Man bitten by rattler while shopping at Wal-Mart

Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | 9/30/2003 | Associated Press

[xrp]

BROWNWOOD, Texas -- Police say a man was bitten by a rattlesnake while shopping for shoes in a Wal-Mart store in Texas.

Douglas Hatchett of Brownwood was examing shoes on a rack when a rattlesnake concealed behind a shoebox bit him yesterday. The snake fell to the floor, where Hatchett stomped it to death.

Police, fire and emergency medical crews were called to the scene.

The 31-year-old shopper and the dead snake were hustled to Brownwood Regional Medical Center. There, the snake was confirmed as a rattler, and Hatchett was treated and released.

Wal-Mart officials say the matter's being investigated and they have no comment.

Brownwood is about 120 miles southwest of Fort Worth.

[xrp]

JD?

[dirtboy]

Police say a man was bitten by a rattlesnake while shopping for shoes in a Wal-Mart store in Texas.

Now THAT is a shoplifting deterrent...

[Damocles]

Now that's what I call Authentic Snakeskin Boots!

[Damocles]

Of, course PETA will be all over the guy for stompin' it to death...

[Billthedrill]

Dang it, you break it, you bought it!

[ClearCase_guy]

Massachusetts has rattlesnakes (believe it or not). Very protected. Kill one of those suckers and there is hell to pay around here.

[Gottwnz]

Just wait till P.E.T.A hears about this. da poor wittle snakey! LOL.

[Chad Fairbanks]

We used to get some nasty mean snakes in with pallets of plants when I worked in a Floral shop in Florida a long time ago... those were fun days...

[renosathug]

Yeah, they can replace all the old geezer greeters with snakes at the door. That'll save 'em a bunch of money. The snakes may have a hard time pushing the carts out to the shoppers though.

[hook2]

Dito dirtboy. I have a friend in West Texas that keeps a rattlesnake in a burlap bag under the passenger seat of his pickup. He has never had a problem with anyone stealing his truck.

[prairiebreeze]

In the small town that my husband grew up in there was a gas station that displayed an aquarium with two rattlers in its window.

A sign on the aquarium said, "They're Out At Night". And at nighttime no snakes were in the aquarium.

No break-ins, robberies or problems of that nature ever occurred at that station.

Prairie

[mhking]

Just damn.

If you want on the new list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[As i mentioned, the B/C & JD! lists are going to float into and out of whack over the forseeable future, while I try to cobble a rig back together for myself. My apologies for any incovenience or misunderstandings in this time frame. New signups/removals may be flaky in this time-frame as well; please bear with me, and keep in mind you may have to FReepmail me more than once for me to get it done. Thanks again!]

[wardaddy]

Treated and released?

Last guy I saw struck by a rattler on the hand, had his hand swell up to the size of a hondeydew melon and turned black with the skin splitting and all...it was a mess and awful.

This must have been a light hit.

[Prof Engineer]

Attention Wal-Mart shoppers...

[TADSLOS]

Been there. Brownwood is right smack dab in the middle of prime Texas rattlesnake country. Welcome to Wal-Mart, watch where you put your hands.

[Afronaut]

It was probably the only thing made in America in the whole store.

[per loin]

Unless it was a Chinese rattlesnake, Wal-mart had nothing to do with it being in the store.

[Gamecock]

***where Hatchett stomped it to death.***

***Very protected. Kill one of those suckers and there is hell to pay around here.***

Yeee-Haaw! Thank God I live in Texas, where such behavior is not only allowed, but expectet!

[yarddog]

A guy got bit by a small rattlesnake in Wal-Mart in Fort Walton Bch, Fl. a few years ago. I think the guy said he didn't intend to sue but thought Wal-Mart owed him his medical expenses.

I think this was in the plants and shrubbery area. Never did hear if Wally World paid his medical bills or not.