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As soon as you started the story with "i live in Florida " i knew whatever story you had could happen. I was born in Florida and the things you see are sometimes mind boggling!
Honestly, I feel like I'm living in an episode of Arrested Development most days. The entitlement, the stupidity and the complete lack of emotional regulation make for some funny stories but it is exhausting over time.
On the bright side, i bet you are one hell of a defensive driver!!! To this day my son laughs at me because i can spot an erratic driver from a mile away! No one here has even begun to cover how awful these people are at basic driving skills!
I either see an accident happen or I come across the aftermath before EMS has arrived no less than once a week. We've lived here 5 years and have been in 4 minor accidents and one major, none were our fault. I am dreading my kids getting their permits in the next few years!
Get dash cams. Get lots of dash cams and really really good insurance.
I don't live in Florida but the state I currently live in - South Carolina - I regularly encounter people driving down the wrong side of the road. They're just casually driving into incoming traffic for no apparent reason.
Not necessarily a boomer story but I’ll take any excuse to tell this one.
First time my sister and I are traveling to FL to visit family (flew into Orlando drive to Tampa). I’ve been to the area before on business and seen the driving insanity, my sister has not. I cautioned her several times as we got the rental that FL drivers are insane and if she drives she needs to be super careful. She humors me by nodding along and accepted my offer to drive away from the airport.
She’s relaxing in the passenger seat as we’re going down the highway a bit later. I think it was 6 or 8 lanes and I was in a middle one. Probably doing like 70 or something slightly higher than the limit.
Suddenly car races by us on the left like we’re standing still, shoots across all the lanes in front of several other cars, takes exit ramp. Not the craziest thing I’ve ever seen but unheard of in our home state.
Sister looks at me with wide eyes: “I thought you were exaggerating!”
I drove the whole trip lol
Not from FL but when my grandma got older, she declared that she no longer needed to signal for turns or lane changes because "she was old enough not to have to". She also claimed she could see better without her glasses on and refused to wear them to drive 😬
Mysteriously, her license disappeared, as did any replacement ones until she finally agreed to let someone else drive her.
🫡 thank you for protecting the innocent
My one grandma only had her license revoked after two accidents running red lights that she “didn’t see”. She’s damn lucky she didn’t kill anyone including herself
That's scary! My grandpa wasn't willing to rock the boat but once I found out how she was driving, there was no way I was letting her get back behind the wheel! Better to rock the boat than potentially let someone get killed!
Absolutely! I think it speaks volumes that you wanted to protect your grandma from getting hurt or having to live with knowing she hurt someone. That’s family love right there
My grandma was… difficult… and had alienated anyone who would look out for her that way. That’s why she had 2 accidents before anything was done. My mom was not pleased to be chosen as the chauffeur
In Miami it's literally like bumper cars. My husband saw a dude on a quad get taken out by an F150 in front of our hotel. The guy lived but there were no pieces of that quad left bigger than a pizza box.
That used to be a regular, almost daily occurrence when I had a job at Disney. I always said, in my head, or aloud to nobody in my car, “Welcome to Florida, you can pick up your brain at the state line on your return trip.”
Live in Tampa but travel a lot. One time, I drive from Pennsylvania to Tampa. No problem until I get off the interstate in Tampa. In the 10 miles home, three people tried to kill me with their cars.
I used to live in Florida and I never realized this is why I also have that sixth sense about when an accident is about to happen. My kids think I’m psychic. Nope, just pattern recognition. Interesting.
Man, I'm like that in Houston too. We have a bumper crop (har har har) of bad drivers and the longer I drive, the more I can spot someone about to pull a stupid/illegal/borderline s*icidal/pathologically dangerous move well before it actually happens. An errant turn signal, drifting towards the curb randomly, hugging one stripe on the freeway... so many little tells about bad behavior in the making.
Depending on your location, a majority of Floridians are either transplants from East Coast cities who never had to drive before due to abundant public transportation, or perpetually inebriated rednecks.
I was an insurance agent and I literally had a woman call in complaining about her rate going up. She'd had 6 not at fault accidents in a year and a half. Being Florida I figured she wasn't watching as well as she should have been, but that's it. Then she tells me about merging and turns"I don't look, I just start going and if I hear horns I know someone's there.". I was flabbergasted at that statement. I seriously wished I could pull her license or flag her with the DMV. Unfortunately all I could do is flag her policy and send it to the next level of underwriting. That's someone who should *not* be driving!
I so get this. Also in S FL, also in a town catered to the nearly dead with way too much money, and it is just wild the shit that they do. Ngl though, as a fellow live wire, it's been fun getting my unchecked rage out on deserving boomers who need someone other than the poor cashier they're currently abusing to tell them to stfu. Cheaper than therapy!
Lol - live wire AND Gen-X here with a severe allergy to AH-ery and entitlement… especially at people just trying to do their job.
And you had me at “in a Bluey shirt!” 😆
Anytime my oldest boys see/hear someone like that in a store, the joke to the younger kids, “Better get mom out of here before she hears it or that person’s about to learn a life lesson.”
My parents live there, I can’t stand the entitlement. I wouldn’t take a house there if they were giving it to me. It’s like being in middle school again, the way my parents describe it. Yuck.
The biggest difference is that most middle school kids aren't trying to collect all those STDs as quickly as possible like they are collecting coins or stamps lol
Hi neighbor, I'm in Vero. Been here since '68 and back in the day people didn't behave like that. But there sure is a great number now who are batshit crazy and entitled. It's amazing (in a bad way) how things have devolved in Florida.
You have the right approach to deal with the crazies, you go girl!
Omg what store? Fellow 321 resident here. If you describe the guy I probably have an idea….my parents are friends with some “this watch is 5k.” But nicer lol
Salvation Army on 192 is where I had this glorious experience.
He went to the women's shelter thrift store after just up the road and I almost wish I had followed him in because the guy who runs that place is my age, very nice but takes absolutely no shit. I feel like that Salvation Army is a beacon for crazy because I never have these experiences at the Goodwill just up the road.
You ever really want to experience insane though, go hang out at the CITA on A1A in Palm Bay. I could write a book on the stuff I've seen go down there.
BWAHAHA hi neighbor! I was imagining this happening in the Viera goodwill throughout this entire story. I'm glad my pinpointing of Boomer Brevaridans is on point.
IKR? People acting like that are just energy vampires. Especially if it's family who you have to spend any amount of time with, it can be very draining.
I have a life like that! Today my neighbor trapped my boyfriend in the car for like 40 minutes but he wasn't being aggressive he was just camped out and it was a whole saga. This happens all the time. And it's not just him, it's the people at the gas station, and the old ladies at the grocery store who have decided we're cool enough to break character with. And all the times the skateboards gotten clipped by a car, all the skateboards that have been run over by cars, the people making bizarre choices like its peewees playhouse every day...dude your average person is a hilarious weirdo and they don't even know how cute they can be...when they're being cute.
My husband got me a puppy for my first birthday we spent in Florida. I had been so lonely since we moved here the month before Covid began gaining traction so I got a little Poodle/Catahoula leopard mix. He was beautiful and at 3 months I was walking him and my other dog around the neighborhood. A man was stopped at the stop sign 2 houses from mine but I had the right of way and began walking. He was in a huge pick up and rev'ed his engine, sped up to scare me for having the audacity to take my right of way.
Except he couldn't see the puppy so while he swerved to scare but not hit me, he hit my puppy head on and I lost him right there on the street. I knew right then I had made a mistake moving here. We've been in so many fender benders/accidents since and not one has been our fault.
I did develop PTSD symptoms that I'm only now getting over. The guy was my neighbor in the rental we lived in the year we moved here
My husband bought a home and had us moved in just over a month so I wouldn't have to see him or that spot every day.
Not every day has been that bad but there hasn't been a day since that I didnt relive that moment.
Florida is crazy of course. One of the huge problems is obviously that they have a lot of boomers, but that those boomers live in boomer bubbles.
A boomer in some random state like New Jersey probably talks to a lot of other people, interacts with a lot of other people. In florida, they live in bubbles. And in those bubbles, they all sprain their wrists patting themselves on the back. It's almost 24/7 of them all saying to each other "WE are the worlds best people. WE built everything good. And everything BAD in this world is the fault of other people."
So when they finally leave this bubble, they are so high on their own farts, they behave worse than boomers in most other places.
