Why is Florida soo crazy?

A 2-year old boy was taken by al alligator at a Disney resort!! It seems any time something you never imagined could happen (homeless man eating others faces, night club shooting, singers being shot at a performance, alligators waling around with a human body in it's mouth, and on, and on) it's in Florida. Why is there a higher concentration of crazy down there? Can we just evacuate the 341 normal people and sawzall the state line and let it float away?
Of course this is posted in jest.

There could be upwards of 400 normal people down there ;)

As a native Floridian I blame it all on the jerks who move here.

the heat & humidity gets to them

Confirmation bias?

2 year old splashing around in 1 ft. of water at 9:00 at night? They're from Nebraska.

Dad tried to fight the alligator. I would have to be sedated for a week or two.....

After many years in construction related work, I really feel that most that move here are moving AWAY from somewhere, not moving TO Florida.

Florida is downhill from the rest of the country (look on the map if you don't believe me!) and we all know that E36 M3 (and crazy) rolls downhill.

mad_machine wrote: Florida is downhill from the rest of the country (look on the map if you don't believe me!) and we all know that E36 M3 (and crazy) rolls downhill.

yep... see how many crazy folks show up in Gainsville in the fall for a little car program?

Florida gives America a hootus to be proud of.

But we all know what sort of trouble we can get into following our hootus around.....

914Driver wrote: 2 year old splashing around in 1 ft. of water at 9:00 at night? They're from Nebraska. Dad tried to fight the alligator. I would have to be sedated for a week or two.....

This is the first I've heard the kid was in the water. I was wondering why a grown man couldn't deal with a 4 to 7 foot alligator on land.

In reply to spitfirebill:

He was from Nebraska. They don't ever show the little ones on TV, just the monsters that eat cows.

spitfirebill wrote:

914Driver wrote: 2 year old splashing around in 1 ft. of water at 9:00 at night? They're from Nebraska. Dad tried to fight the alligator. I would have to be sedated for a week or two.....

This is the first I've heard the kid was in the water. I was wondering why a grown man couldn't deal with a 4 to 7 foot alligator on land.

The report I heard (and we all know how infallible the media is) is that the boy was on shore, near the water. The dad was standing not too far away. And yeah, that dad went in the water but could save him. The feelings he must feel cannot be stated in words.

In Nebraska, they don't really have the expectation that a giant reptile might lunge out of a puddle and eat your babies. I expect it came as something of an unimaginable shock.

Huckleberry wrote: In Nebraska, they don't really have the expectation that a giant reptile might lunge out of a puddle and eat your babies. I expect it came as something of an unimaginable shock.

Especially at a place as sterilized as Disney.

I'm not sure if it is the right strategy, but I read a story where a woman rescued her dog by dragging the dog and gator onto land. At least if you get them both on land you have several shots at the rescue.

Huckleberry wrote: In Nebraska, they don't really have the expectation that a giant reptile might lunge out of a puddle and eat your babies. I expect it came as something of an unimaginable shock.

Yea but the signs around the place should have given them a clue.

I question why they would have a sandy beach if you couldn't go in the water. Sunbathing?

spitfirebill wrote:

Huckleberry wrote: In Nebraska, they don't really have the expectation that a giant reptile might lunge out of a puddle and eat your babies. I expect it came as something of an unimaginable shock.

Yea but the signs around the place should have given them a clue. I question why they would have a sandy beach if you couldn't go in the water. Sunbathing?

Makes it easier to feed the gators.

We have lots of water quality and pollution issues which appears to have mental affects. It's a shame really....could be paradise.

spitfirebill wrote:

Huckleberry wrote: In Nebraska, they don't really have the expectation that a giant reptile might lunge out of a puddle and eat your babies. I expect it came as something of an unimaginable shock.

Yea but the signs around the place should have given them a clue. I question why they would have a sandy beach if you couldn't go in the water. Sunbathing?

Might be natural.

Sad story. I find it to be generally true that one cannot reason with reptiles.

spitfirebill wrote:

Huckleberry wrote: In Nebraska, they don't really have the expectation that a giant reptile might lunge out of a puddle and eat your babies. I expect it came as something of an unimaginable shock.

Yea but the signs around the place should have given them a clue. I question why they would have a sandy beach if you couldn't go in the water. Sunbathing?

I was just in the Polynesian resort a couple weeks ago. There are signs saying no swimming by the lake, but nothing indicating an alligator hazard, and in many places the sandy beach goes right up to the water's edge just like any other swimming lake.

spitfirebill wrote: I was wondering why a grown man couldn't deal with a 4 to 7 foot alligator on land.

Try it and you'll likely figure it out.

foxtrapper wrote:

spitfirebill wrote: I was wondering why a grown man couldn't deal with a 4 to 7 foot alligator on land.

Try it and you'll likely figure it out.

Yeah, and there's quite a difference between a 4' gator and a 7' gator.

I would think that any properly manly man could go toe-to-toe with a 4 foot gator on land, maybe even in the water (assuming that the gator even lets you get close enough to catch it), a 7 footer would be a whole different story.

Local news reports the kid was wading in the water while a movie was being shown on the beach. Disney says there were no reports of a nuisance alligator in that lake--which is the big one you cross when you're going from the parking and transportation center over to the Magic Kingdom. Note they're only talking about "nuisance" gators, which are those that show no natural fear of humans, usually because they've been fed, since it's safe to assume that every body of water in Florida contains an alligator. People from out of state have no idea of that--and that you do not want to be in that water with them at night.

Margie

This isn't a problem with Florida being crazy, this is a problem with Florida being infested with alligators. You should assume any inland bodies of water have alligators there if you're not sure. 99% of the time you'll be right.

In reply to GameboyRMH:

Upto and including creeks, pools, hot tubs, and bath tubs. I still don't sit on a toilet without doing a confirmation check that nothing is in there, and I'm 32!