Snowbirds are currently migrating north.
We touched a nerve.
In yesterday’s blog post Palm Beach County’s Tourist Season: Five Reasons We’re Happy It’s Ending, we wrote about the relief Palm Beach County locals feel at the end of this record-breaking tourist season due to reduced traffic, fewer crowds at restaurants and beaches, not to mention the availability of more parking spaces.
Judging by the venting on The Palm Beach Post’s Facebook page, you guys have some strong feelings about our flocks of annual visitors, now that they’ve begun their annual migration north.
While there was plenty of negativity, nearly as many said they welcome tourists for the business they bring to South Florida.
Here’s a sampling of comments:
The end of tourist season means less of this…
The bad:
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year,” wrote Cp Thompson, about snowbirds migrating north.
Lallie McManus doesn’t like tourists’ attitudes: “They have no respect for us or our communities. They feel we owe them for being here.”
Alex Hausman spared no love (or commas) for our visitors: “They are the most annoying sassy complaining terrible driving breed of human being around.”
Carolyn Nachman Crawford has a message: “I feel like holding a sign saying “I’ll miss you – not.”
Maybe it was the increased numbers of tourists this season who ticked off Judy Stephenson Chackal: “People were incredibly rude this year! Good riddance!”
Fortunately, Roger Davis didn’t forget his sense of humor:”So many snowbirds so little freezer space.”
Tourists and snowbirds leave a lot of this behind.
The mixed reactions:
But most people acknowledged, some reluctantly, that in a tourism-based economy like ours, visitors and their money, are crucial.
” Yes, cant wait! The slow drivers! The traffic! The rude, angry people! But they do help our economy so there’s pros and cons to them leaving,” wrote Christi Parsons.
Dori Major Holden admitted that, like I-95, rudeness runs in two directions, although she’s happy to see some snowbirds leave: “Only the nasty ones, but I don’t like the nasty people that live here year round,” she wrote.
Alex Sharkey threw some oil on the roiled waters: “We can’t take the snowbirds for granted. They are a big reason why our economy is the way it is and no state income tax. Plus, it’s cool to go out and meet people from different parts of the country.”
“I can’t hate they bring a ton of money to spend,” wrote Raymond William Graham, a sentiment similar to Yolanda Melendez Sneed’s: “Agree they’re a huge boost to our economy, but it hurts residents who live here year round because prices for lodging as well as at many restaurants go up during season.
Lourdes Cabrera walks on the sunny side of our streets:”It doesn’t bother me either way, some are very nice others are not, the same as year round residents. Try to see the positive things in people, it makes me happier.”
Jude D’Angelo appreciates tourists: “… Our tourism sky-rocketed three times over this season due to the Ice Age up north. I’ll be sad to see them go.”
And Jack Gehm acknowledged that plenty of locals weren’t always: “Most people down there were snowbirds to start. Think how high your taxes would be if not for snowbirds and tourists.”
The response:
You guys hurt some feelings. Several visitors expressed surprise at the upside down welcome mat.
Barbara Knott wrote, with well-mannered British restraint: “Oh dear. I am English and have a home in S. Florida. I have been coming to Florida since 1967. I enjoy the warmth and the sunlight for 3 separate months a year. I did not realise I was so unwelcome…”
Florence Olson reminded us that we don’t have a monopoly on the sun: “HEY! We bring money to businesses in Fla. Maybe we’ll go to New Mexico or Phoenix next year!
Janice Goetz gave us a good-natured warning: “I‘m a late snow bird, coming down in May for the whole month, so watch out.”
The last word goes to Diane Woodward, who added perspective.
She wrote: “Funny thing…that’s exactly the way we in North Carolina feel when all you Florida people leave here in the fall!”
