I have a Canadian friend who always reminds me that 466A is the "Canadian Highway"...


466-eh?

I haven't read all the responses, but I would expect people who prefer schedules/routines and don't like change, find that the winter months' routines have a less predictability, and their routines and schedules are less reliable. . . this causes them stress, its a characteristic of a personality type.

However, as GOM said, its tribalism, the need to feel part of a group, and a group that makes one special. Everyone with weak egos, look for ways to convince themselves that they are part of a special group, whatever that group is which they choose to assume they are a part of. . your tribe

I wouldn't take other people's dysfunction personally, that is the key to surviving amongst the small crazy people who post here stuff they wouldn't say in public. .

The OP may be overly sensitive, if so, limit your time here, etc, as your mind can play tricks on you. Your mind will assume that if you read a negative article a day, your mind will being to believe that ALL of TV is bad, yet that may be from a very small minority, or even one person like frose. . . so i applaude the moderator's determination to keep a close eye on all the posts. .

'despised' is a pretty strong word

I look forward to the neighbors on our street returning from Canada, New York, Wisconsin and hopefully soon from Iceland.

I do know that people get pretty frustrated when a snowbird fails to make the necessary arrangements to have their yard taken care of while they're away and it becomes an eyesore for everyone...but IMHO I suspect that usually only happens once by a first time buyer

"Why are Snowbirds so despised?"

What this poster meant was: "Why are Snowbirds so LOVED."

You nailed it.

I will probably be a snowbird always. I can't see leaving my beautiful beach on the Chesapeake Bay during the summer. But I love heading to TVs in cold weather. If it wasn't for TVs I would never leave the bay. Thank goodness for The Villages!

snowbirds taste like chicken

I grew up in Florida and the the reason we did not care for them was they bring their New York driving habits and Politics No idea where there going no sense of direction , To Loud and the sense of entitlement…

For which you should be thankful since NY drivers are among the best in the world. In NY, Florida drivers are referred to as "road kill". NY politics are all over the board, just like everywhere else, as are the entitled an loud people. As far as no sense of direction---the drivers here can't even navigate a roundabout!

Oh no! You opened the door.............................................. ....

OOPS, bad move!:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

Having driven in North Jersey, Manhattan, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Los Angeles, and Every-freaking-where In Michigan, I have to agree with you.
a) What I like about NY drivers--they are swift and confident and drive in such a fashion as to keep traffic flowing.
b) What I don't like about NY drivers--they lay on the horn in a New York Minute, have been known to turn left in front of you from the lane on your right, and other mind-boggling maneuvers. To which, see a).
I prefer the NY drivers to the indecisive Michigan drivers. Pittsburgh drivers are much the same as NY but not quite so deft, so watch out if you're on foot.

Because Floridians have historically been hostile to Northerners. Some of them still aren't over the fact that the south lost the Civil War.

You mean the War of Northern Aggression as it was referred to when I was a kid …LoL

The best drivers in my experience are Californians; the worst are New Mexicans as there is so much drinking, drugging and road rage over there.

I can't imagine a full time resident actually despising snowbirds, as those snowbirds subsidize the full timers' retirements, as they pay year round but only use the amenities seasonally. I personally appreciate each and every one of them. But, am I allowed to dislike (not hate) "snowbird season"? Starting in November, and becoming really bad in January, the traffic on Morse Blvd goes from being bad to terrible, dinner at restaurants becomes a 45 minute wait at best, and yes, with more drivers on the roads, people become more impatient and behave badly sometimes. Even with all that, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. Welcome back snowbirds, and I'll be anxiously awaiting your return to your other seasonal residence in the Spring.

I find benefits to both snowbird season and off-peak season.

The Villages becomes more lively and exciting during snowbird season. More people doing more things, more people to meet with and interact with, more personalities to mingle with, more socialization with new faces, reuniting with old friends.

Off peak, it's less crowded, there's more breathing space, less traffic, more opportunity for introspection, better chance to bond with the "core" of the neighborhood (the ones who are here year-round), which makes it so much easier to work as a community to welcome back the snowbirds.

Are you referring to New Mexico?

Trouble is historically a lot of (not all) Floridians were/are Northerners at one time.

Oh contraire. Snow birds are jealous of frogs who get to enjoy TV in the summer.

Born and raised on Long Island, hubby and I still joke that the turn signals here in Florida are the brake lights.

First off what's the classification of a snowbird? Someone that's a full time resident but goes north for the summer because they may have a lake house or a snowbird is a person who is just a renter whether seasonally or full time? For those of you who just drive around in a golf cart and just stay in the TV you need to get in a car drive around Fl. during the winter months because the snowbird issue is just not a problem in the TV. but all of of Fl. Its crowded in all of Fl. during the winter months. I'm sure many of you were renters before buying into the villages. For those of you who say the snow birder don't follow the rules or bad that applies to the full timers also It all depends on the character of the person. Love them or hate them they bring a a lot of tourist money into Fl. and I'm sure that's one of the reason there is no state income tax

We tend to use words such as despised to the point that they are meaningless. Awesome
is a clear example that seems to be gone-I HOPE. When, everything is awesome, nothing is. As far as snowbirds, it is a bit of an invasion. I only have xxxxxx weeks and it is costing me $$$$$$$$$. Sadly, this is true with too many things. HURRY UP AND RELAX.

