STOP Blaming Snowbirds!
 

“I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore” ranted Peter Finch’s character, Howard Beale, in the film “Network”. I feel the same about the relentless snide remarks & overt negativity directed at and about snowbirds. Let’s look at some facts & common complaints.

We increase traffic congestion.
Hard to argue with that one but we also reduce congestion by leaving for 6 months or more so is the glass half full or half empty?

Snowbirds are bad drivers. Really? Snowbirds come to Florida from all over the U.S. & Canada, driving thousands of miles. How are we able to do this without causing accidents & chaos? It’s really very simple.

We are healthy overall; without vision & hearing problems, coordination deficits, mental lapses or dementia.
We keep our speed at the level of the posted speed limits or with the natural flow of traffic.
We keep to the right lane unless passing.
We use our turn signals.
We can properly & legally park a vehicle (as in between-the-lines & without blocking other vehicles, fire lanes, handicap spaces, etc.).
We put down the phone in order to pay attention to our driving.
We drive defensively.
We practice patience & courtesy.

Floridians seem to think we are clueless as to navigating roundabouts. Newsflash! Florida does not have a monopoly on roundabouts. We have many in my home state & an accident in a roundabout is actually quite rare & never a daily/weekly occurrence as it is here.

Snowbirds living in The Villages pay the same as full time residents in regard to amenity fees, bonds, insurance, property taxes, school taxes & more, yet we are here less than 6 months. We do not vote or influence local & state elections & leave the politics, policies, laws, etc. to the permanent residents of Florida. It is the politicians you have elected who continue to approve new developments attracting more snowbirds to Florida. “If you build it, they will come”

Snowbird money is important to Florida. In 2019, snowbirds contributed over $95 billion to the Florida economy. That equates to 1.6 million jobs in Florida.

To summarize, people love a scapegoat & snowbirds make an easy target but look at the facts:

We are safe drivers.
We pay the same for year-round services.
We benefit the economy.
We leave the politics to you.
We go away for at least half of the year.

Of course there is one way that we snowbirds could put an end to the complaining; we could all just move here permanently. Now, there’s an idea!

Even if the roads are more congested with snowbirds thank God it does slow the traffic down from being raceways!

Funny how the bad behaviors seem to peak when We-who-do-no-wrong arrive.

Is it that You bring out the worst in the non-snowbirds? If so, perhaps the non-snowbirds would be better off if that catalyst were to stay away.

OR, and more likely, the "We" you use assumes a bit more than is actually supported by reality and would be more accurate if replaced by "A few snowbirds, but certainly not all," as in:

A few snowbirds, but certainly not all, are healthy overall; without vision & hearing problems, coordination deficits, mental lapses or dementia.
A few snowbirds, but certainly not all, keep our speed at the level of the posted speed limits or with the natural flow of traffic.
A few snowbirds, but certainly not all, keep to the right lane unless passing.
etc.

Yeah, right :1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

Conflation
 

The problem is the term “Snowbirds” is generalized to identify with the entire migratory movement of people from up north? The entire group consists of new renters, new owners or whatever and then legitimate snowbirds. If the whole group is conflated into one term “snowbirds” there is legitimate reason for the thin skin. We all see the extra traffic, accidents in roundabouts and people driving like they don’t know what they are doing. This could aggravate some who quickly set them all into one phylum as “Snowbirds.”

By all means, become a "frog". Then you, too, can have fun picking on the "snowbirds".
Reality is that a lot of folks complain about a of stuff and they (often and incorrectly) choose the easy target. Don't take it personally. No one has more right to be here than anyone else. Enjoy TV.

Feel better now? :1rotfl: :1rotfl:

For sure
 

Are the roadways crowded, are restaurants packed, are their ridiculously long lines,….absolutely. The place has become a crowded cesspool in the winter. But, when they all leave for summer, we get paradise back!

Odd how the OP knows the personal driving habits of every single one of the snowbirds who come to FL.
And yes, full timers can gripe about snowbirds, and there is absolutely nothing that you can do about it other than complaining and griping about it on a message board.

You said the same thing back on 8-25 replying to a similar post but now you have created one yourself to further complain? Just go enjoy the crowed pool and relax already!

Why should snowbirds get break?

Fact check TRUE

Humans in general prefer stability, and dislike uncontrollable changes.
Humans also generalize, and find scape goats for uncontrollable changes they dislike. Xenophobia runs rampant in the world amongst cultures.

There is about 100 lbs of sh** for every 5 lb bag on the internet. The internet is a alot more bearable if one learns to ignore/not take generalizations personally when they read posts.

The world has every kind of person from a saint to a devil incarnate and everyone in between, so billions of view points versus your one, you are out gunned and out maneuvered. Just ignore it and move on if you can't or think about why their opinions are posted to understand other's usually selfish or human emotions and motivations. .

check, . . your move . .

The bad drivers happen all year round.

You’re an idiot when you pass someone, and a moron when they pass you. Just old entitled people waiting to complain about everything.

So you are saying TV is an uncrowded cesspool in the summer?
:1rotfl: