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Oh WalMart... Is it at all possible for you to become even more evil?
I suppose if they started performing late-term abortions right next to the eyeglass and hearing aid shops, they could be... but they're not far off!
Oh WalMart... Is it at all possible for you to become even more evil?
I suppose if they started performing late-term abortions right next to the eyeglass and hearing aid shops, they could be... but they're not far off!
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That's 7 snake bites in the past 10 years, and not necessarily even at the same Wal-Mart. This is hardly an epidemic. For those who don't live in Florida, pygmy rattlesnakes are a fact of life. Full-time residents should know not to reach blindly into dark, cozy areas without checking first, much like we know not to jump into an open body of water without making 1000% certain there's no gator there.
I'm not making light of the snake bites, I'm just not sure what Wal-Mart can be expected to do when, less than once a year, a snake bites a customer in the outdoor section at various stores around the state.
I bet those snakes aren't even getting paid overtime.
I'm disappointed in the Consumerist for forcing me to defend Wal-Mart, but there weren't seven snake bite incidents at that Wal-Mart. There have been seven incidents at different Wal-Mart stores throughout the South in the last 20 years.
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Agreed with cp87; this is not 7 bites in the same location. This is 7 bites over 20 years at any ine of their thousands of locations. The article doesn't even specifically limit it to the south, but instead says that the rattler is native to the south.
That said, Wal-Mart should be liable for something in this matter. Still, The Consumerist needs to read its articles a bit better. Sorry, new weekend guy, no cookie here.
Oh then I retract my former statement.
Oh wait, no I don't. :) WalMart still blows.
I didn't even know WalMart sold snakes. I didn't know ANYONE sold rattlesnakes. Is there anything they don't sell?
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i'm in ur storez biting ur customerz.
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Regardless, I think we can all agree that the supplied picture is great.
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I'm not in any way saying that this man wasn't bitten, but this story reminds me of a \"snake bite\" that happened at the Wal-Mart in the town where I live in Texas.
A man said a snake was hiding in the shoe department and he was bitten on the hand. When the case was investigated neither his bite nor the snake \"he stomped to death\" were very fresh.
http://www.texnews.com/1998/2003/texas/texas_Reports__103....
@Musician78 : Re-read the article.. it does not have anything to do with Wal-Mart selling snakes. Apparently, the customers are outside buying lanscape products like patio stones, etc. when the snake bites occur.
I hate to take Wal-Mart's side in anything, but I can't see how they could do anything about this. Snakes are a fact of life in the South, and open-air garden centers are going to have occasional snakes.
Wal-Mart should just throw some hush money and the victims and leave it at that. Of course, then you get guys like the shoe department con man...
Heypal: this aint 4chan, that'd be a great picture though. 7 bites at different locations over 20 years isnt exactly the evil we expect from wal-mart but still. If I am at your store and get injured its your responsibility, unless it was due to another person. Yes snakes are a fact of life in the south but I've yet to be bitten by one and I spent quite a few summers in the country so if I get bite at a wal-mart I'd be pretty pissed off to.
Where's Bluegus when we need him? Is there a reasonable expectation that an outdoor garden center be free of poisonous snakes in an area that has several native species of such? Should WalMart let mongooses loose in the garden department?
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Aaargghh! That pic is a nightmare vision -- I'm going to have to rinse my brain out with Lysol to get it out my head. I.hate.snakes.
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@warchild:
Phew, thank God you pointed that out. I was just about to write my congressman an angry email about the easy availability of poisonous snakes at large retail chains. Won't someone please think about the children?
After the first incident, lack of response by WalMart will constitute a lack of due care, so, they will be liable.
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Geez, folks...you're all so pessimistic; it's not a hazard..it's a feature! Why, just think of it as a built-in petting zoo! Besides, Wal-Mart can promote their new line of snake-bite kits. Better yet, allow people to bring their shotguns shopping so they can blast the little bastards on sight.
Ahh, wacky Wal-Mart...what will you next?
Maybe this store could call that poor Taco Bell in NYC and order a few rats to keep their snakes busy.
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dwayne - stole the words outta my mouth. it's not a snake gotterdamurung, it's an upsale opportunity for anti-venom packs!
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@umlaut75: The post didn't say it was the same supercenter. The subject might be a little hazy as to where the snakes were found, but the actual post states
\"Page is the seventh known victim to suffer a snake bite at a Walmart.\"
And, shoot, even over 20 years and still no response whatsoever? Sheesh...thats just bad all around.
K
Yeah, but if you send in the mongooses (geese?), you will need the coyote on standby to get the mongooses.
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So a small snake bites him on the hand, he trips backward on his shopping cart and falls to the ground on patio blocks. Injuries after \"one day\" in the hospital are: a limp pinkie, and back injuries requiring physical therapy. That was in November, in Febuary he comes public blaming Wal-Mart.