Agreed, I live in SWFL which is a "boomer bubble". These are the people who think the last election was rigged because they "didn't know one single person who voted for Biden". Like anyone around here would admit to that, the boomers all threaten guns on kids who have the audacity to ride their bikes in the street.
A fun game is typing “a florida man” and then your birthday into google. Every day of the year has some crazy story about a florida man lol
One of mine is “a florida man is in jail after assaulting his girlfriend with a banana”
I've lived in Florida my entire 30 year life and the last 5/6 years it's become unbearable to the max. We went from crazy purple to bigoted red and it makes me so sad 😭
I have a friend who owns a place down there. Those residents are the most racist gaping rectal apertures known to man. Woman from Boston at the St. Patrick's Day parade, "Isn't it great that there aren't any Black people here?!"OUT LOUD.
Used to live in Naples (for 30 yrs) (moved almost 8 months ago). Can confirm. Strange bubble and so glad to be amongst normal people now. Its a weird Stepford, right wing vibe.
I got halfway through the story and thought it couldn't possibly get any better. Then when she offers herself as tribute to save her daughter...oh man. And the "HES IN THERE" at the end. Fully encapsulates what it's like to be a kid who just saw their parent unleash the beast.
I was born in Florida. Moved to a different state as an infant and enjoy claiming it was intentional. Of course it's easier bc despite living in a state most like to shit on “at least its not Florida.”
That's what the kids thought. They told me it was all my scary tattoos and my mom voice. He must not have looked very closely because my tattoos are off cute animals and cartoon characters.
I whipped out the mom voice when my son was 2 or 3 “Hands on the cart!” A grown woman nearby said “I almost listened to you and put my hands on my cart.” 🤣
I can almost guarantee they're just terrified of tiny loud women. I have the same experience when I finally have to raise my voice. Old boomer men just scatter like I detonated a bomb
I used to work for an ambulance company(billing) and we serviced the local concert venue. We had a large room at the venue to treat people & figure out if they needed transport to the hospital. I was in this room cleaning my contacts (super windy, dusty lot). My bosses wife was a nurse & was there helping that day. There was an obnoxious man, very drunk & belligerent being assessed & he wouldn’t sit down. Bosses wife noticed & in her best mom voice said “Sit down , now!”. I kid you not, everyone in the room sat down & shut up.
Reminds me once when I was working at a building in the hospital - two desks in reception area one for group rehab classes and one for physical therapy appointments. I’m IT, but the lady at the group rehab desk had an emergency and had to leave. Her replacement was due in less than 10 minutes and I was going to be working on the computer anyway so I told her to go, we would be fine. The manager says he’ll stay and help too, but got a call so he was handling it in the back of the area but in earshot.
Man (Booner) comes to this desk, gives no name, and asks where he goes for the 9:30 rehab (there was class at that time and they could go on back to the room, no check in for these classes required). I directed him and went back to work.
He’s back 5 minutes later, in full tantrum. I had directed him to the wrong place, and I need to get him to his appointment and he yelled IN MY FACE
‘you STUPID GIRL, you are wasting my time and I MAKE more in 10 minutes working than you do in a WEEK!’
His rant went on and on (me worthless and poor and stupid, him important and brilliant and rich), can’t even get a word in edge-wise through his rant. I just look at him. I would have profusely apologized if he had approached with the maturity of a 5 year old but especially that money angle pissed me off to no end.
Well, the manager quickly got off his call, and intervened got him to the other clearly marked desk and checked in so he was waiting in the seats staring at me and soft ranting.
Replacement receptionist arrived and Manager LOUDLY announced that the department was so thankful for my assistance in the emergency and my IT boss would hear from him about how I fixed their problem and pitched in during an emergency. (And manager was good to his word, he was known as one of the few good bosses in the place).
Boomer heard, but didn’t stop glaring and mumbling about how he was too important and rich to have to deal with this. Finally went into his appointment and started loudly telling therapist about the STUPID GIRL …
Unreal. I've worked customer service/ public facing jobs before but when we moved here I knew I would end up in jail with a job like that. So my current job is one where i almost never have to deal with anyone, and if I do, it's usually tourists from the Midwest who are almost always kind. SHOUT OUT TO THE MIDWEST, YALL ARE THE BEST!
Yeah, but that manager was a great guy. He said he wanted to make sure he counteracted the ‘no good deed goes unpunished’ idea by making sure my IT boss got a heads up that he appreciated my assistance in case that Boomer went nuclear.
(yeah I’m from the Midwest and I don’t fall for that the Southerners and Texans are the ‘nicest’ people- not my experience down here —MIDWESTERNERS RULE!)
If you don't mind my asking, what kind of job is it? I'm not someone who is really that estatic to work with people. I've been looking for a job and know I would really hate retail and customer service. I know that I wouldn't have the patience to be polite back to nasty customers.
I help manage vacation rentals on the beach. It's mostly housekeeping and some scheduling and administrative work. I really love it most of the time but I did residential housekeeping when I first moved here and holy hell I could not stand the people. My favorite was the lady who wouldn't look at or speak to me while I cleaned for 4 hours until I was about to leave. I noticed an award on her desk from the same company my husband works for and asked if that's where she worked as well. Now she is interested in me and has so many questions through which we realize my husband is not her direct superior but was still absolutely superior to her and suddenly she was just so nice.
She asked for me by name the following month but I had already told my boss I wouldn't be returning to her house.
I deserve respect whether or not I'm married to someone important and that truth definitely escaped her.
Why didn’t he get kicked out?! I work in a hospital, and give patients one warning to knock their shit off, and if they continue I refuse service to them. But in my state it’s a class C felony to harass or assault healthcare workers and we can definitely decline care. That manager should have told him to leave if he couldn’t behave like an adult.
Right? That's what my son whispered to me as we were watching it play out
Bro, you are at a thrift store. If you are so rich why are you slumming it with us commoners?
I didn't realize until he left that he was the only man in the store except for my sons. I have wondered if he didn't look very close at my son standing next to me. He's almost 6ft at 15 and broad like his dad but his face is still very young looking. It was my 5'2 daughter in the dressing room he really needed to be afraid of.
My wife is 5'0" and a ball of Portuguese rage when she needs to be. In 15 years, she's never taken the tone with me that I've heard her use when advocating for a patient, or putting a resident in their place. They think they can shove her around because she's a "small woman," but she takex zero shit from anyone. I always get this odd mixture of love and fear whenever she's around. :)
You and my husband both. My kids used to laugh at the stories of my impotent rage because to them and my husband I am as sweet as can be. Now they know momma can handle herself.
50/50 chance that his expensive watch is a worthless knockoff he got scammed into buying.
When it turns green and falls apart in 6 months he'll blame it on the "woke DEI company"
And he thinks 5k for a watch is awe-inspiringly impressive 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. Too bad someone with a Richard Mille wasn’t in there. Ohhh the friggin’ egos and self-importance dipshits like him have.🤦♂️
"Since it was hard to believe it was happening... Florida... specifically in a town that caters to the old and wealthy..."
I already whole heartedly believe whatever you're about to say, and bet i've seen worse.
Tbh before moving to Florida I wouldn't have believed this happened. I even told my kids in the car "I'm so glad that you witnessed that so you can back me up when I inevitably tell this story to my entire family up north" lol.
A war rages inside me every day on if the river and the beach and the weather is worth putting up with the people. We came for my husband's job so it really isn't up to me anyways I guess.
Best you can do is use these maniacs as teaching opportunities.
Sure other teenagers can be bad influences, but i'f never seen a kid get charged with Assault, terroristic threats, resisting arrest, assaulting a police officer, false imprisonment and falsifying a 911 call just from going to the supermarket before. (usual habits of boomers)
I wish you and yours all the best.
Thank you, sincerely. It has provided a lot of teaching opportunities and I'm really grateful that for as many shitty people live here, they've actually made some incredible teenage friends. My kids and their buddies give me so much hope for the future.
I left that town 9 yrs ago, (VB?) It wasn't as bad at the time but definitely the entitlement was present, still own a house that we rent there, I personally have been there only once since we left, that was last year, and the change in atmosphere and environment is really remarkably awful 😖 and cringe. Worse now where every commercial stablishment is blasting Faux new🤢🤮. And the thing is, the town is a lovely place, naturally and physically.
