[goodtimesintv]

I'm reminded of this craziness while reading about the child snatched by an alligator at Disney:

Last evening, I was driving south on Morse Boulevard, nearing the roundabout at Mallory CC, and on the golf course to my right two women were in the frizzy grass and muck edge of a pond.

They were not on solid ground......and then I saw a disaster ready to happen. The woman stepped to the very edge of the water, bent over, and stuck her hand in the water to get a golf ball.

I thought surely I was going to witness her falling in.......or a gator attack on her arm and she'd get her hand snapped off or she'd get pulled in.

I do not understand how retrieving a ball can be that important. This was insane.

Maybe you all can reinforce why people should give up a free, found golf ball, or why they should "splurge and spend major money" on another ball by dropping/hitting a new one if it was their ball in the water.

Here's where it happened, around 6-7 p.m. last night:

[NotGolfer]

I think folks are told to NOT retrieve balls from the water OR tall grasses. You can't fix stupid!!!

[bluedivergirl]

It's crazy. I live on Evan's Prairie, on a pond. A few days ago, a young girl 7 - 8 years old was playing at the edge of the pond. An older woman (assume grandmother) was a good 30 feet away and on the phone. I couldn't stand it, and went out to tell her there are alligators in the pond. The little girl said she told Grandma, but Grandma didn't believe it.

Wonder how Grandma feels this morning.

[Rango]

ignorance can be fixed, stupid is forever.

[Ron_Ski]

Exit question - would it be permissible to retrieve my hand?

[kcrazorbackfan]

Probably a $.25 Topflite they were looking for...

[Bjeanj]

Gator, snake, spiders, etc.

[2BNTV]

It's amazing what some people think or don't!

Reminds me of someone who buys a 750,000 home and then is fanatical about replacing all the bulbs in the house with LED"S, to save a few pennies.

Go figure!

[Arubagirl33]

Yes, that would be my husband!!! Lol. That's why he can afford that 750,000 house. Save a few pennies here & save a few there...

[villagerjack]

It is the mindset that makes people successful.

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by bluedivergirl

It's crazy. I live on Evan's Prairie, on a pond. A few days ago, a young girl 7 - 8 years old was playing at the edge of the pond. An older woman (assume grandmother) was a good 30 feet away and on the phone. I couldn't stand it, and went out to tell her there are alligators in the pond. The little girl said she told Grandma, but Grandma didn't believe it.

Good for you! It sometimes takes a village to keep a child safe.

[patfla06]

Originally Posted by bluedivergirl

It's crazy. I live on Evan's Prairie, on a pond. A few days ago, a young girl 7 - 8 years old was playing at the edge of the pond. An older woman (assume grandmother) was a good 30 feet away and on the phone. I couldn't stand it, and went out to tell her there are alligators in the pond. The little girl said she told Grandma, but Grandma didn't believe it.

Wonder how Grandma feels this morning.

This is just frightening!

Good for you for caring enough to say something.

[rubicon]

Why would anyone want to retrieve a golf ball from a pond? don't they know once a golf ball hits water it becomes addicted to it and will desperately seek more water (ie its going to go back in a pond)

On the serious side I do not care much for the phrase "you can't fix stupid" Its demeaning, unfair and unnecessary. There is not one person posting or viewing these pages that hasn't done something stupid. and it certainly wouldn't make me feel better about myself by calling other people stupidly unfixable

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by villagerjack

It is the mindset that makes people successful.

Oh Arubagirl and villagerjack I so agree.

Back to the subject, I think it wise to stay away from the edges of ponds and all water in Florida, especially now during mating season of alligators because they are acting irascibly.

We have to remember that alligators transport themselves by walking and running and swimming and are virtually impossible to contain in one place or keep out of watery places here where we live. I can't remember any other horrible event like this at Disney in fifty years. It doesn't happen often but it does happen and our treasured children must be protected at all costs.

So all grandparents of small children file this somewhere. I am so overprotective that I will not allow our adult and gainfully employed grandchildren who drive sensibly to drive alone in our golfcart here in The Villages.

I love being the matriarch.

[xkeowner]

Saw a guy fishing around with his hand for several seconds in the pond at Volusia hole seven about an hour ago. About a week ago there was four plus foot gator sunning on the shore of that pond!

Common sense is not common.