Snakes and kids

poetix said :

IrishPete @24…I just looked up ‘Top Rioters’ over to the right. I didn’t know you could search any other way.

Now I am totally confused, for I see myself as an occasional and reticent commenter.

Oi be tinkin’ poetix posts, frequently, but only after a few sherberts, and then forgets?

IrishPete said :

Along the top of my screen I have a black band with a few icons.
….
IP

That’s a wordpress snake.

Run! Or you’ll be In the Python.

IrishPete said :

Along the top of my screen I have a black band with a few icons. This gives me access to Dashboard where I can… [see] unapproved posts, which is how I have been able to read your most recent post Poetix, before it is approved.)

I’d just assumed it was one of those $5.95pm clairvoyant phone lines.

But yes that menu is a neat little quirk of WordPress coding.

Along the top of my screen I have a black band with a few icons. This gives me access to Dashboard where I can do a few extra things, including searches, (and seeing unapproved posts, which is how I have been able to read your most recent post Poetix, before it is approved.)

This might be a mistake that I have access to it. But it doesn’t seem to allow me to do anything naughty.

If this post has come up before yours, it is because as creator of the thread, my posts are unmoderated. (And I treat that responsibility quite carefully.)

IP

IrishPete @24…I just looked up ‘Top Rioters’ over to the right. I didn’t know you could search any other way.

Now I am totally confused, for I see myself as an occasional and reticent commenter.

I hope the young boy gets his snake back, by the way. It must make him the coolest kid in school!

poetix said :

IrishPete said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Why do you say stalker? I only ever post when it’s relevant.

Comic_and_Stalker_Nerd – I checked, and that’s patently untrue (In fact your first post on this thread is sufficient evidence to prove so.) Unless you are leaving yourself logged in and a two-year-old is using your computer.

IP

To be fair, you are by far the most prolific comment poster on RiotACT. If one avoided commenting on the same threads as you, one would be rendered silent. Wanting to comment is hardly ‘stalking’.

And some of us bring camembert and champagne to the table…

I’ll bring the blue vein and the beer…

poetix said :

To be fair, you are by far the most prolific comment poster on RiotACT. If one avoided commenting on the same threads as you, one would be rendered silent. Wanting to comment is hardly ‘stalking’.

You read his/her comment? Nothing to do with the topic, solely aimed at me.

And as for my being the most prolific poster, that’s a matter of perception. There are currently lots of active threads I have no interest in.

And here are some stats: there are currently 2156 comments which mention or were posted by Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd, 4573 by or which mention poetix, 1103 by or which mention BimboGeek, 1540 DrKoresh, and 1518 by or which mention me.

It’s not so easy for me to tease out who is the author, but that gives you an idea.

Nor does it tell you how long people have been posting prolifically for, and I am more off the leash since leaving a public service job.

There are just over half a million posts in total.

But this is the RiotACT and facts have never got in the way of anything.

IP

IrishPete said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Why do you say stalker? I only ever post when it’s relevant.

Comic_and_Stalker_Nerd – I checked, and that’s patently untrue (In fact your first post on this thread is sufficient evidence to prove so.) Unless you are leaving yourself logged in and a two-year-old is using your computer.

IP

To be fair, you are by far the most prolific comment poster on RiotACT. If one avoided commenting on the same threads as you, one would be rendered silent. Wanting to comment is hardly ‘stalking’.

And some of us bring camembert and champagne to the table…

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Why do you say stalker? I only ever post when it’s relevant.

Comic_and_Stalker_Nerd – I checked, and that’s patently untrue (In fact your first post on this thread is sufficient evidence to prove so.) Unless you are leaving yourself logged in and a two-year-old is using your computer.

IP

Pork Hunt said :

IrishPete said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Petey boy, you do not seem to know much about anything you comment on.

I’d like to welcome one of my stalkers to this thread. You’re late – where have you been until now?

IP

It’s not stalking if you like it… 🙂

Funnily enough, that’s pretty much what stalkers say.

IP

*Puts up hand*, given the photos in the linked article involve a totally harmless diamond python.

IrishPete said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Petey boy, you do not seem to know much about anything you comment on.

I’d like to welcome one of my stalkers to this thread. You’re late – where have you been until now?

IP

Why do you say stalker? I only ever post when it’s relevant.

IrishPete said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Petey boy, you do not seem to know much about anything you comment on.

I’d like to welcome one of my stalkers to this thread. You’re late – where have you been until now?

IP

It’s not stalking if you like it… 🙂

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Petey boy, you do not seem to know much about anything you comment on.

I’d like to welcome one of my stalkers to this thread. You’re late – where have you been until now?

IP

IrishPete said :

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

/hand up

Where’s your hand, IP? I can’t tell if your post is a deserved comment on the irrational hysteria in the Facebook comments shown in the CT article (OMG HIDE INDOORS SNAKE COMING TO KILL US), or just you doing a bit of sensationalist editorialising while leaving yourself the coward’s exit of ‘I just asked a question’.

If you think the snake’s owners are bad parents, grow a pair and say so. If you think this is unsafe, evidence or GTFO.

Well, I don’t know much about constrictors, so there was an element of fence-sitting, consulting the old “hive brain”. Call that cowardly if you want, but opinion in the absence of knowledge is pretty dumb. (What am I saying? On the RiotACT??? Wash your mouth out Peter.)

