If you are one of the legions of people who have acquired, or are about to obtain a new pet snake, then you are also about to have a rewarding experience. Snakes have a lot to teach us.
Many people are afraid of snakes, some pathologically so.
Using a snake to scare a person is irresponsible of you, may injure the other person and is traumatic for the snake. Be sure to feed your snake an adequate diet at appropriate intervals. Snakes under 3 feet should generally be fed prey about the size of an adult mouse once or twice per week. Larger snakes take more or larger prey at less frequent intervals. Truly large snakes may eat only once per year, but these are not snakes for novices.