Would you jump into a snake pit if someone told you that the snakes MIGHT bite you, or they might not.?  And they MIGHT be poisonous and they might not.  And if a poisonous snake bites you, we MIGHT give you the antidote right away, or we might make you wait and wait and wait...or we just might not give it to you at all.

Sounds like fun, huh?

Sure would be helpful to have the ability to identify the biting snakes from the non biting ones, and the poisonous snakes from the non poisonous ones.