Man Sues Walmart After Being Bitten By Snake, But Keeps Going Back For The Deals
Ah, the irresistable pull of bargains! A man in Florida is suing Walmart because he was bitten by a pygmy rattler while shopping in the garden center in 2008. His is the third such attack in a Walmart in Florida since 2006, and he's claiming the retailer should have taken better steps to prevent rattler bites after the first two attacks. Our favorite detail, though, is that he won't stop going to Walmart, because "their prices are too good to shop elsewhere."
Florida Conservation writes that the pygmy rattlesnake is common throughout all of Florida, and that its rattle "is small and slender and produces a sound like the buzzing of an insect." The rattle is fairly quiet, too, and can only be heard from a few feet away. Also of note, although Florida Conservation overlooks this, is that the pygmy rattler loves bargains. What this all means is that if you ever hear an insect sound in a Walmart, you should overturn your cart (for a distraction) and run screaming.
Oh, and yes it's venomous and feisty, but "its bite produces pain and swelling which usually subsides in a few days," and no deaths have been recorded—which is actually more than we can say for attacks by humans at a Walmart.
"Florida Man Sues Wal-Mart Over In-Store Snake Attack" [Fox News]
(Photos: Clean Wal-Mart, zieak, crd!, kawanet)
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Comments:
Forida Conservation???... Someone needs to use spell check
We're rolling back our prices on rattler repellant!
@Amanda Ramirez: I bet you're a ton of fun at parties!
Oh.. what's that? Nobody invites you any parties?
Hmmm... I guess I can see why.
Walmart should threaten to not let him shop there anymore unless he drops his suit - he sounds like the kind of guy that would get a little panicky at having to choose
@floraposte: Great first post, or greatest first post?
On topic - the garden center is outside. I mean, is there a way Wal-mart really could prevent this? As I recall, pygmy rattlers in Florida are extremely common...
I've been telling everyone that shopping at Walmart will eventually bite you in the ass!
In a recent press release, Wal*Mart announced the hiring of Saint Patrick look-a-likes to prevent further "unintentional customer serpentes interactions". When asked if they knew the story of the snakes being driven out of Ireland was apocryphal, Wal*Mart was quoted as saying,
"It will make people feel better, and if it happens again, we can say they 'didn't believe enough'. We'll just send them the boilerplate Snake Letter, and that oughta hold those S.O.B.'s. Wait, you didn't record that last part did you? Crap!"
I can understand the first time: accidents happen, things slip through. Really.
But it's incomprehensible that Wal-Mart didn't charge the guy for the second and third "alternative medicine" doses. They're slipping up. BADLY.
Suing a place you love to shop for good deals because you were bitten by a snake outside. Hmmm. Does he not think they would have to make up for the loss somewhere?
In any case, WalMart shoppers deserve to get bitten by snakes. The snakes are probably the nicest living thing in one of those stores.
That picture kills me!
"produces pain and swelling which usually subsides in a few days"
That's what happens when I just step foot in Walmart. Where's MY lawsuit?
I thought the rattling was the sound of them building another Walmart next door? I could be wrong...
Ewwwww I just noticed it was snakes!! Ugh that gives me the ickies. Can I sue over the picture?
I hope he didn't follow the Consumerist motto of "Consumers bite back".
@TinkishDelight: I think the problem is that new commentors are presented with a commenting FAQ but not the Comment Code.
@amandaramirez: Spelling errors should be brought to the attention of the author by using the easily found links on the left side of the page, and NOT in the comments. To quote Randal Graves:
Randal: And, I hope it feels good.
Video Store Customer: You hope what feels good?
Randal: I hope it feels so good to be right. There's nothing more exhilarating than pointing out the shortcomings of others, is there?
@Shadowfire: MTE
I don't think one can hold Wal-mart responsible for the fact that there are animals outdoors. Not even a fence would keep snakes out.
Aw, man, I had to pay for my last Wal-Mart Snakebite.
@amandaramirez: Yea, quit being such a Grammar Nazi. It's nice to let the author know he/she made a spelling error, but not to deride him for his/her error.
@IT-Chick: I thought it was produce or something the first time I looked at it.
I'm surprised they have so many of those. I wouldn't have thought that there would be that much demand for stuffed snakes.
Hey that's nothing compared to my "A look at Facebook's Disturbing TeArms Of Service" on my Digg submit on the 15'th, d'oh.
Dangerously low prices, indeed.
Seriously?
You get this everyday on every Gawker site (or former Gawker site in this case) yet it never seems to be an issue when its a normal user.
Facebooker hate is getting old.
@Rectilinear Propagation: According to Flickr, that's actually an IKEA in, like, Japan. Apparently nobody wants to buy stuffed snakes there.
@Tito151: New headline:
"Man Sues Walmart After Being Mistaken by Falcon for a Snake and Bitten, But Keeps Going Back For The Deals"
Cleanup in the garden department, aisle three...
@tande04: Exactly what I was thinking.
@TinkishDelight: This shows up all the time; you just want an excuse to get angry at a Facebook commenter. How does it make any difference if they're from Facebook or if they signed up on the site? If you had a list of comments from several users without knowing what type they were, you would have no way of picking out Facebook commenters from other ones. Get over Facebook commenters, and get over yourself.
OMG, my face hurts from laughing at the Comments! What a bunch of comedians.
While I feel sorry for the poor guy who got bitten by the snake, I, too, fail to see how the store-whose-name-shall-not-be-mentioned could've prevented it.
"its rattle "is small and slender and produces a sound like the buzzing of an insect." The rattle is fairly quiet, too, and can only be heard from a few feet away."
A few feet away, also known as the striking radius of a snake.
@Shadowfire: Common? Can you say "like mosquitos"? Aside from making the garden center completely inside, they really can't completely protect from this.
@TinkishDelight: Okay... This Amanda Ramirez chick is kind of a Bitch we get it... Now keep in mind not all facebook comenters are like Ms.Ramirez
So lets get back on topic, shall we?
@scoosdad: lol... in a recent press release Wal*mart has stated that they will construct active Paragrine Falcon nests in all garden centers throughout the state of florida to protect coustomers from snakes. and in an effort to crackdown on attacks made on coustomes by paragrine falcons they will install cat carriers throughout the stores to kill and eat any disorderly and or ornery Falcons.
Suing for him is like suing should be for anybody - a business decision.
(I*A*AL, btw. :)
@Alexander Saites: I apologize for making such a broad statement. No, it does not apply to every single one of you (just 95%). Also why would I be looking for an excuse exactly? I have a Facebook account. But as someone that's been reading the Gawker network for years now, yes there IS a huge difference. And yes, 9 times out of 10 you can tell if the user is a Facebooker. Just like you can tell if the site was linked to some justjared-esque place. All of a sudden there's an influx of idiots.
Also- I'm certainly not the only commenter that feels this way. Look around.
typical walmart shopper behaviour. haven't they put muzzles and diapers on them yet?
@Alexander Saites: Non-Facebookers have to be approved to post. Facebook is a wide-open superhighway of mouth-breathers (not specifically talking about you) who otherwise wouldn't make it past the "velvet rope", so to speak.
Someone get these motherf**kin' snakes outta this motherf**ckin' box store!
Somebody finally finds something American-made in a Wal-Mart, and all he can do is bitch.