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The Venomous Trade (long sorry)
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Anonymous post on August 6, 2004
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I recently attended a venomous show and witnessed a man/kid (16-22yrs old, he was too dirty and white trash looking to tell) walk up to a table and ask, "which one of these 'poisonous' snakes is the most deadly." The vendor pointed to one of the snakes on the table and the MOTHER of the man/kid asked, "how muck is it?" The vendor replied and the purchase was made. The kicker was ......are you ready for this one....when the woman was leaving the show she turned again and asked the vendor, "what kind of snake is this exactly?" And the vendor answered and never missed a beat... on to the next customer.
AAAAHHHHHH!
This type of situation wasn't uncommon at more than one show. Not this exact situation occurs all the time but I have witnessed my fair share of hot snakes being sold to 18 year olds that, in my honest opinion, may not even know what the meaning of the word 'venomous' or 'hot'. I'm concered, because I've seen people leave with venomous snakes that they don't even know if it should hood or rattle!
I do understand that when one does this for a living, that money talks. Yet when one of your customers looses the snake you sold them. And they loose it in an apartment complex and it makes it to national news, which leads to legislation against the hobby limiting your customer base, how smart was that sale?????
This is my question or plea. Is there any way to govern who is allowed to buy snakes at shows or online? I truly understand that in states such as Texas all you need to have is an ID that says you are over 18 and a beating heart. I know it is up to the state to control who is allowed to keep snakes. However there are some major morallity and simply common sense issues that need to be addressed here.
Can we regulate who is allowed to buy? Maybe at shows people should have to take and pass a test to be allowed to buy snakes. I cannot see anything wrong with making sure that people are at least familiar with reptiles in general before allowing them to just walk in and buy a dangerous snake.
My main concern is for states with no regulations. Anyone who is and adult can buy a venomous snake. THAT IS FREAKING SCARY.
BUT the vendors have total control over who they sell to and don't sell to. I know that a vendor cannot go to the potential customer's house and inspect their facility and interview them well enough in the time given to get a good idea. But we need something. Before one mistake blows up and sends the legislation to the point were hots are no longer legal at all in the state.
Vendors, show hosts, etc. lets get some protection going on....have a short test to potential buyers. I know the next time I have a table I will definatly require a short questionare/test to be filled out and passed before I will allow you to walk away with one of my animals. I don't care if you're legal, I want to know if you are competent.
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RE: The Venomous Trade (long sorry)
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by LarryDFishel on August 6, 2004
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This is a tough one. As potentially dangerous as it sounds, the most likely result sounds like a net benefit to our species (but not our hobby).
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RE: The Venomous Trade (long sorry)
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Anonymous post on August 6, 2004
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Freedom. The right to do whatever you want , as long as it doesn't effect the life or liberty of anyone else. People used to die for it, Now it scares the hell out of most people.Everyone says they want to be free, but only if the freakin government regulates "freedom" to thier satisfaction.Sure the vendor in your example was an idiot. But where do we draw the line? I'm sick and damn tired of endless rules and laws holding back the vast majority of intellegent people because of a few idiots and "political correctness".
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RE: The Venomous Trade (long sorry)
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by Phobos on August 7, 2004
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I wrote about that same sort of lack of any sense back in April of this year.
http://www.venomousreptiles.org/forums/Experts/7399
This is what I said:
I was in Hamburg today at the Northern Berks show and overheard a conversation that disturbed me.
One vendor was talking to a prospect (in his 30's)that was looking over the Hot snakes on the table to purchase. The buyer ended up chosing between a EG Mamba and a Waglers PV. The buyer had no clue what he was buying and was asking the differences between the bites from the two snakes. The vendor explained and the guy bought the Wagler and had him set it aside and left.
I followed the guy and had a few words with him about what just happened but I could not pursuade him to A. don't buy anything till he was did some homework. or B. buy a Copperhead or a Pig (Sistrurus)as a first hot. If he got tagged the fallout with not be huge. (Yeah, Waglers are not suppose to have bad bites either but I was loooking at the fact that they are at least domestic.)
I don't know how often this happens but once is too many times in my estimation. It would give the state legislature something to act on and change the laws.
I also heard that New York was in the process of doing just that because of the idiot that kept the tiger in his apartment. The Herp laws would be changed too I was told.
Just take one idiot or vendor to mess it up for us all.
Al
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RE: The Venomous Trade (long sorry)
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by twoblackbelts on August 19, 2004
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"Freedom. The right to do whatever you want , as long as it doesn't effect the life or liberty of anyone else. People used to die for it, Now it scares the hell out of most people.Everyone says they want to be free, but only if the freakin government regulates "freedom" to thier satisfaction.Sure the vendor in your example was an idiot. But where do we draw the line? I'm sick and damn tired of endless rules and laws holding back the vast majority of intellegent people because of a few idiots and 'political correctness'".
Amen, Brother. Amen. If idiots want to die by snakebite they should have the freedom to do so.
As an aside, microchipping a snake in the event it gets out and kills an innocent presewrves OUR freedoms, yet imprisons the idiots responsible for criminal negligence. I've kept hots since 1977 and NEVER had a close call. It is possible.
Dani
Dani
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