Originally published at: Amazon driver in "very serious condition" after venomous rattlesnake bite in Florida | Boing Boing
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Yikes. It’s probably not easy to convey “calm down or you might die” in such a way that the advice achieves the intended effect.
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I have administered a lot of antivenin from my days in Morgantown during rattlesnake roundup. She is in for a rough ride. I hope she does OK!
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Amazon: We still need you to come in tomorrow
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Yes, and I’m sure that message isn’t contradicted by a ton of other messages from Amazon that amount to: “you better fucking deliver those packages, even if you’re dying.”
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“Together, with the Delivery Service Partner, we’re looking into the circumstances surrounding this incident and continue to make sure that drivers understand they should not complete a delivery if they feel unsafe.”
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I lived in Florida for 6 months. Snakiest place I ever saw (and this was before all those Burmese pythons came along). I moved into a house one morning, and when I came out that afternoon there was a pygmy rattlesnake coiled up three feet away from the bottom of the stairs. Next day another one joined it until it finished shedding its skin that evening.
I like snakes, but now I live in a place with no venomous snakes, and it’s fine.
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A warming climate may mean more active snakes.
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What does taking anti-venom entail?
It’s an IV infusion of anti-venom serum derived from livestock exposed to snake venom, very often causes varying degrees of anaphylactoid reactions. Frequently administered with benedryl or prednisone to blunt that. I mean, it’s horse serum. Our bodies are programmed to reject that.
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I’m still boycotting Amazon. Been two years now. It’s fun!
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Also boycotting. Have been. For 15+ years.
As well as Walmart (for 20+ years).
It’s easier for me right now, because I live near a big city. I am privileged in this way.
It’s likely a lot harder for folks not so well situated, in remote(r) locations.
Wherever possible, I try to buy local and/or direct from the maker or manufacturer.
This less easy, less convenient path as a consumer makes me question my every purchase: is it necessary? can I borrow one? can I make one? can I buy one locally? or rent one? where is it made? who made it? did the workers get a fair wage? decent working conditions? etc.
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I blame cartoons and movies that have for years portrayed the sound of a rattlesnake as a baby rattle, rather than the actual sound, which is like a small Vulcan chain gun firing. She probably had no idea the snake was giving her full warning.
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Indeed. Much closer to a “buzz” than a “rattle.” If you have ever heard one, though, the sound is deeply engrained in your auditory cortex forever and evermore. Where I lived previously in WV had an incredibly high rattlesnake population, and the sound was unmistakable.
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Since we have the internet, I just had to look it up 
If the snake wasn’t in sight, I imagine I would have thought it was an insect…
(Just after I listened to those, a sudden breeze came up and shook the leaves on the trees around me, which are somewhat dry since we’ve been in a drought here. I jumped a bit!)
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Some non-venomous snakes will vibrate their tails in leaf-litter when threatened, which makes a similar(ish) sound to rattlesnakes:
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I’ll be running no matter what. 
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