reply regarding kids getting bitten

[Ray Gabriel]

Ok someone gets bitten. The daily rag gets the story. does a google for tarantula UK and then gets in contact with the BTS. Chris

As we saw a few times last year, once with Solfugids, the scenario goes more like:

Someone gets bitten, The Scum or other alleged newspaper gets the story, contacts the RSPCA who go on about how deadly killer man eating spiders should not be kept as pets, and other myths and legends from arachnophobialand, anything to put animal keeping into a bad light and flog toilet sorry news papers.

The BTS wouldn't be contacted INO

Ray

[J M Clegg]

This thread is old ground revisted!

I used to sell Tarantula starter kits on ebay years ago. I sold 100's of them and many of the people who bought them found there way to this web site. Then someone (A BTS member) decided to play goodie too shoes and report every advert I placed on ebay as selling live stock. So I changed the adverts and effectively sold the starter kit and then gave them a sling to get them started. Again another goodie too shoes took pleasure in reporting my every advert to ebay. Then threads began to appear on this forum about this chap selling spiders on ebay etc. The fact was that every spider I sold came with a very comprehensive care sheet and clear instructions that no spider is ever a PET. There not meant for handling etc. It was nothing more than jealousy that drove the reaction to my sales method. I came up with a successful way of introducing new people into the joys of spider husbandry and people on this forum didn't like it!

There seems to be a certain amount of snobbery from people who keep tarantulas on the rights of others to be able to do the same, or to even sell them. The need for people to have to find a way to sell spiders on ebay as food is nothing more than a sales reaction to the actions of people who were determined to stop me selling them as starter kits back in 2005 and 06. So now people have no choice but to sell them as food if they choose to sell them. It's a shame really because I helped over 100 people gain their first Tarantulas and others could be doing the same!

The internet has changed the way the world shops. If you have a credit card then you can buy a spider unchallenged from any dealers web site. Virgina Cheeseman, Spider Shop, Tarantula Barn et al. Once the payment clears then the spider gets shipped. NO QUESTIONS ASKED. If a kid is using Daddies credit card then so be it!

The responsibility for people getting bitten, or people reptiles being attacked lies completely with the person doing the buying and who effectively owns said Arachnid. It's nothing to do with the seller. No matter how responsible or indeed irresponsible that person chooses to be.

[Chris Sainsbury]

As we saw a few times last year, once with Solfugids, the scenario goes more like:

Someone gets bitten, The Scum or other alleged newspaper gets the story, contacts the RSPCA who go on about how deadly killer man eating spiders should not be kept as pets, and other myths and legends from arachnophobialand, anything to put animal keeping into a bad light and flog toilet sorry news papers.

The BTS wouldn't be contacted INO

Ray

lol sounds about right.
Just out of intrest is it not true the head bigwig for the RSPCA is also a BTS member or did I hear wrong or just dream this? It just if they are then I would have thought it may have dawned on him/her that it would surely make a little sence to have some kind of system in the RSPCA where in the case of a tarantula or the like incident, a bigwig in the BTS could be contacted to do wherever needs to be done as oppose to an Inspector who may not know his or her head from their arsehole in regards to this type of animal.
Then again even if it was there the press would cock up the facts lucky I think that the general responce of Joe public to these type of news paper things is....oh thats terrible....then just forget about it 5 minutes later.

ah well lives a bitch.

Hi Mr Clegg

Your not wrong about old ground!

all the best
Chris

[Christopher Malkavian]

As we saw a few times last year, once with Solfugids, the scenario goes more like:

Someone gets bitten, The Scum or other alleged newspaper gets the story, contacts the RSPCA who go on about how deadly killer man eating spiders should not be kept as pets, and other myths and legends from arachnophobialand, anything to put animal keeping into a bad light and flog toilet sorry news papers.

The BTS wouldn't be contacted INO

Ray

Agreed. When most newspapers run a story about tarantulas they rarely look into credible information or resources. If anyone remembers the sun publishing the story about the "Deadly Mexican Redknee" it was easy to see that no research was done even in google. Papers dont like stories such as "Big scary spider sent to postal worker but its not deadly".

