*Shiver*... my worst phobia

[Evil Queen]

I do understand that people might find my fear of snakes ridiculous.

Are you nuts? Those things (I don't want to say the word ) are very dangerous and shouldn't be handled unless you are very familiar with the breed and/or are a professional critter-getter-ridder. Even the "harmless" ones can bite and tear the flesh, as a former friend (who is now badly scared from catching the critters) is well aware.

No harm done. But I'll be happy to remove them for you.

[Ree]

My apologies if I upset you as well, EQ.

I was worried I hadn't worded things very well, and it appears that I didn't.

I can take a friendly ribbing, and I do understand that people might find my fear of snakes ridiculous.

I just didn't want a whole thread full of snake lovers trivializing my fears in an effort to have me face my phobia, so I was trying to nip it in the bud before it started.

[Evil Queen]

I'm terrified of cockroaches and spiders, yet others really like spiders so who am I to complain? Taking a subject lightly is generally done to lighten the mood, make the situation seem less scary, that sort of thing.

Well Ree, if I upset you I'm sorry.

[tollbaby]

It wasn't necessarily your post Ree took offense to, EQ... but it can really diminish one's confidence to have one's fears trivialized, which even an innocuous comments such as, "Well hey, I'm not afraid of that, I love that!" can sound like. All in all, I took it as simply a request for a bit more sensitivity

[katie kaboom]

There was a dead snake all caught up in the impeller inside the motor of the pump.

Omg, i swear i would pass out cold if that happened to me. I'm terrified of snakes.

[Evil Queen]

Whoa Ree, who's offended? I'm certainly not and dropped the subject after mentioning I liked something you didn't. People do it all the time on this forum. I even agreed with another poster about a sure fire method that keeps them AWAY (moth balls).

no one's saying mean things about it or you. Now, I certainly wouldn't give you any snake I found (they're mine, damn it!) but I'm not afraid of them so I can get rid of them if the need arises.

But I wouldn't keep one as a pet. They aren't snuggly enough.

[tollbaby]

Ree, how horrible for you My thing is spiders... and oogy-boogies (cockroaches, which I have trouble even saying the word, thus the name). Now I'm lucky in that I haven't seen a live cockroach since I was 18 (when my first apartment was overrun with them), but I see spiders EVERYWHERE.... the fun bit being that a spider obviously built a nest in my car at some point, and I'll randomly get spiders travelling across my windshield INSIDE the car while I'm driving. I've had about fourteen of the dirty little buggers thus far - first one actually caused me to freak out, slide into the guard rail, and shred a tire, but I didn't do any other damage to the car, fortunately. The tire alone put me way behind and I'm still playing catch-up four months later

So I can COMPLETELY understand where you're coming from *hugs* Phobias are nothing to make light of (while I don't have a problem with snakes, and in fact like them - to a certain degree - I do understand having irrational fears VERY well, because I have more than a few of my own!) would you feel better if you took a lysol wipe to your desk?

[SilverOrb]

*hides her ratties from the snakes*

There are some real idiots in the world. I don't even want to know how a snake got in there in the first place.

[Boozy]

Snakes are my phobia, too.

I was so scared reading your story that I nearly cried, and I'm still shivering.

[Ree]

I love snakes. <3

*hands pet snake to Ree*

I know people are just trying to be helpful, and I realize many people do like snakes and keep them as pets, but this my phobia, as irrational as it may be to some. I would prefer not to have it made light of and get lectures on how wonderful snakes really are. That's your thing, not mine.
If you are a snake fan, please do not be offended because of my phobia.

Phobia of the creature aside, it was still a pretty gross situation to unknowingly have that dead creature decaying inside a pump one has handled repeatedly, and then be told about it as one is eating lunch.

[Evil Queen]

Actually, in my experiance, mothballs do work. We used to put them out at the first hotel I worked at (in the NC mountains).

[Snowbird]

My husband killed a baby rattler in the backyard earlier this summer. Usually I don't mind snakes as long as they stay in their space and don't invade mine. I would't go in our backyard for a couple weeks after that.

My parents dog alerted us to a snake in their pool area, nobody could figure out what he was going on about until I saw it doing the head weave thing. I'm not a fan of snakes either. Stinging insects are a worse phobia though.

I've heard that putting out mothballs will keep them away but I'm no expert. Maybe the MB snake lady could answer?

And as to the OP? So nasty. So, so nasty.

[nomorecarts]

*hands pet snake to Ree*

don't worry, it only bites if you smell like a small rodent(I found that out the hard way )

[Evil Queen]

I love snakes. <3

[Ree]

You rotten little....!!