I have had someone who I know verify that there was indeed a python at Brownwood.

It had to be someone who just wanted to get us all riled up and to show off to bring a snake to a square where many if not most are afraid of snakes of any kind..

I see a lot of guys there who have trophy wives who are several decades younger than they are and they bring them there for the same reason. (To show off and get people all riled up.)

I am finding that many young people these days who have not been yelled at properly make me want to bite. Do they not have mothers?

No snakes at Brownwood. No thank you. No snakes in The G's yard, no thank you. I do not think this was Gary Morse's fault, but will wait to see what some folks have to say.

I am sorry OP. I didn't trust you and you were telling the truth.

If it's legal - sure why not?

Done? After only a few posts? Unless you've posted under another name before that may be a record for giving up on your opinion.

I don't get riled up at that sight but I get your point. People do all sorts of things to bring attention to themselves. Probably human nature in all of us. But 99.99% of the time I just smile and sometimes shake my head. No need to get riled up. Just stay away from the snake (or trophy wife:)) if you like.

See post #28 of this thread.

Are there trophy husbands, too?

Live and let live.

Pet alligators on the Squares would be crossing the line of public safety as would a highly strung attack dog of some kind. A calm attack dog might even be worse as you would not know what it is really feeling.

I agree. The snake was probably brought there for the scare factor by a bunch of young people looking to rile up us older folks. Best thing to do is not react at all. Just carry on.

The OP was telling the truth. There was a Python at Brownwood which is some kind of governmental unit.

We will get the girls together tonight and practice with anti-snake stuff in our super soakers.


Or just call the cops. I like calling the cops better. Officer Friendly would not like us old people to be frightened. Policemen are our friends.

We will not tolerate snakes in the square. Not on a leash or in a baby carriage or draped around someone like a boa.

NO SNAKES.

look around - nope! ;)

OP, sorry you had a bad experience, obviously you are very afraid of snakes. You are not alone---I would guess that there are many residents in TV who would react exactly the same. My best half being one---we would be very far away from the snake!

Nobody is accusing you of lying about the incident--- folks just asking if others saw the snake. That is a reasonable question----on TOTV you cannot afford to carry your "feelings" on your shoulder so to speak. I hope you continue to post.

A photo of the snake---don't suppose anybody has one! I do think the Wildwood police could have at least talked to the person with the snake----seems the right thing to do when somebody is causing a nuisance and some are afraid of something within their jurisdiction.
Well, maybe I expect too much.

restating the isolated incidence of the matter......what is the membership of TOTV? For the ease of argument example let's use 25,000.....one fourth of the population of TV......and not one single second sighting!!!!

I am not challenging validity or whether it was or not....just saying, AGAIN, how isolated it musta been that there was not any other sightings.

Many, many times on TOTV when there is an incident of any kind there are almost always multiple reportings with different perspectives and views.

I am just sayin'.................

btk

I was contacted by someone I know AND trust....who saw the snake with her OWN eyes.

Somebody---actually more than one ---dropped their Python off in the Everglades a few years ago---next thing you know BIG problem. Let's hope that doesn't happen here in some of our protected areas.

Thanks Gracie for the verification. Iam surprised nobody who regularly posts on TOTV saw the snake. Everyone home watching TV?

Does anyone have the ordinance that would forbid snakes in public? Curious.

I saw the one that Carl posted but that is way too broad. In that context other animals could be considered as well. I'd be interested to see if the police had any jurisdiction to talk to the owner. What if someone brought a pet hamster or pet guinea pig?

I don't know if the snake "lunged" but I believe the OP when he says it bothered him. I hear other stories about Brownwood and then I read posts which say ... lighten up, no big deal, kids are harmless, you're just a complaining old codger etc. When we were at Brownwood for dinner maybe two weeks ago, we also saw a number of teenagers hanging out. it got my attention and then we observed one crazy kid who squealed his pickup truck tires and must have hit 50mph right in front of City Fire. He was lucky he didn't kill or injure someone in the numerous golf carts he passed by.

Here's what I do know. Brownwood, fairly or unfairly, is starting to develop a bit of a shaky reputation. The Developer, to protect his investment, will have to come up with a solution to fix it pretty soon or people will start to vote with their feet. Same with the Wildwood Police ... don't give me the technicalities of why they can't do anything etc, just fix it.

In the meantime, my wife and I have already decided ... we'll stick to Evans Prairie, Bonifay and LSL when it comes to evenings out.

There used to be a guy and girl around Sumter square and they both had a snake around their neck. Not really big ones but plenty big enough. I actually like snakes.
I can't imagine the police can do anything about it just because people are afraid of snakes. A lot of people are seriously afraid of dogs and there isn't anything the police can do about saying people can't bring a dog.