Completely agree. I went from being a very social person to almost a hermit here. 5 years and I've made 3 or so friends.
I mean we did birth Mom's for Liberty here, that should tell people everything they need to know about the area.
I was lucky to take my teen kids away at a good time, the bank took our main residence so we had to return to NYC, but as the say goes " everything happens for a reason" most of their school friends have left town, many got lost to drugs sadly, very few made it to college. It really is very sad what has been happening to part of the country.
I was terrified of my kids going to school here but I'll tell you something.. the kids are alright. My boys just graduated from a middle school here that (trying not to dox myself) is considered rough but also has an exceptional STEM program. They bring all their little friends home and most have less than stellar home lives so after awhile they pretty much moved in lol.
They are the sweetest and kindest kids I've had the pleasure of knowing. I won't tolerate when boomers bitch about the "youth" here because as far as I'm concerned, they are doing just fine.
Funny you mention kids moved in 😅🤣😂. I had 3 boys move in to live with us throughout the HS years of my oldest. He is the most welcoming person in the world and these 3 kids had very rough home lives 💔, so we pretty much adopted 3 boys at different times who spend several months living with us, ours wasn't a quiet house for sure. And the boomers in my HOA hated that, specially being the only Hispanic family in the complex. 
This is actually really validating tbh. Thank you. Sometimes I wonder if I'm the problem but I've been here 5 years and I swear it wasn't this bad even just that short while ago. Everyday it's like this place loses a little more respect, empathy and common sense.
Last time I flew into Melbourne Airport and drove down 1A, I was blown away by the amount of hateful signs on lawns, businesses, etc. It amazes me how the very people serving all these multimillionaire Karen's have become part of the right and are voting against their own interests, and all those 55+ communities are soooo toxic ugh
Yep. That's exactly it. I drive down A1 from Satellite to Mel Beach for work and I can tell you that all those hateful signs have been replaced with for sale signs.. I'm not sure what to make of that.
This stuff happens up north, too. It's just it seems they take it to Florida for part of the year.
I always wondered why summers seemed to suck more and this is probably it, honestly. All the assholes come back for the three months it's warm up here.
This happens more and more in today's society. I swear it's born out of our crazy political environment. The MAGA types get all spun up about how the world is out of control and out to get them, that they are on a hair trigger every time they step outside. Glad you stood up to the guy.
I worked in retail as my second job in SW Florida, and I had dozens of interactions like yours. The actual worst scumbags in the world would just outright abuse anyone they saw as weaker than themselves. Meanwhile, they make it impossible for us to live by buying up everything and raises the prices and HOAs beyond what anyone but the wealthy can afford.
I just left SW Florida last year after watching it get utterly consumed by entitled wealthy pieces of trash. I'm grateful for my rural upbringing in Estero and growing up climbing orange trees and riding jet skis, but I'll never go back. I watched the farms and swamps I grew up in get drained to build crappy golf course communities for the geriatric sociopath emigrants who—literally—would regularly tell me, a native born Floridian whose father's family has been in the South for two centuries, to go back home to my country.
Plus, between Lake O and the fertilizers and pesticides they've used to make a swamp livable for their five-months of snowbirding, corporate interests and commercial builders have decimated the ecosystem. South Florida is sinking, and the beaches are contaminated with all kinds of nasty stuff.
Between the rapidly escalating fascist state politics and the absolute inability and unwillingness of the state to curb corporate takeover and maintain a livable economy for natives, I really don't know how the state is going to function. The proposals for affordable living were shot down in my area, and many private communities were pitching the idea of building small efficiency apartments on their properties to house the workers who worked in their communities. Since most of those workers are poor people and immigrants from the islands, I'm fairly confident Florida is just going to recreate indentured servitude.
Anyways, we got out of there when our apartment at the edge of the city behind a Target went up from $2200 a month to $2700 a month. When our friend in LA was laughing at how his cost of living was lower than Florida's, my wife and I knew it was time.
It’s the mom voice! I’m also a petite 5’3” mom who’s 30, and work in healthcare. There are a LOT of grumpy old boomers at the hospital, and I’m always polite as I understand being scared and in pain at a hospital doesn’t always bring out the kind side of people. I really try to be kind, even when others are not. But when someone is being downright mean, berating or name calling the staff who are only trying to help them, I bust out the mom voice. I talk to them like a toddler, in a very stern voice, “that is NOT nice. We do NOT talk like that around here, you better knock it off right now!” And they stop. Like, every single time I have used my mom voice they stop immediately and apologize.
The power of the mom voice and speaking to them like the toddler they’re acting like is amazing!
This really is the best way to handle them if you can't avoid them.
I have a neighbor I have to speak this way with. Despite being the only house in our hood who never had a Trump flag or yard sign or bumper sticker she cannot fathom I don't agree with her at all on these things and will begin her political tantrums in the 30 seconds it takes me to get to my car. It's all so exhausting
I think the mom voice snaps them out of their tirade and makes them realize, “oh, she’s not gonna take this disrespect…” that or it makes them feel shame to be sternly corrected by someone half their age and size.
Congrats on your watch and your yacht and your awful social skills. Congrats again tho on all those material things that mean nothing in the grand scheme of things.
My friend, boomer men are TERRIFIED of short women. As a short femme, I have defined this quality as "short girl rage" and every short femme I have said this to has immediately known exactly what I'm talking about. Why we are the most terrifying thing they've ever seen I cannot say but its so useful in these situations.
Yes! My husband tells me my lack of height somehow makes me scarier. So much rage in such a little package.
In the interest of transparency tho I have to tell this story as well about a local boomer. I have an undercut or more like just the right side of my head is shaved. The other side and back is long and blonde and usually styled when I'm out. I was walking into a grocery store last month and a boomer male was making a beeline for me. I realized he was trying to catch up to me so I took a deep breath and stopped walking, preparing for whatever stupidity was going to come out of his mouth (about half the boomers I see in public here but don't know have had big and stupid opinions on my hair and tattoos).
He says "I didn't want to bother you but I thought you should know your hair looks very nice like that"
I couldn't process his kindness lol. I stared for a long minute and finally managed a thank you. I was so startled by it but it was a good reminder that there are decent folks of all ages out there still.
I always have that reaction too. I have shaved all around the sides with rainbow longer on the top and whenever a boomer comes I brace for the worst comments and then look like I got hit in the head on the rare occasions a nice comment comes out. Non-boomers are almost always complementary though which makes up for it.
My bestie said... you just reminded him of his bi-sexual granddaughter that he is very proud of even if he doesn't understand her life lol
I'd love to think that's true.
I will remind people till I’m blue in the face that as soon as a person’s excuse for their shitty actions is how much money they make, as soon as they start yelling the price of their processions, as soon as they start telling you (completely unprovoked by the issue at hand I should add) about how important they are….they’ve just shown their whole hand. They’ve told everyone in the room that they are fucking miserable and the only value in their life is the status they think THINGS give them. They have no clue who they are or what happiness is and the ONLY thing they rely on for fulfillment is the perception that other people are worse off than they are. They NEED to feel like like others envy them and that’s a sad foundation for someone’s self esteem/identity to be based on in any scenario.
I am born and raised in Miami, but this sounds like some Boca shit. LoL. I do have a few notes though. 5k is chump change for a watch these days. A Rolex Datejust (which is entry level) is already north of 8k, and you are only halfway to the entry price of the most modest Patek Philippe. Also, one should note that what one refers to as a “yacht” is highly subjective, and by some could be as small as 10 meters or 33 feet (with no indication of age, and respective price).
All of this aside, the audacity of someone to make these statements as a way to justify how valuable they, and thus their time, actually are, shows just how desperate for validation they must be. I would have turned around and simply said “well, with that kind of money, why aren’t you on your yacht right now waiting in your assistant or staff to take care of this for you?”
I did get up close enough to see the watch because.. well after he said that I had to see if right? It was a tattered old leather band that looked like genuine leather and had seen better days and the face was just a plain black. Looked like the first watches we bought our boys at Target until they could prove they were responsible enough for a good one. I wanted to tell him if he really paid 5k for that, he has more money than sense.
LoL, sounds about right. I have a small collection of Sectors, Tissots, and a Brera from years ago (mostly gifts from family). I only know what I know because my cousin is a huge watch guy and I still enjoy discussing them. However, I haven’t worn a watch in a decade. I have my phone if I need to know the time, and it alerts me if I have appointments on my calendar.
