorant people like this are the reason states can pass so many anti-exotic laws.

I'm quite disturbed about this for two reasons.
1. I did nothing wrong (it was the three stooges that came with the box and apparently told the entire school) yet I am punished
2. This shows just how rampant the fear of ANY snake, even a small, harmless, domestically-bred one is.

I'm sorry for the rant, just felt the need to vent and see if others had experienced similar things. Why can't people just "be cool" about stuff?

[Slim]

This is one of the many reasons I keep my snake business to myself. I am interested that the faculty at a school...a place of education...would have such a close minded reaction. My kids are in a public middle school, and they have a corn snake in their home room.

[Gerardo]

Ive actually had good reactions. Ive had my last 5 BPs sent to work. The owner says he is not a snake person at all but has signed for all the packages and calls me in the office and say "your buddies are here." My other boss (his fiance) loves when i have snakes delivered to work and takes puctures with them and actually kissed one of them. My coworkers are mixed. Some will pet them some wont but they all want to see them. Im pretty lucky that they are completely ok with snakes being delivered there.

[satomi325]

I haven't had snakes sent to my work place. I wouldn't be able anyways since it's a research facility that takes many many documentations and clearances to let an animal in.

But I do occasionally have snakes shipped to my local hub. Usually with no issue. However, one time, it did not go well.
They refused to hold the snake for some bizarre reason and made the FedEx delivery guy keep it on his truck. FedEx was kind enough to call me to let me know that the hub refused the snake and they did try their best to get the snake to me via deliver guy. This is the same hub that I usually hold snakes at. I'm guessing it's a newbie employee that was scared... The seller and myself have tried to contact the hub for answers, but they never said. The main distributing center tried to find answers too, but all they said was the hub wouldn't hold 'live animals'. They were confused too...

This was in December, so I didn't want to let the snake sit outside my house in the cold, just in case I wasn't home. That's why I wanted it at the hub for safety. And I eventually had to drive out to meet the delivery driver. He couldn't come to my house because December was just super busy for them and they couldn't go off course. But when I did meet up with the Delivery guy, he asked me why I had a reptile shipped. It supposedly isn't allowed..... (BS!)

[MonkeyShuttle]

There are a lot of ignorant people in this world


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[Bluebonnet Herp]

There are a lot of ignorant people in this world


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There's probably as much ignorant people on this planet as there are blades of green grass.

[MonkeyShuttle]

I would personally only have an animal shipped to my place of work if it was that type of atmosphere(zoo, pet shop) or maybe a small business where i knew the people. Probably never to a school for the fact that some parents like to make big deals over small things when it comes to there kids.


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[John1982]

My school experience was quite the opposite. My dad taught elementary school and always had animals in his class. The school embraced this to the point that when any living creature wandered onto school grounds, instead of panic and/or killing it, they would call him on the intercom system to come capture and relocate. Believe me when I tell you this was quite the feat down here where the typical mentality is that the only good snake is a dead snake. Most often it was a hatchling racer or grey rat snake but over the years he built up with quite the tally of diverse creatures. When I was in middle school I had a pair of hatchling alligator snapping turtles delivered to the elementary school so my dad could make sure they arrived safe and sound. It was another typical day as far as the students and faculty were concerned though they were pretty interested to learn people shipped such creatures in the mail.

[artgecko]

Thanks for the replies guys.
I would prefer to get him delivered to my home, but I live in an apartment and both of us work normal hours, so any snake would be at risk of sitting outside my apartment door or getting delivered to my apartment office (they know I have snakes, but not sure how they'd react to getting one delivered there)... My only time off is in the summer, when it's too hot to ship.

I've spoken with my husband and he said that we can get any others we purchase shipped to his work (a much smaller business that isn't school-related).

I tell my students I keep snakes, they know I have geckos, which are my class pets. The students seem cool with it, it's just the adults in the situation that are troublesome.

When I first started there, about 6 years ago, one of the teachers had a pet snake (ball python I think) in his class and even fed it and let the students watch. They never gave hm any grief, but he was only there for a year, so I guess they could have had issues with him given more time.