Translation: he envisioned he had a claim of some sorts, contacted a lawyer, the lawyer was not successful in getting money from Wally.
Hey -- accidents at 4-way stop signs work in my state. You can even pay to sit in the back seat!
Ben, I propose you and I get together at a local walmart in wherever, and make the film \"Snakes in a Walmart\". we can have Tom Green running through the place holding snakes, and Steve-O with a couple hanging off his face.
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In other news, Wal-Mart outsources loss prevention staff to local snake charmer...
I guess I should have read the article before replying. I just assumed after reading the summary that they were selling them. *idiot!!*
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I sense a plot for a new horror movie... or at least an episode of South Park...
Say what you will, Wal-Mart knows how to keep its name in the press. Next we'll find out the snakes were here illegally.
@cryrevolution: The original post said that all 7 were at the same supercenter. It has since been changed. Viva the edit!
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\"Yeah, but if you send in the mongooses (geese?), you will need the coyote on standby to get the mongooses.\"
yeah. but then you'll have coyotes so you'll need some angry rednecks with guns... oh wait. nevermind.
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This would have never happened if Steve Erwin was still around. He would have been quick to muck about in Wal-Mart's garden center. Then again they could close off the garden centers better to keep the snakes out of there in the first place. Maybe they should build a mote around the garden center jail bars.
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do what mcdonalds did when kids were getting bitten down there as well in the outside play areas- ENCLOSE the damn area. no food source - no things that need to eat. the snakes, not the kids. although that might work too....
I'm glad I live in non-rattle snake territory. I found a small Copper Belly in my hallway last weekend. If I want to see anymore snakes I'll have to out to the bush and kick over some rocks.
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I'm starting to think that one South Park episode had it correct about Wal-Mart. You gotta kill the heart. Or else you die and crap your pants.
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Being someone plenty a-feared of poisonous snakes, this stands as yet another reason not to move to the South. I didn't even know about the pygmy rattlesnake (as opposed to the cottonmouth, the copperhead and others I associate with southern climes).
For those who are suggesting the guy who was bit in the hand is whining over nothing, have you ever seen a picture of necrosis as a result of a rattlesnake bite? Scary stuff. Of course, you usually have to be the type who puts off going to the hospital before you suffer that. But reading the Wikipedia entry on this species of rattlesnake, I wonder. It mentions that while most pygmy rattle snakes can't produce enough venom to kill a human, antivenins have no real effect. The victim is in for hours/days of severe pain and swelling, depending on the dose they got.
While 8 bites in different Walmart garden centers over 20 years seems like it's not that bad, you'd think that Walmart would be assessing their facilities to see if there's anything they can do to keep poisonous snakes from hanging out there. Outside of top brass visits.
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I live in rattlesnake country and those varmints can move. They are probably just moving to the comfort of the shade in the Walmart garden centers and once the temperature heats up they become active. It's hard to fault Walmart here--and I hate Walmart!.
I've seen snakes on the ranch I used to live on, on hikes in the area, on patios at the hotel I work at and on the golf course. Thank heavens I haven't been bitten by one.
It seems odd the snake did not rattle before striking but he probably just got startled it.
I feel sorry for this gentleman and I hope he has health insurance. It seems unlikely Walmart will accept any liability for this incident since it wasn't their snake and they cannot control a wild animal coming unbeknownst into their business.
@umlaut75: but instead says that the rattler is native to the south
It isn't, though. Well, it is, but not JUST the south. Rattlers live in all parts of the country. Except in a 5 ft bubble AROUND ME.
@Blog Nazi: Injuries after \"one day\" in the hospital are: a limp pinkie
Nu uh, rattler bites are no small thing. He'll be lucky if he keeps his whole finger. They necratise, swell until the skin splits, and all that goes up the whole limb. He'll probably have a nasty scar to his elbow, at least.
I am John Page the man that was bitten inside that walmart and I can tell you it is funny how many people have qouted things that I alledgedly said that I have never said etc. The one thing that I did say was that I had no doubt that this would indeed happen again and it did...just 2 hours south of where I was attacked in the same exact way and same exact named store (not the same store as the press mis-wrote). Since I was bitten walmart has refused to pay anything, not even my medical bills that I have had to pay out of pocket. Not trying to get rich, simply wanted to help possibly save somebody else what I have been put thru & at the very least have my out of pocket expenses paid for by our great family based walmart.Ha Ha, this is all so disturbing, NOTHING has ever been done to alert customers to be aware that there just might be a surprise waiting for them in their plant sections, which is all I ever asked them to do in their own corperate way of wording it before it happend again...to late!
Wow. Action should have been taken on the first bite. I smell lawsuit, and mmmm it smells good.