Why cant us Yankees keep out of trouble when we move south?
 

I have seen this played out so many times in my life. Someone, anyone , tired of the weather here, and looking for a better life moves to Florida. Two years later they come back pregnant, addicted to drugs, and or running from the law.
One of my good friends in my early 20's moved to Jupiter, within two years , he was on the run from the law for trafficking cocaine. He ran for 10 years , and finally overdosed, and killed himself. He was a decent guy before he left, maybe smoked a little pot, and drank some, but by the time he came home, was a complete mess, and never recovered.
Today I am wrenching , and I look up to see a smokin' hot pair of legs, sorry, no pics. It is a girl I went to high school with. Probably in my top 20 list of attractive girls from my younger years. She has just moved back and needs some work done on her car. She tells me about her struggle with addiction, and how she is trying to get her life back in order. She looked like she crawled out of a dumpster, and I am pretty she would have done me for a hot sandwich, and a bottle of beer.
What gives ? Cant us yankees handle 365 days of sunshine? or are there just way more temptations in the great south?

The other common factor you're missing is that all of your examples were your friends or acquaintances. :D ;)

That's gotta hurt.

I wouldn't lay blame on the entire south. Florida has a pretty large cross section of dirtbags, and because of its proximity to the Caribbean, a long history of being a drug route.

They have a destination in mind but no place, really, to go. It's not Florida, it's them.

Obviously it's the individual, but Florida doesn't help. Florida has got to be the most drug friendly place I've ever spent any time in. I went to school in Tallahassee for a couple of years and the drug scene there is huge.

I have friends that came from Scranton, Lancaster & Pittsburgh and none of them did drugs down here or got in trouble with the law.

It's not Florida. It's the people who can't handle themselves.

These would probably be the same people who can't handle Vegas or Amsterdam.

+1 to Seahawk - very eloquently put.

I had a house/property in a Costa Rica beach community for 15 years, there sure were a lot of flakes around but I don't think any of them changed when they got there, they already were like that. I don't think the sun does it to them.
Just like in California, a lot of fruits and nuts have moved here but they were that way when they left home.

Because they go there on vacation, think it's paradise, fall in love with the idea of living there not realizing it still requires work.

Maybe he wasn't so decent before he left....

You Yanks also forget how to drive after you move down here.

Yes... easy money... but not legal money...

I'm a native Los Angeleno... the opportunity was there.

But I'm too purty to go to jail.

Yeah ...I only made through 25 years of living there. All that sun is tough to handle so I thought I would give it time. I'm an hour north of you now. Too expensive to live there anymore for a retiree.

Spot on Paul. Can we always count on you as the cool voice of knowledge?

Florida is a sunny place for shady people

Send her up here. Tell her I have a hot sandwich and a cold bottle of beer waiting.

We say the same thing down here in Florida "why do yankees with drug problems move down here?"

Seriously, a lot of people move from place to place since they feel they don't fit somewhere. Regretfully, some of these carry a lot of baggage. If that is the case, they will drop no matter where they go.

Actually we are only about 30 minutes apart.My shop is right off of Route 8, about 10 miles south of Butler, and I live in Valencia. If you ever get down this way feel free to stop in and shoot the schit.

I really can't make much of a comment on this thread. I have lots of buddies from the North and I don't think they get into much trouble down here. They speed like all the rest of us here and I value all their friendships. They DO all talk funny though!:D

Sorry guys it is Florida.

Even the Rick Romero's of the world know it. As a example...

Florida Seen As 'Fiesta Of Weirdness' | TBO.com

Floridian: Gathering to embrace the power of the Fark Side

From the news I read, more crazy silly crap happens in Florida.

Larry, with all due respect you are in LA. South Florida is a world apart from you. I lived in Crestview for 2 years then took a job in at the University of Miami. Shocked is putting it mildly.

Ouch!

I know , WTF is that supposed to mean?
For what is worth, this girl dated someone I knew 10 years ago, She was not in my inner circle of freinds.
Aren't we all supposed to be playing nice these days?

LA="Lower Alabama" for you guys not in the know. You're probably right Paul, the furtherest south I've been in Florida is Sarasota. It was weird enough.

Playing nice is for poopyheads. SmileWavy

I'm just joking, man. God knows I've certainly driven more than one person to drink. And at least one girl to lesbianism.

You Da Man!!!

Maybe it's your point of view.

