Posted on 05/02/2018 4:09:38 PM PDT by I Drive Too Fast
A 57-year-old man in Oklahoma is dead after being bitten by a rattlesnake, his wife said. Barry Lester was driving in Osage County on Sunday when he saw the snake in the middle of the road and decided to stop and move it out of the way, the Tulsa World reported. But during the attempt the rattler bit him — twice. “It bit his left hand, and then he put it in his right and it bit that hand too,” Lester's wife, Roberta, told the newspaper. The couple was traveling to Keystone Lake when the incident occured. “We were just going to walk and have a day outside enjoying the lake. It was his birthday,” she said. After realizing he was bit, Barry told his wife they needed to go to the hospital. The couple rushed to meet the ambulance at their Turley home, which would then take Lester to a hospital in nearby Tulsa. But then Lester's head suddenly dropped — and "that was it," Roberta said. Emergency officials tried to revive the 57-year-old but it was too late. Barry died from a “combination of the rattlesnake bite and an existing heart condition," according to the Tulsa World. Barry had wrangled snakes before, Roberta told the Tulsa World, which is why he was confident he would be able to remove the rattler from the road. But now his wife has a warning for others: "Don’t mess with snakes. If you hear it rattling, you leave it alone.”
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Sam Houston is probably spinning in his grave considering Houston is one of the most openly progressive cities outside of the state capital Austin. Other large cities are becoming more liberal day by day.
Although it appears conservative Texans are out numbered in these areas. Many have moved from the inner cities into the outlying suburbs to retain their conservative values and middle class lifestyles leaving the inner cities to decay and self destruct. Houston is following in the footsteps of other great American cities that have failed due to their liberal policies of the last 50 years.
I think Houston is definitely not the place to be when all h*ll breaks loose. Yes, Sam is spinning faster and faster as Houston sinks deeper into the swamp (Fact: parts of Houston sit on a swamp).
But I digress (pun intended), mama never said go out and play with snakes. In fact she said the only good snake is a dead snake. Was mama a racist?
Kind hearted but not too bright - I once (decades ago) read of a story where a large rattler was in the road and a motorcyclist decided to run it over - snakes reflex action gave it a shot at a tire and it popped it (hard to believe but the story had it0, spilling the rider....lucky he didn’t get bit too...
I’ve never stopped to help a snake but a turtle a time or two.
Last snake was on some obscure road to a data center in NV.
Not gonna help it one bit.
Well... it was clearly obvious I meant to use the stun gun on them before they bit you. If you wish to wait until after, that is your prerogative.
Well... it did build up a tolerance. It's actually a long story, and started when I was just a child.
I'm sure the details would bore you.
“it did build up a tolerance. It’s actually a long story, and started when I was just a child.”
Did you learn anything useful that you might pass along?
There is a company called Pavlok that sells a wrist device that applies a mild electric shock as a form of behavior modification. Supposedly you can break bad habits like overeating by using it. I’ve wondered if this concept might actually work.
Yes. Always try to make sure you are not grounded well.
I know you are being serious, but I used to shock myself for a variety of reasons. Curiousity, entertainment, work related events, and even relaxation. It's really not something I would suggest other people attempt as many times it was very dangerous.
There is a company called Pavlok that sells a wrist device that applies a mild electric shock as a form of behavior modification. Supposedly you can break bad habits like overeating by using it. I’ve wondered if this concept might actually work.
A friend of mine had a device that had a wide selection of pulsing patterns, a frequency and an intensity control. It had electrodes (similar to what you see in movies and hospitals) that you stick to various areas on your body to 'stimulate' your muscles. It is the one I used for relaxation. I stuck the electrodes on my temples and cranked it up full blast. I didn't work as any kind of 'behavior modificaton' because a few minutes after I shut it off, I turned it on again. I could feel all the muscles around my face and my neck vibrating, and each time I turned it off, I felt very relaxed.
The PAVLOK device sounds like a dog shock collar. It wouldn't work for me because a shock to the wrist would be like a doctor tapping you with that rubber hammer just below your kneecap to test your reflex. My arm would slightly jerk. When I was a kid my dad had a magneto off an old TWA Constellation engine and I would attach one wire to the coil post and one to the case and then have someone turn the shaft (he had a can opener handle attached to the shaft). Both arms would jerk severely with each 'click' (about 1/10 of a turn). I would have them turn the handle rather quickly. It was like pulling a spark plug wire off a running car engine and touching the metal conductor in the boot. I could take it , but not for too long.
The Pavlok device might work for some people (especially if you believe it will work), but I don't think it would work for me.
Turtles, armadillos, skunks (for obvious reasons), deer, domestic livestock, and feral hogs are just some of things to dodge. Smaller critters like possums, raccoons, snakes, birds, etc. are discretionary. I will stop for dogs and cats.
When I was a college student back in the 60’s, I once ran over an armadillo while crossing a narrow two lane bridge in my 1964 ford galaxie convertible. I was enjoying the peaceful night breeze while going slightly over the legal speed limit. I saw the critter but did not have any time or space to react. Galaxies were heavy cars back then and I expected a bump and maybe a swish. But I swear it felt like I had hit a bowling ball or a blacksmith’s anvil. Never ran over another armadillo or anything I could avoid again. Made me me think about the damage a deer or other large animal could do to me and my vehicle.
BTW on the DFW metroplex freeways, I have seen refrigerators, lumber and sheets of plywood, bricks and concrete blocks, bags of leaves and shrubs, furniture and mattresses, whiskey bottles in paper sacks, and other assorted items laying on the roadway that can ruin your day if you choose unwisely.
Another rule is never follow a loaded pickup truck too closely. Local migrants going to and from work sites don’t know what “tie down” means or how to close the tailgate. You’re liable to be impaled by a loose ladder, a sheet of plywood, or a piece of lumber when the cargo shifts. I guess they never bothered to learn the rules of physics when they were in school. (But I’ll give them credit, they can still put 10# of sh*t in a 5# sack and toss it in the back of a pickup with room to spare.)
Well that’s about as far as I can digress from snakes. As for those who like to handle snakes, there’s a circus somewhere out there missing a snake handler. Good evening and drive safely.
The muscle stimulating device sounds a lot like a TENS unit. I’ve used those a few times to help recover from injuries. They can help make pain less severe and supposedly stimulate healing.
You’ve had some interesting experiences. Sounds like you could turn them into a good book.
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Have you ever seen a live snake?
An odd question. Of course I have. Have handled dozens of them. I always avoided the venomous ones. Learned to identify them very early.
Osage county’s answer to Steve Irwin, unfortunately.
Being shocked was entertaining to me. I doubt it would be entertaining to anyone else.
Here is one getting ready to strike.
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He got his rattles cut off today in court!
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