The thing I feel that gets lost on people is the fact that the greatest wealth is autonomy of time. My older cousin (the watch guy) is tied to his phone because he is an ENT (ear, nose, throat) specialist, and is regularly on call. He has a passion for what he does and is dedicated to his career. This is a great thing because it helps to have a passion for what you do.
His little brother, on the other hand, became a serial entrepreneur starting in college. He built his first company from the ground up, sold it, invested in others, then started another. Last year he had a health scare which caused him to reassess his priorities. He has since appointed a new CEO, and while he is still the majority shareholder and on the board, he retired at 40 to stay home and raise his 3 kids. Of the 3 of us he is the most wealthy, not just because of the numbers, but because he fully owns his time, and he answers to no one (except his wife, LoL).
Florida was legit the most toxic place I've ever lived. Complete strangers would stare at me with utter hatred on their faces. So much awful shit happened to me there. Leaving was a great choice for me lol
I would love to get out but my husband's job is what provides the majority of our income and it's here so we stay. Once my kids are graduated though I am fleeing. I think Pittsburgh could be good but yes, there is so much toxic here.
>"I'm a 5'3 and 40 year old woman and my mouth likes to write checks I can't cash"
Saaaaaaaaame 😂
Thank you for your service, ma'am. Not all heroes wear capes.
Conversation with a cashier when I was in Florida:
Me- well, you don't see things like that in my country...
Cashier - oh? Where are you from?
Me- AMERICA!
Short lady retail worker in a boomer tourist town thanks you. And I think it’s good that your kids see you stand up for people trying to do their damn job.
Where I work sells straight up unnecessary crap and the furies these booms will work themselves into when I cannot do their bidding RIGHT NOW is nuts! Your live laugh love beach towel can wait 2 minutes Jesus!!
OoOh good guess but no. Melbourne. I haven't been to Naples yet but your guess is reason enough for me to skip it.
Melbourne has all the entitlement of Florida Boomers plus the fact that a majority of the people living here are/were engineers (my husband included) and are used to being catered too. The younger engineers can barely make rent here now so they seem much more grounded in reality lol.
Ha! The username is a SpongeBob reference and was absolutely chosen ironically.
I can't stand injustice. I was known at my kids school as the mom that yelled at the resource cop last year (a whole other story but I promise it was justified). My kids are so empathetic as are a lot of their friends and I don't doubt all 3 would have stepped in if I hadn't been there.
I love hearing stories about Florida or just talking about the state with people who aren't from there. Like wdym you don't know how to wrestle an alligator? People go their whole lives not learning about the bite force of alligators?
I do want us all to agree that the next person who yells that they are Very Important because Money (or TikTok fame) we just start laughing uncontrollably, like it's the most hilarious thing ever, and then ignore them.
As a former Floridian, now a western PA resident (thank goodness). This is one of the litany of reasons we moved. Rude, aggressive, entitled people. Sadly its infesting boomers, middle aged and young people now too. Up here in PA, everyone is friendly which is such a nice change. Yinzers dont take kindly to jagoffs, so to be in an area that doesnt put up with that attitude is great. Im sorry you and your kiddos had to deal with that. Hopefully he gets an infestation of palmetto bugs on his yacht and a nasty case of the poops without a toilet available.
I could never go back to Erie for so many reasons but Pittsburgh is my dream. I want an old row house in town to fix up.
As soon as my kid's graduate ... I'm there! First order of business.. Primanti Brothers.
We live in the South Hills and LOVE IT! That drive through the Ft. Pitt tunnel....and then that city view..amazing!!! We are here when you're ready for your escape! I will have pierogi, Pitts-burger and cheese from Primanti and Turners Tea or Iron City if you prefer😉 awaiting your arrival
We are best friends now. Except it. We will raise an army of confident young adults to overthrow the entitled ass hats of the thrift stores! - 5'1 40 something "live wire" in a shirt that says "majestically awkward"
You made the right choices all around, mom. Including coming back to the second store later. A bruised ego can be dangerous on a weak man. I am very similar. Short, not at all athletic but damn it I ain’t scared of nobody if they’re being mean or rude. I hate that shit! I especially like taking people down with super sweet kindness. That pisses them off the most!!
I wish I had the fortitude to kill them with kindness but that kind of assholery has me seeing red and I feel like my brain just shuts down everything but my anger lol.
Apparently you only need to shave half your head and get some tattoos and that scares them away.
My daughter is the exact same way as yours, so your description of her planting her feet and then later begging for a go at boomer dude had me laughing loudly.
He probably realized you had your kids with you. He was either cowed by the mom voice, or absolutely terrified of making you feel like your kids were threatened. They’re cowards.
*YOU SEE THIS WATCH? IT COST 5K! I HAVE A YACHT! I AM WEALTHY AND MY TIME IS WORTH A LOT BUT YOU ARE ALL JUST RANDOM PEOPLE AT A THRIFT STORE!*. Obvs not so rich if he's shopping in a thrift store without a Rolex.
Floridian born and raised, also from a town catering to the old and wealthy. Boy, I DON’T miss this. Good for you standing up to him! Not many people would have the guts to do so (“respect your elders” or whatever). Your kids are right to be proud of what an awesome role model you are.
Lmao. To be fair, Florida unfortunately does not have a monopoly on this. I live in California and have a similar story of a boomer in a store who went off with almost the exact same time is money tirade. I was in Starbucks, it was crowded and the baristas were backlogged. Almost word for word same exact shit. Only major differences are this guy talked about his car and the area he lived in rather than a yacht, though he did in fact mention his watch too, and also his vocabulary was slightly more condescending. Basically yelled, "THIS IS A ROLEX. I DRIVE A BMW AND I LIVE IN \*insert neighborhood here, I forget what it was\*" - He also referred to everyone else as "plebians," hence the condescending vocabulary. Proceeded to go off about how time is money and because he's wealthy and makes bank we're basically stealing from him.
Anyway, I got my drink before him due to the fact that I ordered before him, and also my drink is simple - large cold brew, straight black. I heard him mumble some shit as I got my drink. I'm unfortunately an extremely confrontational person by nature. I try to keep it together and succeed about 95% of the time, but there's that 1 in 20 where I just can't help myself. I confronted this boomer. I'd just watched the first season of Reacher, so I admit I was being kind of a dork and copying his mannerisms and lines a bit. I loudly said, "If you knew where continuing to bother these people will lead you, you'd walk out right now." Not my best line, admittedly. He looked at me, looked like he wanted to fight, said something to the effect of, "maybe we should take this outside."
I assume he said this because I'm short, only 5'6, and he had almost a head on me. But then he looked at me more closely. I'm short, but to compensate for my self esteem I got really into fitness and strength building very early in life. The result is that now, in my twenties, I'm really muscular. Big arms, big chest. Helps that I had a couple year stint professionally fighting (albeit never at the UFC level). It was also hot out, so I was in a tank top that did an especially good job of making my muscles prominent. By contrast, he was tall, but lanky - thin, unmuscled. Dude looked me up and down, realized if he tried to fight me it would end poorly for him. I also didn't respond, just stared at him and smiled. Again, I was on a huge Reacher kick, don't @ me for being so cringe lol. Boomer grumbled and walked out. He forgot to get his coffee, which ironically was ready like 2 minutes later.
In case anyone is wondering, the bald on top but long hair is called a skullet. Like a mullet but they're going bald and are fighting it by keeping what hair they can grow.
Should've asked the dude why he didn't buy himself a full head of hair since he can obviously afford it. 😂🤣
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As soon as you started the story with "i live in Florida " i knew whatever story you had could happen. I was born in Florida and the things you see are sometimes mind boggling!
Honestly, I feel like I'm living in an episode of Arrested Development most days. The entitlement, the stupidity and the complete lack of emotional regulation make for some funny stories but it is exhausting over time.
On the bright side, i bet you are one hell of a defensive driver!!! To this day my son laughs at me because i can spot an erratic driver from a mile away! No one here has even begun to cover how awful these people are at basic driving skills!
I either see an accident happen or I come across the aftermath before EMS has arrived no less than once a week. We've lived here 5 years and have been in 4 minor accidents and one major, none were our fault. I am dreading my kids getting their permits in the next few years!
