How did retics get so popular?

[Bogertophis]

...also comes down to not doing stupid stuff imo eg: putting a big snake around your neck...

The problem with "big" (long) snakes is that you don't have to do something stupid like putting them around your neck- they can rapidly GO there by themselves, & 2 hands are not always enough to restrain them & prevent them from doing so.

For large snakes the best protocol (no matter how much experience or strength you have) is to have other experienced people* on hand "in case", EVERY time it's necessary to work with (feed/handle/clean) such snakes. It's just like a skilled athlete doing gymnastics has a "spotter" standing by to assist- usually don't they need them, but that one time they do, it's golden.

*How many are needed depends on how big the snake is, as well as it's attitude. If it's not possible to have back-up when working with big snakes, you just really shouldn't have them- others have thought themselves strong enough & experienced enough to get out of any "situations" but they've been wrong. We don't want to read about you in the paper, truly. Accidents reflect badly on our "community" of snake keepers, & if we don't regulate ourselves, others will. And many are looking for every opportunity to do so- just keep that in mind. There's no shortage of people that hate snakes & that we keep them.