Why does people have snakes as pets?

I guess the couple abandoning these thought the same…

I mean, I have never heard a story of an affectionate snake. I did however hear stories about snakes getting out of their cage and trying to kill their owner. So there is obviously not any emotional bond between owner and pet. Not from the snakes side, anyway.

So why do people do it? Keep snakes (and various other reptiles for that matter), I mean. Because they are cool? I can understand that. Kind of like having a poisonous spider. Or a gun. At lest the gun doesn’t wander off by itself, but I still hate it and would not keep one in the house.

Ok, so all snakes aren’t dangerous. So what is so cool about them, then?