It's all that the above poster said, but there's another side to it too. There are many drunk kids and young adults who are roaming all over, there's much encouragement for the females on the floats and the ones on the parade route to bare body parts to get more beads and some even go so far as to say it encourages demeaning women and the notion of robbing and pillaging is a sport like activity. We lived in Tampa , went a few times, but then the crowds and noise were too much. If you do go the onle way to go to have seats in the bleachers which you have to purchase ahead of time. I would think going with an organized group would be a good idea. It's almost impossible to just decide to drive down and expect to finf parking anywhere here Bayshore where the parade is, altho they do have shuttles from various parts of the city.
|