Beware- Naples is the least friendly city in Florida (Orlando: appointed, houses)

[Scientifical Madness]

Originally Posted by OrlandoRE_Miracle

I haven't been here that long, but I don't see the constant Mad Max battlezone scenario on our roadways that you seem to encounter on a daily basis. On the other hand I don't sugarcoat what I do see--that's why I posted about the dogs in the road incident, cell phone drivers, etc. Maybe you need to move out of East Orlando to another part of the metro area.

I had a job offer in Atlanta area, but I cant do anything as my house is in the middle of foreclosureville USA. It would be hard to rent it out too, as there are so many rentals in my subdivision alone. I live in the 32828 zipcode (check it out - it's one of the "nicer" areas throughout Orlando) and earlier in the year there were 944 foreclosures in my zipcode. I'm freakin screwed. People are pullin U-Haul's into their driveways, packing up, and heading right back to NJ or the Carribean and just leaving their houses. Just walking away.

My wife and I have never been honked at, cursed at, and been outright $h*t on for doing absloutely nothing wrong. We've forgotten more bizarre and rude encounters than I can even remember. I lived in Asheville, and had tickets to the Charlotte Hornets (at the time) games quite a bit. In all those years of living in Asheville and driving, and even driving to and from Charlotte over a 7 yr span (guessing), I've encountered more rude and arrogant behavior on the roads here in Orlando in probably one year's time than I did in my years driving up there.

[compelled to reply]

I thought Charlotte drivers were decent, but I didn't like the fact that a burglar was crawling around my car before I drove home. All about personal experience.

[Scientifical Madness]

^^^ Yeah, I agree. I've never had a problem driving in Charlotte. Compelled to Reply will defend S FL til the end, but even he can tell you that Charlotte isnt nearly as bad as Orlando or Miami. I guarantee it.

[compelled to reply]

No way, Orlando and Miami drivers suck, lol.

[stars99]

Originally Posted by Scientifical Madness

I had a job offer in Atlanta area, but I cant do anything as my house is in the middle of foreclosureville USA. It would be hard to rent it out too, as there are so many rentals in my subdivision alone. I live in the 32828 zipcode (check it out - it's one of the "nicer" areas throughout Orlando) and earlier in the year there were 944 foreclosures in my zipcode. I'm freakin screwed. People are pullin U-Haul's into their driveways, packing up, and heading right back to NJ or the Carribean and just leaving their houses. Just walking away.

My wife and I have never been honked at, cursed at, and been outright $h*t on for doing absloutely nothing wrong. We've forgotten more bizarre and rude encounters than I can even remember. I lived in Asheville, and had tickets to the Charlotte Hornets (at the time) games quite a bit. In all those years of living in Asheville and driving, and even driving to and from Charlotte over a 7 yr span (guessing), I've encountered more rude and arrogant behavior on the roads here in Orlando in probably one year's time than I did in my years driving up there.

I'm sorry to hear that. I haven't found it to be as big a deal here in Seminole. Maybe you should take a vacation for a few days somewhere (not Miami) to take a break from it.

[hiknapster]

Back to the OP.

Yes, Naples was where I met the rudest, most arrogant people. I will include south Fort Myers and Bonita Springs in there, too.

I found Naples to be nouveau riche. It was not The Hamptons or Martha's Vineyard. God knows they thought it was, but they have no idea what that entails.

It was people that now had money but with Walmart attitudes. Further north, up into Fort Myers, there was less money, but when the housing boom hit and they used their houses for ATMs, suddenly they were driving around with the Hummers, too. Lovely, more blue-light shoppers with money.

I'll tell you what. I am from New England. Lived there 34 years. I never saw that kind of behavior in their tourist towns and I lived right next to one. Yes, there is traffic. Yes, you can get stuck waiting to get on and off the Cape. But no one is getting out of their cars with baseball bats. We simply weren't raised that way. Heck, you'd start talking to the people in the car next to you.

Yes, I was smart and stayed the away from North Carolina. I think I was so darn traumatized by southwest Florida that I vowed that I would never move to a place where hordes of rude people resided. Research showed, in 2005, that North Carolina was going to be the "it" place. I crossed it off the list.

