March 2015 |
Overdrive
| 43
bitten by a snake?
What to do
1 Safely park.
2 Get out of the cab,
keeping both doors open to
give the snake an exit.
3 Use a long stick or pole
to nudge the snake gently
out the door.
4 If that fails, call the
local animal control, area
fish and wildlife department,
fire department or 911.
Bitten by a snake?
Should you receive a snake
bite, the Mayo Clinic recom-
mends these actions:
1 Call 911 and remain
calm.
2 Try to take a picture of
the snake and note its colors,
markings and size to deter-
mine later if it's poisonous.
3 Clean the wound, but
don't flush it with water.
Cover it with a clean, dry
dressing.
4 Remove rings/other jew-
elry before you start to swell.
5 Position the bitten limb,
if possible, at or below the
level of your heart. Stay still.
6 Contrary to popular
belief, don't cut the wound
to try to remove the venom,
and don't use a tourniquet.
Also, don't apply ice or drink
caffeine or alcohol.
in
your
cab
in
your
cab
A
snake
!
!
worst
case
scenario
11
More over-
the-road
nightmares
Loyal readers might recall
when, years ago, we picked 10
worst-case trucking emergen-
cies and offered responses
that went beyond crossing your
fingers or saying final prayers.
Sure, most scenarios were
far-fetched – like driving through
a volcanic eruption or a tornado,
or plunging into a lake. But, hey,
they
could happen. And the items
proved to be so popular, we've
decided to do 10 more.
Submit your scariest disas-
ter situation, real or imag-
ined, and if we choose yours
to feature, you will receive
the original signed artwork.
Enter at OverdriveOnline.com/
worstcase, where you also can
see the original 10 worst-case
scenarios.
Y
ou are driving down the
road when you realize you
have a snake lurking in
your cab. Even worse, it's
not yours. What do you do?
Experts stress staying calm. Reptile
specialist and ex-trucker Jim Nesci
says your uninvited guest most likely
isn't poisonous, so if you don't panic,
both of you should slither out of this
just fine.
By
Carolyn
Mason
Rob
Smith
Jr.