There have been incidents overseas of constrictors of this size or smaller harming children, but not this species (which obviously doesn’t exist overseas.) When I Googled, I found the warnings about Diamond Pythons were mainly about painful bites, and sometimes leaving a tooth behind in the bite – that was unexpected. A man in Bali was killed a few weeks back by a very large constrictor, but relative to the size of that snake this small child is probably about the same.

It’s not as if parents always do the right thing by their children, so I wasn’t prepared to accept the owner/father’s defensive assurances. So far the opinion of experts (or at least those who claim experience with snakes) seems to be “it’s safe under supervision”. So next question, if a constrictor was to tighten its grip, how easy is it to remove it quickly?

Despite growing up in a snake free country (thanks St Paddy) they don’t bother me too much now, and that’s the poisonous ones even. Mind you, I taunt European Wasps, so maybe I have a death wish.

IP

Petey boy, you do not seem to know much about anything you comment on.

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

/hand up

Where’s your hand, IP? I can’t tell if your post is a deserved comment on the irrational hysteria in the Facebook comments shown in the CT article (OMG HIDE INDOORS SNAKE COMING TO KILL US), or just you doing a bit of sensationalist editorialising while leaving yourself the coward’s exit of ‘I just asked a question’.

If you think the snake’s owners are bad parents, grow a pair and say so. If you think this is unsafe, evidence or GTFO.

Well, I don’t know much about constrictors, so there was an element of fence-sitting, consulting the old “hive brain”. Call that cowardly if you want, but opinion in the absence of knowledge is pretty dumb. (What am I saying? On the RiotACT??? Wash your mouth out Peter.)

There have been incidents overseas of constrictors of this size or smaller harming children, but not this species (which obviously doesn’t exist overseas.) When I Googled, I found the warnings about Diamond Pythons were mainly about painful bites, and sometimes leaving a tooth behind in the bite – that was unexpected. A man in Bali was killed a few weeks back by a very large constrictor, but relative to the size of that snake this small child is probably about the same.

It’s not as if parents always do the right thing by their children, so I wasn’t prepared to accept the owner/father’s defensive assurances. So far the opinion of experts (or at least those who claim experience with snakes) seems to be “it’s safe under supervision”. So next question, if a constrictor was to tighten its grip, how easy is it to remove it quickly?

Despite growing up in a snake free country (thanks St Paddy) they don’t bother me too much now, and that’s the poisonous ones even. Mind you, I taunt European Wasps, so maybe I have a death wish.

IP

/hand up

Where’s your hand, IP? I can’t tell if your post is a deserved comment on the irrational hysteria in the Facebook comments shown in the CT article (OMG HIDE INDOORS SNAKE COMING TO KILL US), or just you doing a bit of sensationalist editorialising while leaving yourself the coward’s exit of ‘I just asked a question’.

If you think the snake’s owners are bad parents, grow a pair and say so. If you think this is unsafe, evidence or GTFO.

It’s a fantastic idea to bring kids up appreciating wildlife – we kill snakes far too readily out of fear (possibly even influenced by unconscious, remnant religious tropes). Absolutely in favour of wrapping a harmless snake around a kid’s head under supervision. And around all the neighbourhood kids’ heads too, so they grow up respecting our native animals.

The little tacker would be safer with that snake than with most dogs. Kids should be supervised with any animal that has the ability to hurt them and that appears to be the case here.

looks entirely fine to me…

Based on said photo and the owner’s comments, perfectly fine.

The snake isn’t constricting at all, just using the kid’s hat for purchase. The comments suggest the animal is extremely used to being handled. That, and the python’s relaxed pose in the photo, tell me that at the time the photo was taken, the snake was not afraid (which might cause it to either attack, or put a strangle-hold around the kid’s neck for purchase).

The child is clearly enjoying himself and not uncertain (uncertainty in snake handling leads to not providing a stable purchase for the animal, which again leads to tighter holding-on). Also, the child is many, many times too big to be thought of as prey for the snake. The adult male in the background of the photo (photographer unknown) is close enough and strong enough to easily extricate the child had any issues arisen.

Source: amateur herpetologist of eight years. (My username is from the latin name, Morelia Spilota; carpet python).

So there seem to be varying opinions on the safety. Of 8 comments, not counting mine, 4 are dubious, 3 confident and one not commenting directly.

IP

As far as I am aware, there has never been a case of an Australian Diamond Python taking a human, but they have been known to take revenge on feral cats.

My hands are up.

Let me ask you something, if this was an educational thing, for example the science expo, would you be okay with it?

Because the same thing happens at those, no one seems to have a problem with it, it’s up to the parent and the child. I’m sure if the child was frightened it wouldn’t have happened. I’m also sure that if the owner had concerns for the childs safety in any way, it wouldn’t have happened. People who commented on the facebook post instilling fear does not help.

It’s a Python, it’s non venomous and while there is some hazard when handling any animal, it was under supervision. I handled them when I was young, even had one much larger than that coiled around me and I’m still alive. In fact it was a great experience because I’ve never bought into the over the top fears and silly stereotypes many people have about snakes, fantastic learning experience.

I’d like to think Charles Kogan and Malcolm The Snake are on the lam in a Mazda 121.

Id let it wrap itself around your head (neck perhaps?) IP!

I do! More snakes, less kids, the world will be a better place.

It really depends on how fond you are of said kid.