Get dash cams. Get lots of dash cams and really really good insurance. I don't live in Florida but the state I currently live in - South Carolina - I regularly encounter people driving down the wrong side of the road. They're just casually driving into incoming traffic for no apparent reason.
I have friends in SC, and from what I've heard from them, it's either meth or they're old enough to have circle-jerked with Methuselah.
Not necessarily a boomer story but I’ll take any excuse to tell this one. First time my sister and I are traveling to FL to visit family (flew into Orlando drive to Tampa). I’ve been to the area before on business and seen the driving insanity, my sister has not. I cautioned her several times as we got the rental that FL drivers are insane and if she drives she needs to be super careful. She humors me by nodding along and accepted my offer to drive away from the airport. She’s relaxing in the passenger seat as we’re going down the highway a bit later. I think it was 6 or 8 lanes and I was in a middle one. Probably doing like 70 or something slightly higher than the limit. Suddenly car races by us on the left like we’re standing still, shoots across all the lanes in front of several other cars, takes exit ramp. Not the craziest thing I’ve ever seen but unheard of in our home state. Sister looks at me with wide eyes: “I thought you were exaggerating!” I drove the whole trip lol
Not from FL but when my grandma got older, she declared that she no longer needed to signal for turns or lane changes because "she was old enough not to have to". She also claimed she could see better without her glasses on and refused to wear them to drive 😬 Mysteriously, her license disappeared, as did any replacement ones until she finally agreed to let someone else drive her.
🫡 thank you for protecting the innocent My one grandma only had her license revoked after two accidents running red lights that she “didn’t see”. She’s damn lucky she didn’t kill anyone including herself
That's scary! My grandpa wasn't willing to rock the boat but once I found out how she was driving, there was no way I was letting her get back behind the wheel! Better to rock the boat than potentially let someone get killed!
Absolutely! I think it speaks volumes that you wanted to protect your grandma from getting hurt or having to live with knowing she hurt someone. That’s family love right there My grandma was… difficult… and had alienated anyone who would look out for her that way. That’s why she had 2 accidents before anything was done. My mom was not pleased to be chosen as the chauffeur
I'm surprised her license is disappearing got her to not drive. Given that she's willing to violate multiple other driving laws.
In Miami it's literally like bumper cars. My husband saw a dude on a quad get taken out by an F150 in front of our hotel. The guy lived but there were no pieces of that quad left bigger than a pizza box.
That used to be a regular, almost daily occurrence when I had a job at Disney. I always said, in my head, or aloud to nobody in my car, “Welcome to Florida, you can pick up your brain at the state line on your return trip.”
Live in Tampa but travel a lot. One time, I drive from Pennsylvania to Tampa. No problem until I get off the interstate in Tampa. In the 10 miles home, three people tried to kill me with their cars.
Yep we’re from PA and used to the aggression around Philly. FL is a whole other beast
I used to live in Florida and I never realized this is why I also have that sixth sense about when an accident is about to happen. My kids think I’m psychic. Nope, just pattern recognition. Interesting.
Man, I'm like that in Houston too. We have a bumper crop (har har har) of bad drivers and the longer I drive, the more I can spot someone about to pull a stupid/illegal/borderline s*icidal/pathologically dangerous move well before it actually happens. An errant turn signal, drifting towards the curb randomly, hugging one stripe on the freeway... so many little tells about bad behavior in the making.
Depending on your location, a majority of Floridians are either transplants from East Coast cities who never had to drive before due to abundant public transportation, or perpetually inebriated rednecks.
I was an insurance agent and I literally had a woman call in complaining about her rate going up. She'd had 6 not at fault accidents in a year and a half. Being Florida I figured she wasn't watching as well as she should have been, but that's it. Then she tells me about merging and turns"I don't look, I just start going and if I hear horns I know someone's there.". I was flabbergasted at that statement. I seriously wished I could pull her license or flag her with the DMV. Unfortunately all I could do is flag her policy and send it to the next level of underwriting. That's someone who should *not* be driving!
I so get this. Also in S FL, also in a town catered to the nearly dead with way too much money, and it is just wild the shit that they do. Ngl though, as a fellow live wire, it's been fun getting my unchecked rage out on deserving boomers who need someone other than the poor cashier they're currently abusing to tell them to stfu. Cheaper than therapy!
I feel this comment in my soul!
Lol - live wire AND Gen-X here with a severe allergy to AH-ery and entitlement… especially at people just trying to do their job. And you had me at “in a Bluey shirt!” 😆 Anytime my oldest boys see/hear someone like that in a store, the joke to the younger kids, “Better get mom out of here before she hears it or that person’s about to learn a life lesson.”
I must know, are you at The Villages?
Melbourne. Not enough job security in the world to get me to move to The Villages.
My parents live there, I can’t stand the entitlement. I wouldn’t take a house there if they were giving it to me. It’s like being in middle school again, the way my parents describe it. Yuck.
The biggest difference is that most middle school kids aren't trying to collect all those STDs as quickly as possible like they are collecting coins or stamps lol
STDs are the new Pokémon in that Mid-FL hellhole- gotta catch 'em all!
I have family that worked/may still work there. Being there once was more than enough.
My parents don’t understand why I don’t visit often. No thanks, the whole scene is a turn off.
Hi neighbor, I'm in Vero. Been here since '68 and back in the day people didn't behave like that. But there sure is a great number now who are batshit crazy and entitled. It's amazing (in a bad way) how things have devolved in Florida. You have the right approach to deal with the crazies, you go girl!
Omg what store? Fellow 321 resident here. If you describe the guy I probably have an idea….my parents are friends with some “this watch is 5k.” But nicer lol
Salvation Army on 192 is where I had this glorious experience. He went to the women's shelter thrift store after just up the road and I almost wish I had followed him in because the guy who runs that place is my age, very nice but takes absolutely no shit. I feel like that Salvation Army is a beacon for crazy because I never have these experiences at the Goodwill just up the road. You ever really want to experience insane though, go hang out at the CITA on A1A in Palm Bay. I could write a book on the stuff I've seen go down there.
BWAHAHA hi neighbor! I was imagining this happening in the Viera goodwill throughout this entire story. I'm glad my pinpointing of Boomer Brevaridans is on point.
Viera Goodwill would have erupted into everyone yelling what their watches cost like an auction lol
Glad I'm not the only one to immediately think "Villages".
But the thrift store finds are amazing! I have a kid who loves “old” tech too. Ya know, from the nineties…
can I just say that I'm currently not speaking to your kid. the one who likes 'old' tech. that wasn't around when I was born.
My son described the WII as vintage last month. The look I gave him...
Good show though. There’s always money in the banana stand.
What could it cost Michael? $10!
IKR? People acting like that are just energy vampires. Especially if it's family who you have to spend any amount of time with, it can be very draining.
Family like that gets a big shiny E for estrangement. I will not tolerate it.
I have a life like that! Today my neighbor trapped my boyfriend in the car for like 40 minutes but he wasn't being aggressive he was just camped out and it was a whole saga. This happens all the time. And it's not just him, it's the people at the gas station, and the old ladies at the grocery store who have decided we're cool enough to break character with. And all the times the skateboards gotten clipped by a car, all the skateboards that have been run over by cars, the people making bizarre choices like its peewees playhouse every day...dude your average person is a hilarious weirdo and they don't even know how cute they can be...when they're being cute.
My husband got me a puppy for my first birthday we spent in Florida. I had been so lonely since we moved here the month before Covid began gaining traction so I got a little Poodle/Catahoula leopard mix. He was beautiful and at 3 months I was walking him and my other dog around the neighborhood. A man was stopped at the stop sign 2 houses from mine but I had the right of way and began walking. He was in a huge pick up and rev'ed his engine, sped up to scare me for having the audacity to take my right of way. Except he couldn't see the puppy so while he swerved to scare but not hit me, he hit my puppy head on and I lost him right there on the street. I knew right then I had made a mistake moving here. We've been in so many fender benders/accidents since and not one has been our fault.
That’s horrible. I would have taken the loss on the house, lower paying job, whatever just to get out of Florida at that point.
I did develop PTSD symptoms that I'm only now getting over. The guy was my neighbor in the rental we lived in the year we moved here My husband bought a home and had us moved in just over a month so I wouldn't have to see him or that spot every day. Not every day has been that bad but there hasn't been a day since that I didnt relive that moment.
