Emma, surely you jest!!!

Someone should send these postings to the agency in charge of Florida tourism. I don't know how to do it or where to send it.<BR><BR>I personally would not want to rent a car in Florida after reading this and I don't want to go to a place where tourists are harassed.<BR>

Well let me tell y'all a thing or two see. I drive fast and hard and it is my god given right. I pack some heat too and between me and my car and my gun there aint nothin better. You can have my car when you pry my gun from my cold dead fingers. Stupid yankee prigs.

There is a traffic law in FL that states unequivocally that you are NOT to stop for a red light until it has been red 3 full seconds. An octagonal red sign means slow to 15 MPH and proceed with caution. A yellow equilateral triangle is just a pretty decoration alongside a highway--pay it no mind.<BR><BR>x, they are not eating coffee and donuts, they just don't exist. Those we do have hang out in such places as parking garages during Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young concerts trying to make grass busts. You know...taking care of the really dangerous stuff to keep our communities safe! :&gt;

So true! I was in Florida a week ago, driving a rented car between Tampa and Brooksville. Absolutely the worst driving experience of my life (and I've maneuvered NYC, Philly, Boston, etc.)<BR><BR>The elderly, in particular, pose such a danger. They all drive huge, heavy cars, but appear too weak and their reflexes too slow to handle them. Plus, so many can barely see over the steering wheel. They turn and pass without signaling and pull out of side streets-SLLLOWWLLYY-- right in front of you. While I was there the papers reported that an 88 year old man had hit and killed a 43 year old pedestrian. <BR><BR>The topper? Never saw a cop anywhere at any time. <BR><BR>

Drivers got so bad near TIA we stopped renting, and now heft our bags and hitchike across the HF on out to Pass-a-Grille. We thumb along central or anything north, and stay clear of the fast 2-seaters on 22 s and 49th.

One of the problems in Florida is that the State Police have two major jobs: patrolling the Interstates and accident investigation. Apparently their staffing is set according to the former. But if there is a little fender bender 20 miles from the Interstate, a cop has to go investigate (yes, in place of the local cops), taking that car off the road for a few hours.

First of all anybody blaming immigrants who do not know the language is an idiot just because those guys cannot get high paying jobs therefore cannot buy a late model car that can go at such speeds.

I've been in Florida along the Tamiami trail quite a bit. I think tourists and the elderly are not always the problem. <BR><BR>There are so many intersections and lights but people drive so fast. Cars are pulling out from everywhere but people are still doing 65-70 down these extremely congested streets. <BR><BR>There are 6 lane roads that are very residential and past schools but no one slows down. <BR><BR>The elderly that drive a bit slow and/or overly cautious cause accident with the overly impatient. <BR><BR>A very common accident is someone slowing down for a pedestrian and the driver behind gets impatient (or never slows down) and hits the person (or people in the crosswalk). <BR><BR>It seems the locals (and those who have recently become locals from all over the country that think Florida is the "promised land" like the Joad's) should take thier share of the blame!<BR><BR>10..9..8..7... (getting ready for the flaming)

Florida reidents are good drivers, it's the older retires (who live here part time) and tourists who are the problem. Both groups go nuts when they cross our border, maybe it is the heat.

It's amazing how true most of the above statements are. But my biggest complaint is in town driving. I can't believe the standard procedure of running not only all yellow lights, but even ones that have clearly turned red. I often approach a traffic light as it is turning yellow and make a very gradual stop as it is turning red, only to have a car behind me lay on the horn and give me the finger because they wanted me to run it and they were going to run it after me! And often, people will still bypass me to the next lane and still run the light. When I am stopped at a red light and it turns green, I have learned not to go, but to wait for all the people who are still crossing the intersection even thought their light has long turned red. They just keep coming. <BR>No wonder we have so many accidents. The "snow birds" have pretty much gone back north, so the locals have no one to blame but themselves. This morning while driving maybe a total of 10 miles in town, I passed four accidents.

Another reason to stay out of FLorida.

A 93 year old neighbor of mine here in Ft. Myers who still drives recently remarked that she was worried because her driver's license will expire this year and she was worried she wouldn't be able to pass the eye test. She seems to be nearly blind, and she is almost totally deaf. Then two weeks ago she received her renewal notice in the mail. She can fill out the form and return it with her check and her license will be automatically renewed for another 6 (YES SIX!!!) years. And you wonder why we have problems?

Here's where to email complaints:<BR><BR>Florida State Highway Patrol:<BR>[email protected] <BR><BR>Florida Dept. Of Transportation <BR>[email protected] <BR><BR>PR Director for Tourism Dept.<BR>VISIT FLORIDA<BR>Robby Cunningham, Director<BR>Public Relations<BR>Phone: (850) 488-5607, ext. 337<BR>Fax: (850) 224-2938<BR>E-mail: [email protected]<BR>

Someone should send these postings to the agency in charge of Florida tourism. I don't know how to do it or where to send it.<BR><BR>I personally would not want to rent a car in Florida after reading this and I don't want to go to a place where tourists are harassed.<BR>

I am a Florida resident and have lived in this state all of my life. From Miami to Orlando and everywhere in between. Our roads are in better condition and are wider and designed for speed. DO you notice how the expressways are banked at curves like a racetrack? I drive I-95 everyday and traffic cruises at 85-90 mph. You can go 100 in the carpool lanes at times. We do not have the bad weather that many other states have and it is much safer to drive faster here. My advice for the tourists who do not like the driving is to stay to the right on all roads. I have driven in the North and you all drive amazingly slow. Chicago, Boston, Seattle etc. The expressways in the north have bone-jarring cracks and potholes and the on and off ramps are poorly designed. You have major roads that are just two lanes wide. Talk about poor planning. The speed limit is 65 or 70 and please be prepared to drive at that speed or above. I have driven in far worse places than here. California driving is very similar to here. Germany, Italy, Venezuela, Korea are all much, much worse.

count on me and anyone else:<BR><BR>Here is the address for Florida's Tourism Dept.<BR>Florida's Tourism Dept.<BR>126 West Van Buren St., FLDA <BR>Tallahassee, FL 32399-2000 <BR>Tel: (904 487-1462) <BR>Tel: 1-888 7-FLA-USA <BR>

Everything Will said is exactly right. I now live in Florida but I am from Chicago. Its too hard to drive fast in Chicago cuz of the bad roads, you risk a flat tire everytime you leave the house. My advice to those who don't like tailgaters...Speed Up!

It is like that on all part of I-75!!

I was in FLA a couple of weeks ago and I saw more accidents including 2 fatalities than I see in a month up North. The only time the FHP were around was at a construction site and then they were standing around yakking.