Visit Florida - The DON'Ts of Visiting Florida

Whether heading to the beaches of Clearwater, St. Petersburg or Miami, Going to see the Disney World or Universal Studios in Orlando or visiting the numerous parks and historic sights like St. Augustine there are things you Don't do when you are in Florida.
Filmed in Clearwater, FL
Copyright Mark Wolters 2017

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[dillonday]

Don't Litter on the Beach or in the Water. You might be here for a week, but we are here everyday. Please keep our state beautiful

[kaywalsh]

I live in Florida. You can tell the locals from the tourists when the temperature gets under 70F (22C) The tourists are wearing shorts and t-shirts and the locals are bundled up with sweaters or hoodies.

[cas]

I’m a Floridian, and I approve of this message.

[norm]

As a lifelong Floridian, I would also recommend to bring insect repellent/bug spray. There are mosquitoes EVERYWHERE, as well as other pests like fire ants. Also, South Florida only has 2 seasons: Summer and Hurricane season.

[ruthanderson]

Don't stand still in the grass - we have fire ants every where, and they are both sneaky and give painful bites.

[caitlinmarie]

Being from Florida, this is amusing.



Also, pub subs.

[Insomniaallnight]

I disagree with your comment about the critters here not liking the tourists. the critters think they're delicious.

[alexandradolan]

I do have a couple tips for people who are thinking of going to Florida

1. I highly suggest learning the proper way to run away from an Alligator along with knowing how to spot one in the water. I was at a lake one time sitting in the grass when I saw something coming out of the water. It turned out to be a massive Alligator but luckily I escaped because I was taught as a child how to run away from one (which is zig zag btw)
2. In Florida we have these supermarkets called Publix and they're amazing. Not only do they have amazing sandwiches but they're actually really fun to shop at and the people there are always really nice.
3. Don't expect people to be good drivers. Florida drivers suck ass. They don't use their turning signals, they run red lights and they honk at you for no reason.
4. Be prepared for any kind of weather. Florida's weather can change very quickly. It can be sunny and beautiful outside one minute and then be raining with thunder and lightning the next.
5. Learn how to fight off a shark. Here in Florida we have a good amount of sharks so it doesn't hurt to at least learn the proper way to defend yourself if you do get attacked by one. You usually want to punch the shark in the nose and begin to scratch and even pull out it's eyes. The shark should swim away.
6. If you plan on renting a boat to go out on the water, please be careful of the manatees because many manatees suffer injuries from boats. Also don't be scared of them. They are very friendly and will often come up to you and say hi.
7. Don't talk about Donald Trump. Even if you are with him or against him there will always be a shit ton of people who will get up in your face and begin to yell and threaten you.
8. This is kind of a strange one but don't honk your horn a lot. I know this sounds stupid but here in Florida if you honk your horn at someone you can get shot. Trust me it has happened many times.
9. Bring some sort of product that will tame your hair. The humidity in Florida is so god damn annoying. I stg I can blow dry my hair and then the second I step outside, my hair looks like a lions mane.
10. Since Florida is surrounded by a lot of water, marine biology is kind of a big thing. Try finding some research centers because they are always super fun and you get to meet all the cute little animals

Trust me on this. I have lived in Florida my whole life.

[ethanmessier]

I've lived in Florida my whole life and here are my most important pieces of advice:

It rains every afternoon in Florida during the summer (but only for a few minutes)

Like he said NEVER mess with the wildlife especially if you are in the keys don't touch the coral reefs!

Do the stingray shuffle while on the beaches especially during the summer. You don't want to hurt the stingrays or yourself.

Lastly, if you're a tourist and you come in the summer, wear sunscreen!! I always see tourist with the most unfortunate sunburn lines so reapply every 60 minutes at least

[shelbybest]

Don’t underestimate the heat and humidity. I have friends from desert states (Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico) who visit Florida and see the 95° weather and think that’s nothing compared to the 110° they’re used to. Yeah, it’s 95°, but humidity is killer. It’s almost always 80+% and near 100% humidity isn’t rare. For reference, 95° weather with 90% humidity feels like 117°. And you sweat. Too damn much. When I was in Vegas, it was 105° and I felt downright cool compared to what I’m used to. Something I’ve heard is, “Dry heat will kill you. Wet heat will make you wish it DID kill you.”

[Venom-norx]

Be very prepared for the humidity it's no joke. At all.

[laureljade]

DON'T tell us how you do it up north.
DON'T act like you own the place.
DON'T litter.
*DON'T* forget to visit your nearest Publix.

Drive the speed limit, please

I grew up here.

