Some Self-Evident Truths
Some things I've been pondering lately regarding TOTV and the issues that seem to tie some TOTV'ers into knots....
1. Out-of-compliance yards and homes. Not so much here but if you read the (other!!) online source you'd think TV is nothing but jalopies up on blocks, white crosses by the millions, weed-infested lawns and lanai screens held together with duct tape. But, driving through neighborhood after neighborhood--almost nothing but clean, well-kept properties where pride of ownership is obviously a big thing.
2. Drunken Villagers careening around the squares in golf carts, being scooped up by the dozen by the local gendarmerie and carted off to the hoosegow. But--the rare instances I've seen are usually carts going too slow, probably lost. Nothing like the discussions would lead one to expect.
3. Heated altercations between Villagers. So far in three years I've seen one: two guys at Red Sauce outside bellowing at each other, two tables between them. That's it.
4. Airb&b tenants raising holy h3ll in this-or-that neighborhood. Not in my neighborhood. Probably not in yours either. But Man! Do people like to complain about it!
5. Inebriated folks at the squares. Maybe a few. But they're usually giddy and silly, not combative or looking for trouble.
6. SMOKERS!! Particularly cigar smokers. I've seen a couple, and they were well away from crowd. Certainly not the cloud of blue haze one might expect from some of the complaints.
7. OUTSIDERS AT THE SQUARES. Some, sure. Nice folks. Spend money. Enjoy music.
8. Dog Poop (Everybody's favorite topic). Once in a great while a dog will dump on my lawn. Owner always picks it up. One didn't: I politely asked him to do so. He apologized and did. No problem.
9. Rude Clerks: Mostly the only ones I've seen is if a customer has been rude to them first.
10. Finally, THE DEVELOPER running amok. This shadowy figure, The Developer, takes heat for just about everything, most recently STRs and Airb&bs. People rattling their sabers, planning legal action. And so on. But...said Developer is a multi-BILLION dollar business, most likely with a bunch of top-flight legal beagles protecting his nether regions. I doubt he worries much about the molehills we turn into mountains. Nor should he, given the (often) vast difference between what we see vs. what we hear.
11. Probably many other things I’ve forgotten.
It ain't so bad here, folks. Maybe instead of gnashing our teeth we should be counting our blessings.
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