Yes, those people mostly come from the Midwest. I couldn't believe it. I thought those people were suppose to be so nice and friendly. Well, my husband is from Chicago, but quite frankly, I thought the Midwest must be full of a bunch of ignorant people.

As it turns out, I am in Tennessee and both of my friends are from the Midwest. In fact, I've never met another rude Midwesterner. Southwest Florida must turn them into crazy people.

And another thing. I never thought the place was pretty. It was overdeveloped; slapped up crap smoshed in like sardines. BERMUDA is beautiful. I thought the place was trash.

And yes, I HAD to move to southwest Florida. If given the choice I wouldn't have moved to Florida. It has always attracted low rent people thinking that living in warm weather was going to solve their problems. Heck, it seems like every wanted criminal heads that way.

[Scientifical Madness]

^^^ Thankfully, the people that ruin places like Naples, Boca Raton etc... arent the people that are moving to Western NC. I have met MANY Floridians up there, some transplants, and they were definitely different than the ones that move down to FL. But I know what you mean, once a place becomes the "it" place, it can go from great to not-so-great quickly.

[kanhawk]

I have been to Naples a couple of times as a tourist. The first time was in the summer of 1985. I found the area to be pretty laid back and nice at that time and the beaches and neighborhoods next them to be lovely and quiet. The second time I was there a couple of years ago in April. The area had grown a lot but I still found it pretty nice and less congested than some parts of Florida. So, I liked Naples but my time there was off season so it no doubt was unrepresentative of the tourist season. Maybe the key is to visit in the offseason.

[Scientifical Madness]

Originally Posted by OrlandoRE_Miracle

I'm sorry to hear that. I haven't found it to be as big a deal here in Seminole. Maybe you should take a vacation for a few days somewhere (not Miami) to take a break from it.

Thank you. I wish we could take a vacation. LOL.

[Scientifical Madness]

I'm not suprised. Road rage is too common here in FL - you got a bad mix here in FL...I'm not gonna mention what that mix is, but it's just a few diffferent groups of people that drive poorly, whether it be because of where they are from, or they've just gotten their license in the US, etc...

You know what's crazy??? As I was just typing this, I overheard the news about someone shooting into a vehicle on the highway in a road rage incident... UNBELIEVABLE! Just as I was typing this, a road rage incident involving a shooting was on... that just goes to show you right there... I mean, HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THAT, HONESTLY???

here's the link...

Deputies: Road rage leads to shooting in Volusia....."Wiener was westbound in a pickup at 3:38 p.m. when he cut off Alvarado's pickup, investigators said. That's when Alvarado pulled next to Wiener and pumped a round into the other truck, they said. The bullet pierced the driver's door and hit Wiener, who drove to a relative's house nearby and was taken by ambulance to Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach." Deputies: Road rage leads to shooting in Volusia -- OrlandoSentinel.com (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/orl-bk-road-rage-shooting-volusia-061309,0,5978775.story - broken link)

^^^ That was lastnight...

And again tonight...

Young man killed in a hit-and-run accident while watching an alleged street race -The driver of the car, who has not been identified, continued driving onto Presidents Drive and then east on Sand Lake Road to an unknown destination. According to a witness who followed the vehicle, it was occupied by four unknown Hispanic males. Young man killed in a hit-and-run accident while watching an alleged street race -- OrlandoSentinel.com (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-bk-hit-and-run-street-race-061409,0,6372079.story - broken link)

Teen driver collides with stolen car in east Orange County - Florida Highway Patrol said Jared Rodriguez-Garmany, of Melbourne, was driving a 2000 Lincoln on Flowers Avenue at about 4:36 a.m. A nearby car slowed and lost control as its hood came up and blocked the view of the windshield. That car, a 2000 Honda, had been reported stolen Friday.

Rodriguez-Garmany did not slow down, and in an effort to avoid a collision with the stolen car, traveled into the westbound lane. The two vehicles collided, and the stolen car left the road hit a light pole and then a ditch. The driver of the stolen car, and any passengers, fled the scene on foot.

Christopher Ramirez, 20, a in the Lincoln, was seriously injured in the accident and was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center. Xavier Rosario, 18, also was taken to ORMC with minor injuries. Teen driver with suspended license collides with stolen car -- OrlandoSentinel.com