Calling All Fort Lauderdale Peeps!!

[harry chickpea]

Originally Posted by blueherons

'

I am moving from Sarasota. I was born and raised in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I understand the concept of snowbirds.

I am a third generation product of tourism. Tourism has paid for my homes, my parents homes, educations, braces, cars, basically mine and my family's lifestyle my entire life.

If not for the snowbirds, a lot of cities would not have the amenities they have.

I appreciate the snowbirds for what they bring.

I'm assuming you dislike the snowbirds as you are a native Floridian?

No, I grew up in Vermont, where I saw the damage that the ski crowd did to the local economy by building expensive ski chalets, demanding costly services, raising the taxes, overcrowding the rural roads until there were traffic jams on dirt roads, and acting like the natives lived to serve. Then I got to see similar effects in south Florida. Just ask any of the businesses around King's Point if the clerks LIKE the clientele or find them to have good manners. We eventually moved to an area where tourism is unlikely, so I more look upon the snowbirds with detached amusement now. I do find it funny how they flock to Publix like birds to a birdfeeder.

[blueherons]

I stumbled upon this and thought I'd pass it on.

Official Website of Las Olas Boulevard

Click on Events! Looking forward to so much!

[ShellMitch]

I can't resist the opportunity for some shameless self promotion here. I co-produce an annual indie craft show that happens in March in Hollywood called the Odd Duck Bazaar. A "indie" show is one that you won't find your typical "grandma" crafts (not that there is anything wrong with grandma's crafts... It's is how most of us indie people learned our skills, its just not what we do) but more of a younger, edgier version of handmade items. We jury the show so each vendor goes through a screening process in order to make sure everything is unique, good quality and actually handmade by the vendor. It is a neat shopping experience and we have live music and on-site DIY crafting too. Check it out, just look up Odd Duck Bazaar.

[blueherons]

Originally Posted by ShellMitch

I can't resist the opportunity for some shameless self promotion here. I co-produce an annual indie craft show that happens in March in Hollywood called the Odd Duck Bazaar. A "indie" show is one that you won't find your typical "grandma" crafts (not that there is anything wrong with grandma's crafts... It's is how most of us indie people learned our skills, its just not what we do) but more of a younger, edgier version of handmade items. We jury the show so each vendor goes through a screening process in order to make sure everything is unique, good quality and actually handmade by the vendor. It is a neat shopping experience and we have live music and on-site DIY crafting too. Check it out, just look up Odd Duck Bazaar.

That sounds really cool!! Thanks

[regal1]

Don't understand people like harry chickpea, with words of disdain, and dislike of snowbirds. Florida is no way like Vermont. If it were not for the snowbirds the economy, housing, employment, and tourism down in Florida would be disasterous, with more Floridians suffering financial hardships. And as far as manners, that's not a snowbird issue, but a individual issue, such as you attacking snowbirds. Your choice of words shows that you can be rude, insensitive, and lack manners yourself

[blueherons]

Originally Posted by regal1

Don't understand people like harry chickpea, with words of disdain, and dislike of snowbirds. Florida is no way like Vermont. If it were not for the snowbirds the economy, housing, employment, and tourism down in Florida would be disasterous, with more Floridians suffering financial hardships. And as far as manners, that's not a snowbird issue, but a individual issue, such as you attacking snowbirds. Your choice of words shows that you can be rude, insensitive, and lack manners yourself

Growing up in Myrtle Beach, the first thing that people do when they move there is to start hating the tourists. People have very short memories and forget if it wasn't for them being tourists in the first place, they never would have moved to Myrtle Beach.

And as you said, if it wasn't for tourists, the locations they love would not have a fraction of the amenities. People also forget the trickle down effect, a city doesn't have a bazillion doctors and good hospitals without the rampant tourism.

[harry chickpea]

Originally Posted by regal1

Don't understand people like harry chickpea, with words of disdain, and dislike of snowbirds. Florida is no way like Vermont. If it were not for the snowbirds the economy, housing, employment, and tourism down in Florida would be disasterous, with more Floridians suffering financial hardships. And as far as manners, that's not a snowbird issue, but a individual issue, such as you attacking snowbirds. Your choice of words shows that you can be rude, insensitive, and lack manners yourself

Yeah, whatever. Try "manners" with some of them and you'll get walked all over with spiked shoes and get left in the gutter. I showed up on a service call at the theatre in the link below about ten minutes after the ambulance left. The managers and staff were both hyper and in shock. Here is a clue, the snowbird/retiree "manners" problem at that location was ongoing right up until this incident. I used to work on the computers there and be DUMBFOUNDED by the lying, the attempts to scam, and the abuse of employees that was so great that some dissolved in tears and others quit. It took that death and the trial before some of those snowbird/retirees realized that they WOULD go to jail, and their behavior was not going to be tolerated, and they finally calmed down. That is pure and simple FACT. What the Sun-Sentinel reported underplayed other events leading up to the incident, in my estimation, like some of the women snowbirds defecating on the floor in the restroom or purposely clogging toilets. The location has been turned around and is running like a normal theatre now, so don't hold the actions of those old customers against the theatre. Probably a few of the more deserving ones are enjoying dirt naps by now.

Fatal Fight Puts Cinema In Spotlight - Sun Sentinel

My choice of words comes from having been in the trenches, dealing with some of the snowbirds. In another theatre located in Boca, I watched as an obviously wealthy snowbird and his wife tried to scam the theatre staff by switching theatres after seeing their movie. I didn't say a word, but noted everything that went on, including their taking used ticket stubs out of a restroom wastebin. The twit then tried to write a complaint letter about the "rude" staff and scam some free passes, not knowing that I was the district manager he was writing to. I still keep his letter and my very polite response informing him that he wasn't going to get those passes, as a reminder of the "good old days." (I also informed the competition about him, in case he tried the same stunt with them.)

As for Publix, I watched one Christmas season as an older bejeweled one of those "valuable" New York snowbirds STOLE the shopping cart from a man, dumped his goods out of the cart, used it and ignored his stunned comments to her back that "Hey, that isn't your cart, I was using it." You can't make this stuff up.

The majority of snowbirds are reasonably well behaved, but there are enough outrageous a++holes that your paean to their glories is not telling all the facts. I have worked in theatres all over the Eastern half of the U.S. upstate N.Y, Atlanta, Charlotte, Birmingham and a couple dozen other locations including some dicey ones, and NEVER seen rude customers that were anywhere near as rude as some of the snowbirds in Florida. I have also never seen any other area of the country where shopping carts are used so aggressively.

But, if you want to call me "insensitive" please go ahead. I've had worse (You aren't a snowbird by any chance? )

[Tulippsy]

The beach, the beach and the beach! You will be a bike ride away in Colee Hammock! IMO, the best reason to live in Florida is the luxury of going to the beach whenever you feel like it, even if it's only for 20 minutes to watch the moon rise.

Also I can vouch for the Odd Duck. Great craft show!

[FloridaDude]

Drive west on Griffin Road, to the very end, in the Everglades. Take an airboat ride there at Holiday Park. Its a blast. Take another couple with you.

[ruski]

Originally Posted by FloridaDude

Drive west on Griffin Road, to the very end, in the Everglades. Take an airboat ride there at Holiday Park. Its a blast. Take another couple with you.

That's in my backyard.