[kyle19125]

One of those little things that drives me crazy lately comes from random conversation with someone who doesn't live in Florida who brings up...
"I know someone who lives down there in Florida"....to which I usually reply "Oh great, where?" and almost always the response is "I don't know, somewhere down there"...

Is it just me or a widespread phenomenon. I don't recall this lapse in geography anywhere else I've lived but seemingly Florida is a massive void to the outside world. Do maps have city names for our state???

[allenk893]

Honestly, I could care less anymore. People seem to have a general hatred of Florida. I will admit, I do too (that's why I'm relocating come next year) but I really do not care to address the ignorance about FL from people from other states. It's a waste of breathe and time.

[Ken E]

I think to most people who dont live down there, Florida is just a place you go on vacation to get out of the cold or where Gram and Grampa moved when they got old. So people probablly know the names of certain vacation destinations or where their grandparents moved but really arent concerned with anywhere else.

[chopchop0]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

One of those little things that drives me crazy lately comes from random conversation with someone who doesn't live in Florida who brings up...
"I know someone who lives down there in Florida"....to which I usually reply "Oh great, where?" and almost always the response is "I don't know, somewhere down there"...

Is it just me or a widespread phenomenon. I don't recall this lapse in geography anywhere else I've lived but seemingly Florida is a massive void to the outside world. Do maps have city names for our state???

It's a dumb statement considering we are the fourth most-populated state in the country, and have been predicted to be on track to eclipse NY for third place sometime in this decade. In the most recent census, we gained representatives in the House, while NY lost a couple,

[hiknapster]

It's no secret that there are a lot of imbecilic Americans. Far too many don't know anything about most states, even the ones they live in. I've come across people that were astounded that there is farmland in New York. They thought the entire state was "city." And people that thought "New England" was an actual state.

But even some fairly bright people shouldn't be expected to know everything about a state. Do I ask people where they live in Idaho or Canada and then remember? Yes, but I'm one of those people that stores useless information. It's one of the reasons I am able to remember stuff about CD members. But most people don't and so what. If you went to school with someone from high school and they moved to Fort Myers and you still live in Massachusetts should you care what city they moved to? Or if they tell you and you don't recall six months later, who cares.

[tricon7]

Originally Posted by allenk893

Honestly, I could care less anymore. People seem to have a general hatred of Florida. I will admit, I do too (that's why I'm relocating come next year)

Maybe we'll get lucky and you'll find something early.

[beachmouse]

The Panhandle variation of this that drives everyone here nuts is "We're going to go to Disneyworld next month; do you want to meet up for dinner one night?" Because people just don't get that it's a six hour drive one way to get there from my neck of the swamp.

[hiknapster]

Most of those people don't know where the different cities and town are in Montana or how far they are away from each other, either. Heck, most people don't know the same things about California or Arizona. Some know very little about their home state.

Yes, it may seem ignorant but that's the way it is. We don't have a great educational system in this country but worse yet, we have a bunch of lazy, apathetic people raising more lazy, apathetic people.

But there is no rule that says that the majority of the American population should know the layout and geography of Florida. So when you do the huge eyeroll because someone doesn't know that it is six hours between The Panhandle and Disney do you ask yourself if you know that much about their state? Yes, they could look it up but they are too busy watching The "X" Factor. On these forums we get "How far is it from Point 'A' to Point 'B'?" all the time.

[DodgeGirl78]

As we were preparing to move to Florida we often had the following conversation:

Friend/Family/Acquaintance- So you're moving! Where to?

Us- Florida

Them- Why?!?!? I hate Florida!

Us- Really? What part have you been to? ( Thinking to myself, well that works out handy since I didn't ask you to move with us)

Them- Oh I have never been to Florida but I know it sucks

[Ken E]

That same thing happened to us, and they must have meant it because no one ever came down to visit.