I've seen a lot of friends go "South" over he years. Drugs, Booze and too much time on their hands.
My ex wife spends most evenings in a bar. She's a full blown alcoholic with not much to look forward to.
Of course it's none of my business but my second eldest daughter lives with her now and she tags along. :(

I lived in FL for four years back in the 1990s - never did or got onto drugs, nor do I know anyone who did. It has to do with one's goals, ambitions and moral compass (or lack thereof). It also has to do with the company one chooses to keep. I found plenty to do there between studies, athletics, working and time with friends - all of whom were normal, non-dirtbag types. So it can be done.

If one goes to FL with no agenda and no real skills, I can see how it would tend to accelerate one's slide into ruin however - there are a LOT of dirtbags, lowlifes and punks, and if those are the kinds of people to whom one is attracted, well...

I might eventually go back there - haven't decided. An educated and motivated person can do well for themselves down there - money tends to go pretty far. And the weather isn't terrible either. And it doesn't have the political baggage of, say California...

Wow Jeff, you've mellowed out on Fl in recent years :). I lived in Jax (south Georgia) for 5 years in the 80s as I was estaqblishing my career. My opinion is, that for the most part Fl from Orlando on south is primarily a bunch of transplants from all over and most that have "issues" bring their "baggage" with 'em. I'll never return...no reason in the world to leave NC at this point in my life, but Fl ain't the "cause" for folks with issues.

Yeah like everywhere else it has its good and bad I suppose... I still would caution people against looking upon it as any sort of paradise however - lots of problems - scumbags, petty criminals, lowlife dirtbags, rednecks, bible-thumping Jesus freaks, etc. Lots of em down there. Although there are some good/decent normal folks too.

One thing to consider is that aside from tourism (which is in the tank), housing construction (ditto), defense contracting (double ditto - Harris, etc) and drugs there really isn't a viable economy in FL per se. Healthcare and other "stuff people have no choice but to purchase" careers seem to do okay.

I think you just described Anywhere, USA :)

Perhaps. I've lived in a lot of places and this vibe was definitely most noticeable in FL however... The place is a magnet for the destitute and the criminally-minded. And for jarhead cops with anger management issues.

Dang, I live in Gibsonia, a mile or two south of Valencia. Didn't know you were so close. What's the name of your shop. It will give me an excuse to get the 911 out and take a ride. I'm pretty familiar with route 8. Getting back to your story, I have a personal experience with a high school former friend. Unbelievable athlete, the kind that "peaked" in high school. Putz around after school from job to job with no training. Back in the 80's jobs weren't too hard to find. Got married, then divorced. Second marriage moved to Florida. One day, shows up at my dental office claiming to be in pain and very jittery. Has the total Meth look. Ended up leaving and never came back. I saw him a few weeks later walking along the road with long hair and a beard and downright scary. This is the suburbs here. I think Florida didn't do it to them, it just happens to be another place to go when things aren't working out.

Really? I'm just north of new castle. We will have to get together.

Heck yeah, guys, we are all pretty close together. Here is my shop address
Fast Freddy's Auto Service,
108 Church Rd.
Butler Pa. 16002

Any pelicans are welcome to stop in, I can hear a 911 coming from a mile away. I am the third building on the right on Church Rd. I don't have any signage, but you will know it when you see it, there are usually some Porsches sitting around.

I convert them back ;)

Florida is filled with little towns that think they are big cities, but without the ability to operate as a big city. Florida is a lot like CA was in 60's and early 70's.

I moved to Jupiter 6 years ago from CA and never looked back. I've met many who were involved in the drub trade, both big time and small. Not surprisingly, most are transplants from the north. I never did drugs, and neither do most of my friends. I find that my Floridan neighbors are actually anti drug, and anti-Yankee.

Many move to Florida with mindset they will be on vacation forever. They meet people with the same mind set. That lasts only a short time and it is a rude awakening to find out that they have surrounded themselves with people who did not come down with any work ethic or the needed skills to survive. They have surrounded themselves with the permanent vacation crowd and drugs dealing and scamming is easy so that its the path they take.

Come on down during season, leave your money, and head back north the weekend after Easter.

I might just do that... but will I ever leave ;)

Seriously, I love Hawaii... so south Fl. will need to be checked when it is retirement time... but then you got that whole hurricane thing going on.

I vote we do a cars and coffee at your shop. I'm in Plum Boro, & own a cigar store so I'll bring the cigars.

Bernie