Susan and Tom -
Heh - I wondered what kind of response it would received.
I laughed when I saw this avatar - It reminds me of where I moved from.
Hilton Head Island, SC has lagoons everywhere with alligators in them.
But you know what? They never bothered anyone - only when they were teased or fed by a tourist, despite
Do Not Feed The Alligators signs everywhere (similar to the Buffalo situation). Occasionally, a dog would go over to them and bark while they were sunning on the bank and the gators would attack them.
Needless to say, I never saw a picture like this avatar or heard of a situation like it while I lived there for 17 years.
The only time they are dangerous, from my experience, is when someone has fed them. Then they come to you for food.