[Mrs Linda Street]

I think this is a subject that can be argued from many angles, but regarding the BTS, as long as the society's stance is a 'no handling' policy, and that rule is relfected in not allowing pics of T's being handled on forums etc., and any other things like avatars, showing handling, are enforced 100% then the society has fulfulled it responsibilities to all.

[Chris Sainsbury]

and any other things like avatars, showing handling, are enforced 100% then the society has fulfulled it responsibilities to all.

Come on BTS you have to start full filling your responsibilities! hehehehehe

(Before the paranoid squad pipes in this is just a joke because I know of at least one avatar that has got through the net at this time )
All the best
Chris

[Mrs Linda Street]

Come on BTS you have to start full filling your responsibilities! hehehehehe

(Before the paranoid squad pipes in this is just a joke because I know of at least one avatar that has got through the net at this time )
All the best
Chris

Oh Chris, you don't mean the one put on by Travis that's escaped attention surely, lol.

[Peter Lacey]

Well said Mr Clegg, interesting how people jump on sales of this kind.


Newspapers - today's news is tomorrows chip paper!

[James Box]

that's a crying shame, Mr Clegg, you try and be responsible and people still find fault!

and Peter you're right about the chip paper!

the way i see it (please correct me someone if i'm wrong), but the BTS is not a policing or governmental body...but a club of enthusiasts with alot of experience and knowledge behind it. it should NEVER be "responsible" for the actions of others that flout its good advice, or never bother to seek it!

my understanding is the whole point of the BTS not wanting people being stupid with spiders and getting themselves nipped, aside from common compassion for the biter and even the bitee, is that if people start flipping out over these "dangerous" animals, laws could be changed and we could lose our hobby...and some of the animals may lose their best hope in being conserved!!!

not to mention the fact that the BTS has a telephone number, and they can't be dealing with hundreds of calls from irate people that want someone besides themselves to blame or harass for their own naivety/carelessness.

and Ray, you worded that brilliantly

[Mark Pennell]

Come on BTS you have to start full filling your responsibilities! hehehehehe

(Before the paranoid squad pipes in this is just a joke because I know of at least one avatar that has got through the net at this time )
All the best
Chris

You mean the one I have just removed?

Look I can't be everywhere at all times - like the rest of you I have a life.

Cheers
Mark

[Andrew Ferguson]

the way i see it (please correct me someone if i'm wrong), but the BTS is not a policing or governmental body...but a club of enthusiasts with alot of experience and knowledge behind it. it should NEVER be "responsible" for the actions of others that flout its good advice, or never bother to seek it!

This should be put in every new members welcome email or as a foot note in the Journal.

[Chris Sainsbury]

You mean the one I have just removed?

Look I can't be everywhere at all times - like the rest of you I have a life.

Cheers
Mark

hehehe you mean you not sitting at your computer 24 7 ,365 days a year every year!!! How dare you sleep, go to work, eat, do other things when you know you should be looking for naughty avatars!
All the best
Chris

[Nicola Dolby]

Surely the answer is that if you have tarantulas you tell your children not to go near them unsupervised. What responsible adult sticks a child in a room with Poecilotheria, Stromatopelma etc. and says "Go play"???????? I agree with Chris, the press only want something that sells papers, it IS the responsibility of the parents and quite honestly if the RSPCA are called in the first people they will turn to for advice will be the BTS!

[Christopher Malkavian]

Surely the answer is that if you have tarantulas you tell your children not to go near them unsupervised. What responsible adult sticks a child in a room with Poecilotheria, Stromatopelma etc. and says "Go play"???????? I agree with Chris, the press only want something that sells papers, it IS the responsibility of the parents and quite honestly if the RSPCA are called in the first people they will turn to for advice will be the BTS!

There has been several incidents in the past where the RSPCA have just put spiders and tarantulas into a freezer.

[Matthew Potts]

Good idea on the possibility of a bts member taking care of such incidents on behalf of the RSPCA. Would be very benificial to them and the spider