[Talk Host]

What do you like least about living here? :realmad:

[snowbirdgator]

the rude people. i am from the midwest where everyone is so friendly and will be nice and wave and say hello. not here. if you look at someone wrong the will give you a dirty look or even if you pause too long at a stop light, they lay on the horn. what is everyone's deal in this place. i heard this was the place to live when you retire. i am sure thinking otherwise.

[Kitria]

Snowbird..
Where do you travel in the Villages? I live in Orange Blossom Country Club area. Walkers always wave back to my wave..smile when I smile at them..When I travel to the other areas, people still wave back to me. yup..wondering where you travel.

Hmm.. what I don't like..AHH

There is so much that I want to do..and only 24 hours in a day..but hey..that isn't so bad now is it. *winks*

[Talk Host]

Originally Posted by snowbirdgator

the rude people. i am from the midwest where everyone is so friendly and will be nice and wave and say hello. not here. if you look at someone wrong the will give you a dirty look or even if you pause too long at a stop light, they lay on the horn. what is everyone's deal in this place. i heard this was the place to live when you retire. i am sure thinking otherwise.

I'm astonished. The one thing here in the villages that jumps out at me is that everybody waves and says hello. Everybody. It is my suspicion that some people are just plain grouchy to start with and think that everybody else is as well. Present company excluded

[dandt]

It's pretty rare to meet a grouch, I agree. Sometimes I think newcomers or visitors seem shocked by the friendliness and react by just staring, but those are exceptions. And yes, some short-timers can be a bit quick with the horn, but those too are exceptions.

Then there are those who present a grouchy face to begin with and get one in return. If you make a friendly appearance you'll certainly get the same in return MOST OF THE TIME.

[Nancy Gaulin]

We visited and loved it and are thinking of relocating there! One instance when folks were not too friendly was when we were attempting to get around with a rented golf cart and found ourselves on the county road and we got lots of honks then but then we were where we should not have been! Some good folks told us how to get back onto the cart travel area and we sure appreciated that!

[elcid]

It's hard to believe that people in the midwest are friendlier than here in the Villages. It's the friendliest place I have been in 50 years. The warm reception of all we met or passed during our many visits enticed us to relocate here. Perhaps you don't act friendly enough to your new surroundings.

[mike1472]

I'm totally shocked. Having spent the winter months in the villages for the first time, i was amazed at the friendliness. My wife and are seriously thinking of buying in the next year because we were so impressed.

[jgrob]

I'm not crazy about the way the houses are crammed in so close to each other. Also, a lot of the activities are kind of "corny". I was embarrased when our friends from Naples came to visit, and one of the exercise classes here was called "giggles & shakes". We're not little kids....

[dandt]

If you were embarrassed, that would be totally your problem! One of the greatest things here is that people are able to pursue activities that they might not be able to elsewhere. What's wrong with giggles and shakes? Maybe it hits too close to home! Some activities, surely, are things I would not consider but that doesn't mean others should not, and it certainly doesn't embarrass me.

And by the way, some of us enjoy being kids -- at least at heart!

[sammie223]

I am wondering if you even TRIED "Giggles and Shakes". It is one of my favorite dance classes. I had never done line dancing before coming South, so I was embarrassed at first but it was too much fun!! The name is what took me to the class to begin with!!

What I like least about The Villages... I am a snowflake, and only here 4-5 months. I do enjoy all my many and varied activities while I am down here and right now I cannot think of a problem. My husband is here a few more months than I and he said his biggest peeve would be the golf course ambassadors. He says they do not do their jobs of moving players along (because they don't want to rub a potential buyer the wrong way) or they interrupt play (esp while putting) to ask about water/sand... :dontknow:

[Talk Host]

Originally Posted by sammie223

My husband is here a few more months than I and he said his biggest peeve would be the golf course ambassadors. He says they do not do their jobs of moving players along (because they don't want to rub a potential buyer the wrong way) or they interrupt play (esp while putting) to ask about water/sand... :dontknow:

Wow, in the 300 or more times I've played golf here, I have never once had an Ambassador interrupt me while I was putting. Also, they act only according to the instructions given them by the Villages. True, their power is limited, but not by their choosing. I for one would not want to be an ambassador, I am sure they receive plenty of grief from the golfers. I have been embarrassed in the past by the way some of my golfing partners have unnecessarily treated the ambassador.

JLK

[vinnie]

I probably expect too much from the Ambassadors. The interruption on putting or teeing off is their approach to the green or the tee when one is putting or teeing off. Many understand and stay off in the distance unless they are called over.
Best system is flags anyway....ambassadors should be riding with a GREEN Flag unless someone is falling behind and then he can change the Green Flag that is on his cart to a YELLOW flag as a CAUTION. Then approach with a Red Flag to push them along. This way, confrontation is unnecessary. All Ambassador has to do is change the GREEN flag on his cart to a YELLOW flag..noticeable to anyone in the foursome to move along.

[REDCART]

I may be part of the next generation but the one thing which bothers me (and I can live with it) is the lack of good beer in The Villages' restaurants. Arnold Palmer was the only place where I recall them offering Guinness and Sam Adams. Everywhere else, they serve the usual all-American collection of Bud, Coors, Miller, and Red Dog. Otherwise, there's not much to complain about in The Villages.

[sparky]

Originally Posted by vinnie

Best system is flags anyway....ambassadors should be riding with a GREEN Flag unless someone is falling behind and then he can change the Green Flag that is on his cart to a YELLOW flag as a CAUTION. Then approach with a Red Flag to push them along. This way, confrontation is unnecessary. All Ambassador has to do is change the GREEN flag on his cart to a YELLOW flag..noticeable to anyone in the foursome to move along.

The Flag System works great. We used them on the courses where I lived before coming to The Villages. I've mentioned it a few times, even on the Survey but it doesn't look like they want to change. Yellow meant hurry it up and red meant pick up and go to the next hole.