Philosophical Questions

Discussion in 'Philosophy & Psychology' started by Ken Anderson, Jun 5, 2016.

  1. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
    Staff Member Senior Staff Greeter Task Force Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2015
    Messages:
    24,327
    Likes Received:
    42,631
    Feel free to answer any questions in here or to add your own, and for the sake of this thread, we'll define philosophical loosely. I'm not necessarily looking for high brow stuff. I'll start with this one.

    In the middle of the day, you are driving down a rural road, on which yours appears to be the only car. The road has one lane going in each direction with deep ditches on both sides of it. At a distance, you see the longest snake you've ever seen stretching across the entire road. You are driving slowly enough that you can easily stop before reaching the snake.

    Do you stop to allow the snake to cross the road or do you drive over it?

    If you decided to stop, how long are you willing to wait in the event that the snake decides to sun itself on the roadway?
     
    #1
  2. Joe Riley

    Joe Riley Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2015
    Messages:
    13,936
    Likes Received:
    22,556
    Snake....what snake?
    [​IMG]
     
    #2
    Ina I. Wonder and Ike Willis like this.
  3. Gary Ridenour

    Gary Ridenour Veteran Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2015
    Messages:
    1,938
    Likes Received:
    2,404
    drive over it. you set there to long you may meet his family. my fear a snakes was greatly enhanced when I was in the Philippines. one night late I was waiting for transport back to my ship when a jeep full of marines came out of the dark and ground to a halt. they jumped out and looked under the back and found a Python had wrapped itself around the axle and stopped it. the jeep plus the weight of the passengers. they very carefully unwrapped it and dragged it to the side of road.
     
    #3
    Ina I. Wonder and Joe Riley like this.
  4. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
    Staff Member Senior Staff Greeter Task Force Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2015
    Messages:
    14,881
    Likes Received:
    27,873
    It depends on the snake, at least to some extent. After I was bitten by a copperhead who was having a bad attitude day; I do not have any affection for venomous snakes, and would happily run over the snake.
    On the other hand, I have actually stopped and helped a hurt garter snake off of the road in the hopes that he would survive if he were not run over.
    However, after reading @Gary Ridenour 's story about the snake wrapped around the axle of that military Jeep, I think that it is possible that they actually acquired the snake by running over it in the first place, and thus flipping the unsuspecting snake around the axle, and then winding him so tight it stopped the jeep.
    I would not want to have to unwind a snake from the axle of the car in that kind of a situation, even if the snake had already died, and much less if it was not already dead.
    So, maybe I would wait for that long snake to get across the road after all. I wonder if a snake will hurry if you holler "SHOO !" really loud and throw a rock or two at it ?
     
    #4
    Ina I. Wonder and Joe Riley like this.
  5. Joe Riley

    Joe Riley Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2015
    Messages:
    13,936
    Likes Received:
    22,556
    You could also stop and give them a lift!;)
    [​IMG]
     
    #5
    Ina I. Wonder and Yvonne Smith like this.
  6. Gary Ridenour

    Gary Ridenour Veteran Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2015
    Messages:
    1,938
    Likes Received:
    2,404
    its possible that's how this incident happened. i don't know if anyone knew for sure but I was required to drive this same route at all hours day and night. after this incident I always took a flashlight to the pier and checked underneath to make make certain no unwanted passengers were attached.
     
    #6
    Joe Riley and Yvonne Smith like this.
  7. Krissttina Isobe

    Krissttina Isobe Veteran Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2015
    Messages:
    1,413
    Likes Received:
    1,496
    I'd drive up to it honk horn and hope the snake would go on quickly and drive on to my destination. I ride the bus now and don't have to worry about such things. I do miss my car especially on rainy days and when I'm buying groceries.
     
    #7
  8. Chris Ladewig

    Chris Ladewig Veteran Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Apr 30, 2016
    Messages:
    429
    Likes Received:
    706
    It depends on the kind of snake. I have shot rattlers and have carried king and black snakes out of harms way. If I can't identify, I have to admit that I would kill it. It's my belief take no chances when it comes to snakes.
     
    #8
    Frank Sanoica and Yvonne Smith like this.
  9. Joe Riley

    Joe Riley Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2015
    Messages:
    13,936
    Likes Received:
    22,556
    "Red, next to black...you're OK, Jack! Red next to yellow...will kill a fellow"!;)
     
    #9
    Ina I. Wonder and Yvonne Smith like this.
  10. Chris Ladewig

    Chris Ladewig Veteran Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Apr 30, 2016
    Messages:
    429
    Likes Received:
    706
    Running over a snake doesn't always kill it. One day I was trailering two of my horses up the mountain to attend a trail ride. I was pulling my trailer with a GMC duelly, crossing the road was a large thick rattler. I ran over that snake with my truck and with the trailer with over a ton of horses inside. When i looked in my rear view mirror the tires had spun him into a twist but he untwisted himself and crawled off the road seemingly unhurt. A 45 loaded with hollow tips does a much better job.
     
    #10
    Ina I. Wonder and Yvonne Smith like this.
  11. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
    Staff Member Senior Staff Greeter Task Force Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2015
    Messages:
    14,881
    Likes Received:
    27,873
    Well, hopefully, he didn't crawl too far before he gave it up and died from being run over. With that many wheels, especially the wide duallys, you surely must have gotten him with at least some of the tires, unless he just managed to curl up under the middle of the truck and was missed by all of the tires.
    When I lived in Missouri, we had some of the big copperheads that would come crawling across the road and get hit, and it usually seemed to kill them........ Of course, the only ones we saw were the dead ones, so who knows how many others were hit and simply crawled on across like what happened with you, @Chris Ladewig .
    Where do you trailride ?
     
    #11
    Ina I. Wonder likes this.
  12. Chris Ladewig

    Chris Ladewig Veteran Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Apr 30, 2016
    Messages:
    429
    Likes Received:
    706
    I don't trail ride any more. I had to give up my horses last year for economic reasons. I used to ride the the Angeles National forrest and the Pacific crest trail. I belonged to two different trail clubs and one barrel racing club. I really miss riding it was a life long passion.
    I hit him my truck and trailer bumped over him.
     
    #12
    Ina I. Wonder and Yvonne Smith like this.
  13. Shirley Martin

    Shirley Martin Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2015
    Messages:
    55,669
    Likes Received:
    23,302
    You are guaranteed ten years of total happiness in your life. The rest will be suffering and sorrow. What will you chose, the first younger years or the last years?
     
    #13
  14. Chris Ladewig

    Chris Ladewig Veteran Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Apr 30, 2016
    Messages:
    429
    Likes Received:
    706
    I think destiny picked the middle for me. God decided I didn't need happily ever after.
     
    #14
  15. K E Gordon

    K E Gordon Veteran Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2016
    Messages:
    1,440
    Likes Received:
    1,390
    I am an animal lover from way back. I am sure I would wait for the snake to cross the road. My roommate was just telling a story where he straddled a turtle on the road, to avoid hitting it and he looked back and saw a turtle moving faster than he had ever seen one go in his life! I like snakes, and they tend to be very helpful to keep pests at bay. I wouldn't want one in my house..but outside they are fine. Except one time,,,there was one on the patio and was curled around a the upper part of a chair chair....I heard my cat hissing and the snake was sticking out its tongue.. LUckily there was a screen in place. I think my friend took the snake away from the house.
     
    #15
    Denise Evans likes this.

Share This Page