Perhaps, an interesting aspect of human nature. I hate them because. To the best of my limited ability before I hate anyone or anything I get to know them. Then vs us is the start of the problem. I try to keep my hate list empty AS IT IS NOW. That way when someone makes my HATE LIST I can give them my full attention.

"We did not care for them." is a clear indication of the problem.

Of course I cannot say for sure, but I have a hunch that "snowbirds" were being vilified when the current "historic" sections of The Villages were shiny and new.

It is a pretty common phenomenon and is certainly not limited to The Villages, Florida, etc. As an example my sister and her family live in Las Vegas. Some years back Las Vegas suffered the beginnings of an inundation of Californians which continues to this day. There seems to be a mindset among them, that somehow Las Vegas now belongs to them. Bumper stickers saying "You've seen Las Vegas--now go HOME" are prevalent. People moving to Las Vegas from anywhere BUT California certainly do not seem to be welcomed by the current crop of transplanted Californians living there.

It is not much different here, really. Just judging from the posts here there seems to be a pretty significant number of current Villages residents who see snowbirds (as well as other people moving to The Villages) as somehow raining on their little piece of heaven. Which in my opinion is precisely the WRONG attitude, if for no other reason than the kind of people The Villages attracts. Villagers as a rule are more highly-educated, significantly more well-off and far less apt to be living off any kind of government largesse than are people moving to other parts of the country. I come from such an area: the population of Minnesota, numbers-wise, is relatively stable, but that fact merely obscures that the people moving FROM Minnesota are taking their jobs (or retirement income), their taxpaying abilities, purchasing power and respect for law and order with them when they move to places like The Villages, while those moving TO Minnesota in large part are people for whom devouring tax dollars as a career. It is an untenable situation not just for Minnesota but for numerous other areas of the country as well. It got so bad that some years back, the then-Governor of Florida (I forget who) joked that he was going to send a thank-you card to the then-Governor of Minnesota, to express his appreciation for implementing the policies in Minnesota that were driving so many people with money to his state.

To use an overworked phrase, The Villages, precisely because of the people who call it home, attracts the best and the brightest. We should welcome the new (and seasonally returning) additions to our ranks, because they continue to make The Villages a better place to live for all of us.

Snowbirds?
 

So if snowbirds lived here full time, then the congestion, lack of restaurant space and of course the lack of T times would be FULL TIME.

I don't think of snowbirds as a class of people. It's human nature that the more congested the area, the higher the stress. If snowbirds became full-timers we would all get used to the crowds and then maybe many of us would move out of TV.

For me it's more of having to endure snowbird drivers who don't know how to keep driving past a golf cart. Some drivers slow down so as to allow the golf cart to stay ahead of them. It's trying to enter the round abouts, when the SBs don't know how to use them, so they become super slow drivers, or they come to a complete stop, while in the inside lane, because they missed their turn off. Or they turn onto roads right in front of you and go 30 MPH when the speed limit is posted as 45MPH.

It's about not being able to get into your favorite restaurant during season. Snowbirds would feel the same way, if our roles were reversed. It has nothing to do with you personally, and everything about the added inconvenience.

I do not think the word "awesome" has lost its punch. I like the word and I use it rarely when I really, really, really, really mean something is........let me find a good word..........AWESOME!!!

I don’t know anyone who despises Snowbirds. We just,like to complain when it gets more crowded.

This year I like them. It means things are back to "normal."

In a single phrase "Back home __________".

No, they aren't "back home". If it so wonderful "back home", why are you here?

We have several friends that are SEASONAL. Don't really like the term snowbirds.
:bigbow::bigbow::ho:

Blame it all the warm weather down here.

If I was younger and wealthier to maintain/furnish 2 homes, 2 wardrobes, 2 cars, 2 electric bills, 2 water bills, 2 real-estate tax bills, including the hassle and expense of traveling twice a year in and out of Florida.... YES and I would be a snowbird too.

Snowbirds
 

Maybe if most of the snowbirds became full time or at least 6-8 months a year, the powers to be would understand the congestion etc and begin to add more courses restaurants' etc etc, Today, i feel they just sense the inconvenience for 3 months and leave most things as is, knowing it will go away in 3 months..

I really have to agree about your thought process to endure snowbird drivers. However, on a daily basis, what your are describing as snowbird drivers happens everyday. They usually, if not always, have Florida plates, in the form of big trucks with UPS, FedEx, or USPS doing 45 in a 30 merging to a 20, trying to beat the golf cart. Or the commercial lawn trucks, crossing yellow line to get ahead, of anybody. Da**** those snowbirds.

Thank You, very well stated. I too am a Villages snowbird and care about my home just as much as the full timers. I pay for my landscape, weeding, irrigation, and pest control service monthly. Most of all I pay for my amenities fee all year round and only use the facilities 5 months out of the year. I check my wifi cameras and thermostat settings frequently. I love my Villages Home and hope that one day my circumstances will change to allow me to live here all year round.

I’m sitting at the Minneapolis airport waiting for my chariot back to the Sun. Everything I’ve seen.here these past four days was a fresh reminder of why I left in the first place.

There’s no place like The Villages.