Not allowing snakes on the square must violate some amendment rights somehow. :doh:

Completely off topic once again.

There are complaints that the police were not showing up to patrol the Square.

There are complaints that when the police do show up at the Square they won't act.

There are complaints about teen agers running wild at the Square

There are complaints that cops over react and arrest people for sitting in their golf carts and drinking at the Square.

There are complaints that the wrong kind of people are frequenting the Square.

There are complaints that people bring their dogs to the Square.

There are complaints about people bringing snakes to the Square

There are complaints about complaints about the Square.

What's a resident to do ? The trials and tribulations of villages residents: The Movie:popcorn:

Coward policeman
 

It was very inappropriate for these people to bring a snake to any place public. I do think something should have been done about it. Since snakes are wild creatures, they are unpredictable and therefor could have gotten lose and wrapped themselves around someone, god forbid a child or someone's pet. The villages needs to set a precedence for this kind of behavior and should have escorted the snake owners off the property on the grounds of endangering the public. Shame on them for not doing something.

Coward Policeman? I don't classify any LE as "coward" just because things don't go my way.

I have no snake in this argument.

Oh the DRAMA.

[QUOTE=livefree;773968]Maybe I should have paid for lie detector tests and a sworn deposition before posting here about a hideous snake that WILL ruin many people's desire to go and try to enjoy themselves at Brownwood.

In typical fashion, the usual people here gang up and smear and shoot the messenger. I shouldn't be surprised after reading here for quite awhile.

I guess if somebody wants to bring their pet alligator, gila monster, bats, or pet skunk to the square that's okay too with the gang on here.

And yes, other people did see this snake and stupid owner, and nobody thought it was cute, only horrifying."

I read back through these posts, and I don't see where anyone ganged up on you at all. Most of them were supportive or giving ancillary information on the topic, or stating their opinion without being offensive.

As a matter of fact, the worst thing that was said came from your post: "I knew what kind of snake it was because I have seen people stupid enough to have one as a pet before."

Those wild and wacky Wildwood young 'uns!

Reportedly, it wasn't just a garden variety harmless snake, it was a python. It was not contained. If it decided to leave it's owner's shoulders, it would have been a danger to the public. The police would not have been equipped to capture it. I think the OP had every right to question the safety of such a creature being at the square.

Huh?

What really gets us upset are people who like to take a jab about age, don't cha know?

I don't think I made a jab about age when I said what I said about the trophy wives.

Plus I have only seen one or two and I think they were the same age as the rest of us but probably had some good "work" done when they were in Miami.

I think people who are age prejudiced are well...................


Young.

I stand by what I said. People are stupid to have a python as a pet:

"The snake attack in the rural community of Oxford, about 60 miles northwest of Orlando, was believed to be the state's first instance of a non-venomous constrictor killing a child. The criminal case, likely to be tried this year, revolves around reckless behavior of the child's caregivers, Assistant State Attorney Pete Magrino said.

"It was a tragic loss of a young life as a result of the criminal negligence and child abuse on the part of two adults. It's that simple," he said. "I don't take prosecuting parents lightly."

Shaianna's mother, Jaren Hare, 21, and Hare's boyfriend, Jason Darnell, 33, face up to 15 years in prison if convicted of manslaughter or third-degree murder. They also are charged with child abuse and have pleaded not guilty.

The albino python, bought at a flea market about six years ago for $200, slithered through the doublewide trailer to the child's room after escaping from a mesh laundry bag with a baseball-sized hole in it.

Read more here: Snake that killed Florida child hadn't been fed in a month | National | McClatchy DC

"August 24, 2011|By Stephen Hudak, ORLANDO SENTINEL

BUSHNELL — A reptile-loving couple convicted of manslaughter for failing to protect a toddler from their pet python was sentenced today to 12 years in prison, but their lawyers believe jurors in the case were influenced by the verdict in the Casey Anthony trial.

"Circuit Judge William "Bud" Hallman, who imposed the sentence on the couple, said he mulled over defense arguments that the tragedy could have happened to anyone who keeps a big dog, a horse or other large animal.

"Horses eat grass, they eat oats — that's different from a wild animal that unfortunately, based on the testimony, eats small mammals," he said. "The child was a small mammal, which is on the menu for a wild animal, which a snake is."

The judge compared keeping the python to keeping an alligator in the house."