[spoonman]

Some advice from a "real" live Floridian: The busiest time of the year is March and April (spring break). Summer is second busiest. Slowest months are September, January and May. Trust me, I work in the industry. Also, it rains all goddamn summer. And not always just for 10 minutes, that's a bullshit myth. Unless it rains early, in that case it will probably soon pass so don't pack up and leave just yet, the sun will be back soon. So yes, wake up and get out early. The later in the day it rains, the bigger and longer the storm. Some years are wetter than others. We are also the lightning capital so be prepared to freak out. Every year a few golfers get struck and a couple kids get eaten by gators. It's just the way it is. Driving: the left lane is the fast or passing lane so stay clear. Don't gawk and point at everything just follow the signs, they are big and clearly marked. Also, you are ALLOWED to turn right on a red light unless indicated otherwise. We have lots of natural springs that are clear and ice cold for a cheap and fun alternative to the parks. I think that covers it. Oh yeah, remember to tip your waiter and bartender, we depend on it. Plus, that way you will get into heaven.

[ri-vvnt]

As a native Floridian,

*DON'T* go to Key West (or any Keys down there) in July, take my word for it.
*DON'T* forget to drive from Miami to Key West. It's the most beautiful drive in America.
*DO* visit the Keys in September. I did it for my 7th birthday, and it's an unforgettable experience.
*DON'T* go to Florida in the middle of a hurricane. You saw what happened down here.

I currently live in Japan now, and I'll admit, I can't survive a year without Publix fried chicken xD.

[richy]

No. 14





*DON’T MESS WITH FLORIDA MAN!!!*

[MrRedskins]

The most dangerous part of Florida is the driving. They are terrible drivers.

[stressfreegames]

wait I live in florida why I'm I watching this

[tdsmith]

Florida Native, family has been over 100 years! Your videos explain Florida so well! Proud to have "good" tourists such as yourself come to my beautiful state!

[chrisschene]

I lived in Florida for 4 years I'll offer a few other recommends:

(1) The lighting in Florida is very dangerous and in the area I lived in, near Melbourne and Cocoa Beach, there were one or two tourists killed each year on the beach by lightning. If there are Thunderstorms, get away from the water and the Beach.

(2) If you don't see lots of people swimming far away from the shore, there is often a good reason. One of those reasons is that there are schools of fish, like Bluefish, away from shore that sharks swim through to get a meal and the sharks may end up biting you. Blue fish are also pretty mean: there was a Coco Beach surfer who had some of his toes and fingers bitten off by a school of Bluefish.

(3) Most people who are bitten by sharks in Florida die of blood loss and not the bite itself.

(4) In the warmer West Coast waters smaller groups of Barracuda often come very close to shore and mingle in among the solo bathers and swimmers. Barracuda are attracted by shiny attire like watches and jewelry and quick movement. If you are ever in the middle of a school of Barracuda do not panic or make jerky movements that will cause them to attack: move slowly toward shore and get out of the water. They are vicious with fanged piranha-like teeth.

(4) There are lots of dangerous animals including Panthers (rare), rattlesnakes (very common in grass areas), Sharks, Bluefish, Barracuda and you should assume alligators are a risk anywhere there is fresh or brackish water. The one animal I found dangerous but hard to recognize as dangerous are snapping turtles. Unless you know what to look for you won't distinguish harmless turtles from the snapping turtles and snapping turtles are vicious and dangerous to you.

(5) Watch out for the Fire Ants. These are not the harmless little Ants that you see in colder climates. Rather, they are vicious, will attack you in swarms, climbing up your legs (think what they will eventually bite as they climb higher) and leave burning white welts that hurt like hell all over. Don't walk around in bare feet in grass or sandy soil areas where there are mounds or holes: I have stepped on Fire Ant colonies a number of times unaware only until I felt the searing pain of their attacks.

[halleirl]

As a Key West native, here are some tips for visiting our little island:

•Don’t pronounce the word “conch” as “canch” with a hard ch sound; it’s a dead give away that you’re a tourist. Locals pronounce it “konk” with a hard k sound.

• When you’re on Duval St, don’t cross the street on red lights in front of cars. It’s dangerous, annoying to drivers, and you’re going to get a very angry honk or a very rude gesture.

• Uber and Lyft were banned in Key West, but they are now legal and very efficient, so feel free to use one if you need it.

• We have lots of native wildlife like iguanas, chickens, lizards, anoles, and lots of stray cats. Don’t stop on the middle of a sidewalk or street to take a picture of a chicken- you’ll see a hundred other ones on your trip.

• Most of the streets that run horizontally through Duval St are alternating one ways, meaning that one street is a one way going downtown, and the next street goes uptown. Don’t drive the wrong way down a one way.

•THROW AWAY YOUR TRASH. Key West is a fragile island ecosystem, so don’t let your plastic cups, straws, and beer bottles get into the ocean or streets.

Just remember, as much as you love to vacation here, there are people who love living here twice as much, so be respectful.