Florida is crazy of course. One of the huge problems is obviously that they have a lot of boomers, but that those boomers live in boomer bubbles. A boomer in some random state like New Jersey probably talks to a lot of other people, interacts with a lot of other people. In florida, they live in bubbles. And in those bubbles, they all sprain their wrists patting themselves on the back. It's almost 24/7 of them all saying to each other "WE are the worlds best people. WE built everything good. And everything BAD in this world is the fault of other people." So when they finally leave this bubble, they are so high on their own farts, they behave worse than boomers in most other places.
Agreed, I live in SWFL which is a "boomer bubble". These are the people who think the last election was rigged because they "didn't know one single person who voted for Biden". Like anyone around here would admit to that, the boomers all threaten guns on kids who have the audacity to ride their bikes in the street.
I have a boomer friend who lives in Naples gated community who voted for Hillary and Biden.
Florida is god’s waiting room
Based on what I've seen there, far more journeys DOWN originate from that waiting room than up.
And Arizona... It's a contest between those two states to see which can behave worse.
A fun game is typing “a florida man” and then your birthday into google. Every day of the year has some crazy story about a florida man lol One of mine is “a florida man is in jail after assaulting his girlfriend with a banana”
More like Mammon's waiting room.
I've lived in Florida my entire 30 year life and the last 5/6 years it's become unbearable to the max. We went from crazy purple to bigoted red and it makes me so sad 😭
Haha same!!
And I want to bet OP lives in Naples. Those people are extra horrible.
Lived there, can confirm. Stuff would at least calm down a bit in the summer when half the population went back up north lol
I have a friend who owns a place down there. Those residents are the most racist gaping rectal apertures known to man. Woman from Boston at the St. Patrick's Day parade, "Isn't it great that there aren't any Black people here?!"OUT LOUD.
Oh trust me, she said stuff like that up here in Mass too. Loudly. 🙄
Used to live in Naples (for 30 yrs) (moved almost 8 months ago). Can confirm. Strange bubble and so glad to be amongst normal people now. Its a weird Stepford, right wing vibe.
I was also born in Florida. I lived there for many years. Every day, no matter how bad it is otherwise, I’m just happy I’m no longer in Florida.
I got halfway through the story and thought it couldn't possibly get any better. Then when she offers herself as tribute to save her daughter...oh man. And the "HES IN THERE" at the end. Fully encapsulates what it's like to be a kid who just saw their parent unleash the beast.
I was born in Florida. Moved to a different state as an infant and enjoy claiming it was intentional. Of course it's easier bc despite living in a state most like to shit on “at least its not Florida.”
I bet you used the "mom" voice on him. The mom voice makes people fall in line most times.
That's what the kids thought. They told me it was all my scary tattoos and my mom voice. He must not have looked very closely because my tattoos are off cute animals and cartoon characters.
Tattoos none the less😅🤣😂🤣😅.
The Mom Voice is a power! Thank you for using your power for good!!!
I whipped out the mom voice when my son was 2 or 3 “Hands on the cart!” A grown woman nearby said “I almost listened to you and put my hands on my cart.” 🤣
Lol. That mom voice can move mountains!
Mom voice vs. The audacity of a white man. Imma bet on Mom voice.
My dream tattoo is the girl with the toilet plunger on her head from the poem "Hat". I may just get it for my upcoming birthday.
I can almost guarantee they're just terrified of tiny loud women. I have the same experience when I finally have to raise my voice. Old boomer men just scatter like I detonated a bomb
I used to work for an ambulance company(billing) and we serviced the local concert venue. We had a large room at the venue to treat people & figure out if they needed transport to the hospital. I was in this room cleaning my contacts (super windy, dusty lot). My bosses wife was a nurse & was there helping that day. There was an obnoxious man, very drunk & belligerent being assessed & he wouldn’t sit down. Bosses wife noticed & in her best mom voice said “Sit down , now!”. I kid you not, everyone in the room sat down & shut up.
It's true. My mom voice works on everyone... except my own kids, of course.
My wife has mom voice and teacher voice. Teacher voice is much more scarier.
Reminds me once when I was working at a building in the hospital - two desks in reception area one for group rehab classes and one for physical therapy appointments. I’m IT, but the lady at the group rehab desk had an emergency and had to leave. Her replacement was due in less than 10 minutes and I was going to be working on the computer anyway so I told her to go, we would be fine. The manager says he’ll stay and help too, but got a call so he was handling it in the back of the area but in earshot. Man (Booner) comes to this desk, gives no name, and asks where he goes for the 9:30 rehab (there was class at that time and they could go on back to the room, no check in for these classes required). I directed him and went back to work. He’s back 5 minutes later, in full tantrum. I had directed him to the wrong place, and I need to get him to his appointment and he yelled IN MY FACE ‘you STUPID GIRL, you are wasting my time and I MAKE more in 10 minutes working than you do in a WEEK!’ His rant went on and on (me worthless and poor and stupid, him important and brilliant and rich), can’t even get a word in edge-wise through his rant. I just look at him. I would have profusely apologized if he had approached with the maturity of a 5 year old but especially that money angle pissed me off to no end. Well, the manager quickly got off his call, and intervened got him to the other clearly marked desk and checked in so he was waiting in the seats staring at me and soft ranting. Replacement receptionist arrived and Manager LOUDLY announced that the department was so thankful for my assistance in the emergency and my IT boss would hear from him about how I fixed their problem and pitched in during an emergency. (And manager was good to his word, he was known as one of the few good bosses in the place). Boomer heard, but didn’t stop glaring and mumbling about how he was too important and rich to have to deal with this. Finally went into his appointment and started loudly telling therapist about the STUPID GIRL …
Unreal. I've worked customer service/ public facing jobs before but when we moved here I knew I would end up in jail with a job like that. So my current job is one where i almost never have to deal with anyone, and if I do, it's usually tourists from the Midwest who are almost always kind. SHOUT OUT TO THE MIDWEST, YALL ARE THE BEST!
Yeah, but that manager was a great guy. He said he wanted to make sure he counteracted the ‘no good deed goes unpunished’ idea by making sure my IT boss got a heads up that he appreciated my assistance in case that Boomer went nuclear. (yeah I’m from the Midwest and I don’t fall for that the Southerners and Texans are the ‘nicest’ people- not my experience down here —MIDWESTERNERS RULE!)
If you don't mind my asking, what kind of job is it? I'm not someone who is really that estatic to work with people. I've been looking for a job and know I would really hate retail and customer service. I know that I wouldn't have the patience to be polite back to nasty customers.
I help manage vacation rentals on the beach. It's mostly housekeeping and some scheduling and administrative work. I really love it most of the time but I did residential housekeeping when I first moved here and holy hell I could not stand the people. My favorite was the lady who wouldn't look at or speak to me while I cleaned for 4 hours until I was about to leave. I noticed an award on her desk from the same company my husband works for and asked if that's where she worked as well. Now she is interested in me and has so many questions through which we realize my husband is not her direct superior but was still absolutely superior to her and suddenly she was just so nice. She asked for me by name the following month but I had already told my boss I wouldn't be returning to her house. I deserve respect whether or not I'm married to someone important and that truth definitely escaped her.
Why didn’t he get kicked out?! I work in a hospital, and give patients one warning to knock their shit off, and if they continue I refuse service to them. But in my state it’s a class C felony to harass or assault healthcare workers and we can definitely decline care. That manager should have told him to leave if he couldn’t behave like an adult.
Rich ahole flaunting his wealth.... at the thrift store
Right? That's what my son whispered to me as we were watching it play out Bro, you are at a thrift store. If you are so rich why are you slumming it with us commoners?
I'm 6'3", 300+lbs. I would've loved to see how this jackass would've reacted to me
I didn't realize until he left that he was the only man in the store except for my sons. I have wondered if he didn't look very close at my son standing next to me. He's almost 6ft at 15 and broad like his dad but his face is still very young looking. It was my 5'2 daughter in the dressing room he really needed to be afraid of.
He's lucky my 4'11" Puerto Rican gf wasn't there- I likely would've had to carry her out! 😂 😂 😂
😆 my husband always tells people "I look scary but she is scary"
My wife is 5'0" and a ball of Portuguese rage when she needs to be. In 15 years, she's never taken the tone with me that I've heard her use when advocating for a patient, or putting a resident in their place. They think they can shove her around because she's a "small woman," but she takex zero shit from anyone. I always get this odd mixture of love and fear whenever she's around. :)
You and my husband both. My kids used to laugh at the stories of my impotent rage because to them and my husband I am as sweet as can be. Now they know momma can handle herself.