Killer python: Jaren Hare and Charles "Jason" Darnell are to be sentenced in killer python case - Orlando Sentinel

:agree:

The snake was hungry, plain and simple. The fault was with the parents both in how they kept the snake (a laundry basket, really????) and in not feeding a snake for a month. What happened to the child was tragic, preventable and totally inexcusable.

A snake laying on someone's shoulders is a snake well-taken care of. It is fed regularly. No one in their right mind would put a hungry snake near their neck. That's just insanity. A well-fed pet snake is content and really doesn't move around much. It's not on the hunt for food. It doesn't need to find protection.

As to you being picked on, I don't think so. As I said, the person bringing the snake to the square shouldn't have. Not because of how it would scare folks but because it just isn't good for the snake. The fact that you were scared was a very reasonable reaction -- most people are afraid of them -- and I'm sorry to hear you were frightened. What bothered me is the calling of police by the other woman, the how dare they response by some here.

We stopped in South Carolina at a gas station/ store on way back South. I was browsing the aisles for snacks for the car & a guy come up behind me with a snake around his neck.. I think everyone heard my yelp and they laughed and laughed.. Will never forget it, but it makes me think it is not an uncommon joke to play!! I ranted & Raved about it till we made the Florida State line, But now it seems funny.

We are talking about animals at squares. How is my last paragraph off topic. Please explain.


Why doesn't anyone pick on the other dog posts? I wasn't the first and I wasn't the last. Huh? Why not mention others (two posts before mine) or the other dog mentions? Or the people that are now talking about how/if snakes are bad. Get off my case!!

Admin: Why do you allow this to happen. Neither one of my posts was far off topic. Yet posters are allowed to call me out individually without intervention. Pretty sad.

Young people (high school upper classmen, college aged kids, and so forth) are very prone to attention seeking behavior. They favor outrageous clothing, weird haircuts and colors, facial piercings, etc. They talk loud, laugh loud, and tend towards other forms of loud noises. Showing off is expected, and attempts to shock adults is commonplace. But for the most part they are harmless. I'm sure the snake was in more danger of being injured than any human person at the square. Get a grip, for goodness sake!

Ditto. It's one guy with one snake.

this thread is skidding all over the place and no "tilt" signs yet???????

btk???

The Wild West?
 

I am terrified of snakes here or anywhere, even a picture! So to the OP I share your concern about a snake out and about at Brownwood. Yes, I know the cops can't do anything about it but I can. I can take my business elsewhere. With this thread and comments on other threads about Brownwood it sounds like it is becoming the "wild west." If I continue to hear of rowdy kids or pet snakes at Brownwood we will go elsewhere.

Is it just me or does the googly writing style of this post seem familiar? I feel that deja-vu all over again feeling.

The Developer seems to control everything else IN the squares, why not snakes for God's sake. Some people are deathly afraid of snakes and that's understandable. Folks come to squares to be entertained or just relax and should not be frightened by whatever. I see no reason why an officer or village watch person could not go up to the owner and ask nicely to please show off his pets elsewhere.
God forbid two of these peaceful pets escape and breed here in The Villages. We wont go into that frightful thought
John

And some people are deadly afraid of dogs. Should we ban them as well?

About three days of 18 degree weather should take care of that situation.

If the entertainment area was ever private, which I doubt that it is, that all went out the door when Morse Industries began accepting tax money from Sumter County Tourism to help pay for the nightly acts at LSL & Brownwood. That little inconvenient truth is played each night during the announcements and is printed in The Daily Sun's monthly rundown of entertainment at the squares. Once they started taking the county's tax money..all bets are off and ANYBODY from ANYWHERE can definitely come in once that tax money is in play.

Here's what I glean from the OP's description. A group of young adults were gathered near the dance area, but not on it. One of them had a pet snake around his neck. The presence of the snake scared the OP. Period.

Posts that attribute malicious intent by the young man are jumping to a conclusion not supported by the description given. If the intent was to "scare the old people" wouldn't it be better for the snake to be carried around the dance area or seats? Since the snake was obviously a pet, why would you think he cares so little that he would allow it to escape and be lost?

Posts that malign the police do them a disservice. If the snake is not prohibited from the area by law or regulation, they have no reason to ask the man to remove it because one or two people express concern about its presence. They are there to enforce the law, not cater to personal likes/dislikes. Now, if the presence of the snake was causing widespread panic, different story.

Do I think it was a smart thing to bring the snake to the square? Nope. But, I sometimes shudder remembering things I did as a teenager or young adult. Do I think it was a dangerous thing to do? Maybe for the snake, but not for the people there.

Gee-Golly-Gosh-WOW! Sounds just like those people who live in TV now who grew up in the 60's and early 70's. Better throw them out of TV almost immediately. Hippie Scum! :D