Kill Snake – No Charge

Often times when performing the service of making keys to an “old beater” that’s been sitting out in a field I make sure to check for spiders, wasps or other nasty surprises that might be lurking in the shadows. I remember one time impressioning a key for a trunk on one old cream puff that had a family of wasps inside the hollow where the lock and latch were housed. The moment that key turned and the deck lid popped up my hand received several insults for having disturbed their afternoon nap. Sometimes you see it coming and other times you don’t.

This morning I was at a friend of mine’s car lot way in the back where I was to make keys for 1994 Chevy truck that someone had replaced the original ignition with one of those really cheap after market ignition switches. I was going to have to drive my service truck back through some mud, either that or walk back and forth a considerable distance; why walk when you can drive?

There was a plastic bucket sitting right down the middle of where I was going to put my truck and I was about to move it when something caught my attention. At the bottom of the bucket was a Copperhead snake that had sought shelter there. I looked around and found a shovel with a nice long handle and with a few well placed jabs managed to render the snake mortally wounded.

I went about the business of making keys and replacing the ignition switch as the morning temperatures broke a sweat on my brow. When it came time to fill out my work order I listed what I’d done; pull after market ignition switch, replace with factory new parts, fit door key and on the next line, kill snake – no charge.

I know that killing the snake had nothing to do with locksmith work; I probably broke some State labor law, not having a proper license issued by the DPS/PSB for killing venomous reptiles within a hundred feet of a public thorough fare. I plead guilty; just don’t put me in a dark jail cell where there might be spiders or other nasty things hiding in the shadows.