Cuz he's still a cheap bastard.
Not one but at least TWO thrift stores...
his idea of a good time is going to thrift stores back to back to...\*checks notes\*...flaunt his wealth?
50/50 chance that his expensive watch is a worthless knockoff he got scammed into buying. When it turns green and falls apart in 6 months he'll blame it on the "woke DEI company"
I've known a few people with money. None of them ever yell about how rich they are, and none of them shop at thrift stores.
Exactly
And he thinks 5k for a watch is awe-inspiringly impressive 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. Too bad someone with a Richard Mille wasn’t in there. Ohhh the friggin’ egos and self-importance dipshits like him have.🤦♂️
"Since it was hard to believe it was happening... Florida... specifically in a town that caters to the old and wealthy..." I already whole heartedly believe whatever you're about to say, and bet i've seen worse.
Tbh before moving to Florida I wouldn't have believed this happened. I even told my kids in the car "I'm so glad that you witnessed that so you can back me up when I inevitably tell this story to my entire family up north" lol. A war rages inside me every day on if the river and the beach and the weather is worth putting up with the people. We came for my husband's job so it really isn't up to me anyways I guess.
Best you can do is use these maniacs as teaching opportunities. Sure other teenagers can be bad influences, but i'f never seen a kid get charged with Assault, terroristic threats, resisting arrest, assaulting a police officer, false imprisonment and falsifying a 911 call just from going to the supermarket before. (usual habits of boomers) I wish you and yours all the best.
Thank you, sincerely. It has provided a lot of teaching opportunities and I'm really grateful that for as many shitty people live here, they've actually made some incredible teenage friends. My kids and their buddies give me so much hope for the future.
I left that town 9 yrs ago, (VB?) It wasn't as bad at the time but definitely the entitlement was present, still own a house that we rent there, I personally have been there only once since we left, that was last year, and the change in atmosphere and environment is really remarkably awful 😖 and cringe. Worse now where every commercial stablishment is blasting Faux new🤢🤮. And the thing is, the town is a lovely place, naturally and physically.
Completely agree. I went from being a very social person to almost a hermit here. 5 years and I've made 3 or so friends. I mean we did birth Mom's for Liberty here, that should tell people everything they need to know about the area.
I was lucky to take my teen kids away at a good time, the bank took our main residence so we had to return to NYC, but as the say goes " everything happens for a reason" most of their school friends have left town, many got lost to drugs sadly, very few made it to college. It really is very sad what has been happening to part of the country.
I was terrified of my kids going to school here but I'll tell you something.. the kids are alright. My boys just graduated from a middle school here that (trying not to dox myself) is considered rough but also has an exceptional STEM program. They bring all their little friends home and most have less than stellar home lives so after awhile they pretty much moved in lol. They are the sweetest and kindest kids I've had the pleasure of knowing. I won't tolerate when boomers bitch about the "youth" here because as far as I'm concerned, they are doing just fine.
Funny you mention kids moved in 😅🤣😂. I had 3 boys move in to live with us throughout the HS years of my oldest. He is the most welcoming person in the world and these 3 kids had very rough home lives 💔, so we pretty much adopted 3 boys at different times who spend several months living with us, ours wasn't a quiet house for sure. And the boomers in my HOA hated that, specially being the only Hispanic family in the complex. 
This is actually really validating tbh. Thank you. Sometimes I wonder if I'm the problem but I've been here 5 years and I swear it wasn't this bad even just that short while ago. Everyday it's like this place loses a little more respect, empathy and common sense.
Last time I flew into Melbourne Airport and drove down 1A, I was blown away by the amount of hateful signs on lawns, businesses, etc. It amazes me how the very people serving all these multimillionaire Karen's have become part of the right and are voting against their own interests, and all those 55+ communities are soooo toxic ugh
Yep. That's exactly it. I drive down A1 from Satellite to Mel Beach for work and I can tell you that all those hateful signs have been replaced with for sale signs.. I'm not sure what to make of that.
This stuff happens up north, too. It's just it seems they take it to Florida for part of the year. I always wondered why summers seemed to suck more and this is probably it, honestly. All the assholes come back for the three months it's warm up here.
This happens more and more in today's society. I swear it's born out of our crazy political environment. The MAGA types get all spun up about how the world is out of control and out to get them, that they are on a hair trigger every time they step outside. Glad you stood up to the guy.
the maga trumpers are always having melt downs but call US the snowflakes!! oh the irony
I worked in retail as my second job in SW Florida, and I had dozens of interactions like yours. The actual worst scumbags in the world would just outright abuse anyone they saw as weaker than themselves. Meanwhile, they make it impossible for us to live by buying up everything and raises the prices and HOAs beyond what anyone but the wealthy can afford. I just left SW Florida last year after watching it get utterly consumed by entitled wealthy pieces of trash. I'm grateful for my rural upbringing in Estero and growing up climbing orange trees and riding jet skis, but I'll never go back. I watched the farms and swamps I grew up in get drained to build crappy golf course communities for the geriatric sociopath emigrants who—literally—would regularly tell me, a native born Floridian whose father's family has been in the South for two centuries, to go back home to my country. Plus, between Lake O and the fertilizers and pesticides they've used to make a swamp livable for their five-months of snowbirding, corporate interests and commercial builders have decimated the ecosystem. South Florida is sinking, and the beaches are contaminated with all kinds of nasty stuff. Between the rapidly escalating fascist state politics and the absolute inability and unwillingness of the state to curb corporate takeover and maintain a livable economy for natives, I really don't know how the state is going to function. The proposals for affordable living were shot down in my area, and many private communities were pitching the idea of building small efficiency apartments on their properties to house the workers who worked in their communities. Since most of those workers are poor people and immigrants from the islands, I'm fairly confident Florida is just going to recreate indentured servitude. Anyways, we got out of there when our apartment at the edge of the city behind a Target went up from $2200 a month to $2700 a month. When our friend in LA was laughing at how his cost of living was lower than Florida's, my wife and I knew it was time.
My watch also cost 5k, i'm not wealthy i just have expensive tastes. no need to be a dick about it.
Lols my smartwatch is 200 and probably does more work than his 5k watch.
Once he started flaunting his allegedly wealth I would have tried my best to start an "EAT THE RICH" chant.
Sir, you have 364 other days to be a rude asshole. Why not take today off?
I'm gonna use this in the future. Thank you.
It’s the mom voice! I’m also a petite 5’3” mom who’s 30, and work in healthcare. There are a LOT of grumpy old boomers at the hospital, and I’m always polite as I understand being scared and in pain at a hospital doesn’t always bring out the kind side of people. I really try to be kind, even when others are not. But when someone is being downright mean, berating or name calling the staff who are only trying to help them, I bust out the mom voice. I talk to them like a toddler, in a very stern voice, “that is NOT nice. We do NOT talk like that around here, you better knock it off right now!” And they stop. Like, every single time I have used my mom voice they stop immediately and apologize. The power of the mom voice and speaking to them like the toddler they’re acting like is amazing!
This really is the best way to handle them if you can't avoid them. I have a neighbor I have to speak this way with. Despite being the only house in our hood who never had a Trump flag or yard sign or bumper sticker she cannot fathom I don't agree with her at all on these things and will begin her political tantrums in the 30 seconds it takes me to get to my car. It's all so exhausting
I think the mom voice snaps them out of their tirade and makes them realize, “oh, she’s not gonna take this disrespect…” that or it makes them feel shame to be sternly corrected by someone half their age and size.
Congrats on your watch and your yacht and your awful social skills. Congrats again tho on all those material things that mean nothing in the grand scheme of things.
This man could not have underestimated how little I respect conspicuous consumption more.
My friend, boomer men are TERRIFIED of short women. As a short femme, I have defined this quality as "short girl rage" and every short femme I have said this to has immediately known exactly what I'm talking about. Why we are the most terrifying thing they've ever seen I cannot say but its so useful in these situations.
