[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Originally Posted by coffeebean

Wasn't there a photo on this thread that showed an alligator at someone's front door? That was here in The Villages. My sister, who lives in Caroline had a small alligator waiting for her right outside her lanai door when she went to walk her dog. Thank goodness, I haven't had a greeting from an alligator at our home. We don't have any water close to our home though.

It happens, but it is extremely rare. Just like the guy in Daytona. He didn't just open the door by the way. He stepped outside without looking.

There are over 21 million people in Florida and 1.3 million alligators. If is happened once a week it would be rare. But I've been down here for eleven years and I've heard about 3-4 incidents each year.

IT'S NOT A PROBLEM!!!

[Maker]

Help me understand this... It's either A or B?
A) People who have an irrational fear of alligators should move. Or see a doctor. (why is the go-to response always to "move"? This is my home, and has been for a long time)
B) Nobody should fear alligators. BUT to be safe you must always first check around before leaving your house... just to be safe. Look through peepholes, windows or cameras to see if your porch is clear. You never know what might be there. Always look under your car before approaching it. Check where you walk; look in front, both sides, and behind too. Check bushes and shrubs from a safe distance. Don't walk on the paths. Stay away from the water, even though there is water everywhere. Carry my gun "just in case".

Those precautions sound exactly like having to live everyday in fear of what might happen if I don't do that. That I cannot enjoy the space around my residence without having to constantly be on the lookout for an alligator popping up where I might want to go. I should do all that stuff, so that I'll be ok. It all sounds like a horrible way for everyone here to have to deal with alligators. It's just a different way to live in fear. Maybe you can make a cheat sheet to hand out to all the visitors who might not be aware of having to obey these safety rules. Parents can sit their grandkids down and tell them to just stay inside because that's a lot for a child to remember. That will certainly help people believe your solution is the best one.

But solution C... Get rid of them, it eliminates both A and B. Start now. Keep at it for as long as it takes.

[Kenswing]

Originally Posted by Maker

Help me understand this... It's either A or B?
A) People who have an irrational fear of alligators should move. Or see a doctor. (why is the go-to response always to "move"? This is my home, and has been for a long time)
B) Nobody should fear alligators. BUT to be safe you must always first check around before leaving your house... just to be safe. Look through peepholes, windows or cameras to see if your porch is clear. You never know what might be there. Always look under your car before approaching it. Check where you walk; look in front, both sides, and behind too. Check bushes and shrubs from a safe distance. Don't walk on the paths. Stay away from the water, even though there is water everywhere. Carry my gun "just in case".

Those precautions sound exactly like having to live everyday in fear of what might happen if I don't do that. That I cannot enjoy the space around my residence without having to constantly be on the lookout for an alligator popping up where I might want to go. I should do all that stuff, so that I'll be ok. It all sounds like a horrible way for everyone here to have to deal with alligators. It's just a different way to live in fear. Maybe you can make a cheat sheet to hand out to all the visitors who might not be aware of having to obey these safety rules. Parents can sit their grandkids down and tell them to just stay inside because that's a lot for a child to remember. That will certainly help people believe your solution is the best one.

But solution C... Get rid of them, it eliminates both A and B. Start now. Keep at it for as long as it takes.

With that rationale we should get rid of all cars so we wouldn’t have to look both ways before crossing the street. After all, far more people get hit by cars than get attacked by alligators.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Kenswing

With that rationale we should get rid of all cars so we wouldn’t have to look both ways before crossing the street. After all, far more people get hit by cars than get attacked by alligators.

Dogs too.

His choice B sounds good though he is the only one concerned about the paths and no one wants him to be armed in public.

[Maker]

Mentioning cars or dogs is called DEFLECTING. Both are off topic. That's a common defense in a discussion when there is no rational way to refute other statements.
If you want to talk about off-topic things, start a thread about them. Why are you unable to stay on topic?

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Maker

Mentioning cars or dogs is called DEFLECTING. Both are off topic. That's a common defense in a discussion when there is no rational way to refute other statements.
If you want to talk about off-topic things, start a thread about them. Why are you unable to stay on topic?

