Only In Orlando (Plantation, Seminole: jobs, resort, move)

[Stupid Flanders]

I walk into the Walgreens on the corner of Conroy and John Young today at 5:45 p.m. There are probably 60 shoppers, 25 of which are in line (an honest-to-god estimate) and only ONE cashier. Three associates are pretending to stock cigarettes so they don’t have to deal with the customers.

I’m about three spaces back in line when finally one of the other slovenly employees decides to open a line in the photo section. I turn around to go to the new counter when at least a half dozen people behind me jump IN FRONT of me and get first in line at the new counter. I waited for almost 15 minutes in the first line, and about 10 minutes in the second line while some looser was arguing with the cashier about what items could and could not be purchased using her welfare card – EBT is it? Whatever – food stamp card.

While in line, some guy could not figure out how to use the “do it yourself” picture kiosk. He kept asking for help and the clerk kept saying in broken English “I no can do machine”.

Finally, after being in line for almost a half hour, I put down my gallon of milk and walked out.

Something stupid like this happens to me all the time in this god forsaken hell hole of a 3rd world we call Orlando.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Coming from a meeting at the Gaylord Palms resort, my shop manager who drives a big truck was attacked by a guy who backed out of a parking space and hit his truck. That’s right. Someone hit my co-workers PARKED truck and started yelling at HIM for parking “too big of a truck in a small parking lot” – As if we had a freakin choice!

The guy took a swing – an attempt at an open palm slap – and missed. He then picked up a small stick and threw it at my co-workers truck. He kept screaming in Spanish and finally got in his car and went away.

My co-worker is stuck with about $500 worth of damage to his truck and the other guy illegally left the scene in a hurry - his PR flag hanging from the window.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you have had these types of weird experiences in Orlando, feel free to add to this post.

[compelled to reply]

It's strange that I noticed customer service is far better down here than it is in Orlando...does that count as a weird experience?

[backtofla]

stupid flanders, that sounds like orlando alright. i have many bizarre stories, but most are encounters i've had while driving.

especially with the puerto-rican flag hanging in the window... god i cant wait to leave orlando. i will miss my family, but it will be the right move for us. the puerto-ricans have taken over and this city is now theirs. i cant wait to come back and visit this place in 10 or 20 yrs. it's gonna be a shock

[Stupid Flanders]

Originally Posted by fort lauderdale

It's strange that I noticed customer service is far better down here than it is in Orlando...does that count as a weird experience?

I certainly can't explain it. Customer service being almost zero in a city that prides itself in being a tourist mecca.

I could go on for hours about the lack of customer service down here...it's why I drive almost 30 minutes to get to the Publix on a side of town where I don't need an interpreter. Not saying that I don't routinely get ****-poor service from my fellow Americans. I guess it's just more frustrating to get it from someone I can hardly understand (especially when they seem proud of it).

[Stupid Flanders]

Originally Posted by backtofla

stupid flanders, that sounds like orlando alright. i have many bizarre stories, but most are encounters i've had while driving.

especially with the puerto-rican flag hanging in the window... god i cant wait to leave orlando. i will miss my family, but it will be the right move for us. the puerto-ricans have taken over and this city is now theirs. i cant wait to come back and visit this place in 10 or 20 yrs. it's gonna be a shock

In 20 years the name will be officially changed to "Puertorlando". It will be as rancid as the island they left. It's too bad too. I know and work with a lot of really good people from PR. It's the low-lifes that ruin it for everybody. Orlando just has way more than it's fair share.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by Stupid Flanders

I certainly can't explain it. Customer service being almost zero in a city that prides itself in being a tourist mecca.

I could go on for hours about the lack of customer service down here...it's why I drive almost 30 minutes to get to the Publix on a side of town where I don't need an interpreter. Not saying that I don't routinely get ****-poor service from my fellow Americans. I guess it's just more frustrating to get it from someone I can hardly understand (especially when they seem proud of it).

The strange thing down here is you typically have non-Hispanic people working the service jobs. Actually I witnessed something pretty surprising a month or so ago. I was eating at a (Mexican) restaurant in Plantation, and my waitress had a heavy Spanish accent but was very friendly and quite fluent in the language. The people behind me were speaking Spanish and had the same waitress, when the waitress comes, the guy behind me who was speaking Spanish to his family goes in a twangy accent "What kinda beer you got on tap. Nothin like a nice cold miller lite". And the guy was very, very Latino looking. I have had similar experiences all over the place here where both ends are obviously fluent in Spanish but decide to speak English.People here seem to be more proud to assimilate, even though they aren't immigrating from a U.S commonwealth.

Actually customer service here is fairly impressive. Not the best in the country, but I find service employees down here to have a decent work ethic and are pretty no-BS. Still haven't walked into a gas station or anywhere to hear the words "no hablo inglez".I have encountered people who weren't exactly fluent in the language, but they TRY here! Now in Dade County that is another story...

Seriously, if we didn't have the cost-associated economic issues I would recommend this area over Orlando any day.Although Seminole County is nice...

[Wow Orlando]

hahahahahhahah This is tooo funny. Yo esse chill out.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by Wow Orlando

hahahahahhahah This is tooo funny. Yo esse chill out.

Yeah, it's pretty..uh...interesting what we all get heated about here...

[backtofla]

ft lauderdale,

you loco gringo!!! vive puerto-rico!!!

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by backtofla

ft lauderdale,

you loco gringo!!! vive puerto-rico!!!

Aw, calm down now!!! I'm not the xenophobe .

Now that I think about it we had a few Puerto Rican kids at my high school down here. They acted like White kids...