Your claim is you want to save humans. I’m helping you to see that your efforts would be better spent tackling a real concern like dogs or cars. Your insistence on focusing on alligators makes me convinced the issue isn’t a concern for human life but an irrational fear.

[Kenswing]

Originally Posted by Maker

Mentioning cars or dogs is called DEFLECTING. Both are off topic. That's a common defense in a discussion when there is no rational way to refute other statements.
If you want to talk about off-topic things, start a thread about them. Why are you unable to stay on topic?

Why are you unable to see the correlation between alligators and other more dangerous situations that surround you every day? Alligators are a statistically insignificant threat. When are you going to accept that NOTHING is going to be done in respect to removing the entire species from The Villages? They will just continue to remove problem gators as they become a problem.

It still comes down to a simple decision. Are you willing to co-exist with them or not? Because there is absolutely no indication that anyone in power is willing to take the steps that you are proposing. So go ahead and stomp your feet. Cry to the heavens. But sooner or later you will have to accept the fact that gators are here to stay. Are you?

[Veiragirl]

Originally Posted by Byte1

Alligators are of no use in a populated community. They are only good for luggage, boots and cuisine.

wrong

[Two Bills]

Remember what happened when Mao Zedong declared war on the sparrows.
Upset natures balance at your own risk!

[fdpaq0580]

Originally Posted by Maker

Mentioning cars or dogs is called DEFLECTING. Both are off topic. That's a common defense in a discussion when there is no rational way to refute other statements.
If you want to talk about off-topic things, start a thread about them. Why are you unable to stay on topic?

"Stay on topic". Some people can't or won't be open to a reasonable alternative because they are irrationally fixated on their own narrative. Others, recognizing this, try to help the fixated one by drawing parallels or analogies. If one is so possessed by their fear that they cannot recognize simple analogies, they may need professional help.

As to the rational reason for not destroying all the alligators, try this. 1. Risk is extremely minimal. 2. Cost would be extremely high. 3. Hunting in and around areas of human activity and habitation would likely increase potential danger to the public. 4. In past attempts to alter animal populations, many have ended by creating more problems tan they fix. The list goes on and on.

[Dusty_Star]

Originally Posted by Normal

While alligators were certainly here first (last 150 million to 200 million years till present), they are still needed by all of us. Ask any Community Watch professional here in the Villages and they will tell you of the surplus of species we have that alligators consume. Raccoons, rats and large snakes would dominate our landscape without them. Only a certified nut job would eradicate something that important to our ecosystem. Alligators are much easier to see and control than a population boom of varments and snakes!

But the point is no one IS controlling the alligators in The Villages.

[Happydaz]

“Alligator. …,,,,,,,,,,Slowly I turned step by step, inch by inch………,…,

[fdpaq0580]

Originally Posted by Happydaz

“Alligator. …,,,,,,,,,,Slowly I turned step by step, inch by inch………,…,

HAHAHA!, Was the gator wearing a Susquehanna hat?

[Maker]

Originally Posted by Kenswing

They will just continue to remove problem gators as they become a problem.

EXACTLY !!!
Removing problem alligators AFTER they are a problem IS THE PROBLEM.
Remove them BEFORE they are a problem. It's such a simple concept. Nothing about cars or dogs is relevant to removing alligators to prevent problem gators from being here in the first place.

A reasonable correlation would be polio. People get a vaccine to prevent polio rather than waiting until after they catch the disease (when it's too late) to do something. Remove alligators to prevent an attack, rather than taking a victim to a hospital or morgue.

It's clear you love alligators. Great for you, there are millions all around us. Go pet some.
I believe they are an unnecessary nuisance that are a ticking time bomb. One day somebody here will die because no action was taken to mitigate that threat.

[Normal]

Originally Posted by Dusty_Star

But the point is no one IS controlling the alligators in The Villages.

The alligators are controlled in the Villages. Just ask Larry.