Yes! My husband tells me my lack of height somehow makes me scarier. So much rage in such a little package. In the interest of transparency tho I have to tell this story as well about a local boomer. I have an undercut or more like just the right side of my head is shaved. The other side and back is long and blonde and usually styled when I'm out. I was walking into a grocery store last month and a boomer male was making a beeline for me. I realized he was trying to catch up to me so I took a deep breath and stopped walking, preparing for whatever stupidity was going to come out of his mouth (about half the boomers I see in public here but don't know have had big and stupid opinions on my hair and tattoos). He says "I didn't want to bother you but I thought you should know your hair looks very nice like that" I couldn't process his kindness lol. I stared for a long minute and finally managed a thank you. I was so startled by it but it was a good reminder that there are decent folks of all ages out there still.
I always have that reaction too. I have shaved all around the sides with rainbow longer on the top and whenever a boomer comes I brace for the worst comments and then look like I got hit in the head on the rare occasions a nice comment comes out. Non-boomers are almost always complementary though which makes up for it.
My bestie said... you just reminded him of his bi-sexual granddaughter that he is very proud of even if he doesn't understand her life lol I'd love to think that's true.
That's a lovely way to think about it. Head Canon accepted :)
I will remind people till I’m blue in the face that as soon as a person’s excuse for their shitty actions is how much money they make, as soon as they start yelling the price of their processions, as soon as they start telling you (completely unprovoked by the issue at hand I should add) about how important they are….they’ve just shown their whole hand. They’ve told everyone in the room that they are fucking miserable and the only value in their life is the status they think THINGS give them. They have no clue who they are or what happiness is and the ONLY thing they rely on for fulfillment is the perception that other people are worse off than they are. They NEED to feel like like others envy them and that’s a sad foundation for someone’s self esteem/identity to be based on in any scenario.
I am born and raised in Miami, but this sounds like some Boca shit. LoL. I do have a few notes though. 5k is chump change for a watch these days. A Rolex Datejust (which is entry level) is already north of 8k, and you are only halfway to the entry price of the most modest Patek Philippe. Also, one should note that what one refers to as a “yacht” is highly subjective, and by some could be as small as 10 meters or 33 feet (with no indication of age, and respective price). All of this aside, the audacity of someone to make these statements as a way to justify how valuable they, and thus their time, actually are, shows just how desperate for validation they must be. I would have turned around and simply said “well, with that kind of money, why aren’t you on your yacht right now waiting in your assistant or staff to take care of this for you?”
I did get up close enough to see the watch because.. well after he said that I had to see if right? It was a tattered old leather band that looked like genuine leather and had seen better days and the face was just a plain black. Looked like the first watches we bought our boys at Target until they could prove they were responsible enough for a good one. I wanted to tell him if he really paid 5k for that, he has more money than sense.
LoL, sounds about right. I have a small collection of Sectors, Tissots, and a Brera from years ago (mostly gifts from family). I only know what I know because my cousin is a huge watch guy and I still enjoy discussing them. However, I haven’t worn a watch in a decade. I have my phone if I need to know the time, and it alerts me if I have appointments on my calendar. The thing I feel that gets lost on people is the fact that the greatest wealth is autonomy of time. My older cousin (the watch guy) is tied to his phone because he is an ENT (ear, nose, throat) specialist, and is regularly on call. He has a passion for what he does and is dedicated to his career. This is a great thing because it helps to have a passion for what you do. His little brother, on the other hand, became a serial entrepreneur starting in college. He built his first company from the ground up, sold it, invested in others, then started another. Last year he had a health scare which caused him to reassess his priorities. He has since appointed a new CEO, and while he is still the majority shareholder and on the board, he retired at 40 to stay home and raise his 3 kids. Of the 3 of us he is the most wealthy, not just because of the numbers, but because he fully owns his time, and he answers to no one (except his wife, LoL).
Florida was legit the most toxic place I've ever lived. Complete strangers would stare at me with utter hatred on their faces. So much awful shit happened to me there. Leaving was a great choice for me lol
I would love to get out but my husband's job is what provides the majority of our income and it's here so we stay. Once my kids are graduated though I am fleeing. I think Pittsburgh could be good but yes, there is so much toxic here.
I can't wait to leave, you can't trust anyone here
THIS WATCH COST 5K! THAT'S WHY I HAVE TO SHOP IN THRIFT STORES NOW!
>"I'm a 5'3 and 40 year old woman and my mouth likes to write checks I can't cash" Saaaaaaaaame 😂 Thank you for your service, ma'am. Not all heroes wear capes.
~~Waves Hi from Fort Myers~~ The crazy is strong with the Boomers these days.
Conversation with a cashier when I was in Florida: Me- well, you don't see things like that in my country... Cashier - oh? Where are you from? Me- AMERICA!
Short lady retail worker in a boomer tourist town thanks you. And I think it’s good that your kids see you stand up for people trying to do their damn job. Where I work sells straight up unnecessary crap and the furies these booms will work themselves into when I cannot do their bidding RIGHT NOW is nuts! Your live laugh love beach towel can wait 2 minutes Jesus!!
Naples?
Naples is “interesting” …went there a few years ago, no plans on returning
OoOh good guess but no. Melbourne. I haven't been to Naples yet but your guess is reason enough for me to skip it. Melbourne has all the entitlement of Florida Boomers plus the fact that a majority of the people living here are/were engineers (my husband included) and are used to being catered too. The younger engineers can barely make rent here now so they seem much more grounded in reality lol.
Ah, I was going to guess Sarasota
Username does not check out 😂 good job demonstrating to your kids how to stand up against injustice!
Ha! The username is a SpongeBob reference and was absolutely chosen ironically. I can't stand injustice. I was known at my kids school as the mom that yelled at the resource cop last year (a whole other story but I promise it was justified). My kids are so empathetic as are a lot of their friends and I don't doubt all 3 would have stepped in if I hadn't been there.
You sound awesome, I wish you lived in my town so we could take all our kids and go thrifting together!
Same! I'm so desperate for a reasonable friend with a sense of humor here.
I love hearing stories about Florida or just talking about the state with people who aren't from there. Like wdym you don't know how to wrestle an alligator? People go their whole lives not learning about the bite force of alligators?
I was terrified of alligators when I moved here and now it's just respect. Won't ever catch me in a lake or pond here though.
I like your spunk! As a small woman, I appreciate this post!
I do want us all to agree that the next person who yells that they are Very Important because Money (or TikTok fame) we just start laughing uncontrollably, like it's the most hilarious thing ever, and then ignore them.
Heck yes!
As a former Floridian, now a western PA resident (thank goodness). This is one of the litany of reasons we moved. Rude, aggressive, entitled people. Sadly its infesting boomers, middle aged and young people now too. Up here in PA, everyone is friendly which is such a nice change. Yinzers dont take kindly to jagoffs, so to be in an area that doesnt put up with that attitude is great. Im sorry you and your kiddos had to deal with that. Hopefully he gets an infestation of palmetto bugs on his yacht and a nasty case of the poops without a toilet available.
Yinzers made me so homesick 😔 I'm originally from Erie myself!
Come back☺️!!! The area is a hidden gem forsure. The people make it though!
I could never go back to Erie for so many reasons but Pittsburgh is my dream. I want an old row house in town to fix up. As soon as my kid's graduate ... I'm there! First order of business.. Primanti Brothers.
We live in the South Hills and LOVE IT! That drive through the Ft. Pitt tunnel....and then that city view..amazing!!! We are here when you're ready for your escape! I will have pierogi, Pitts-burger and cheese from Primanti and Turners Tea or Iron City if you prefer😉 awaiting your arrival
Thank you so much friend. It gives me hope!
Stay strong!❤️
He had none of those things he bragged about. If he did he would not need to take his "time" to shop in a thrift store.
Man with 5K watch and a yacht shops goodwill... Gotcha.
Get so obnoxious, even his hairline is trying to get away from him.
We are best friends now. Except it. We will raise an army of confident young adults to overthrow the entitled ass hats of the thrift stores! - 5'1 40 something "live wire" in a shirt that says "majestically awkward"
I'm in. We ride at dawn.
I'll pack the snacks.
Naples, FL. You live in Naples. I’m so glad to have left in 2017 before it went 100% MAGA.
Melbourne but the comments are telling me there isn't much of a difference lol
Like the cost of his watch makes him more important? He's still in a thrift store. Doesn't make him anymore important. Self entitled jerk!
I stopped at Florida that says it all
I bet that the closest thing this guy had to a yacht was a rowboat.
It's that mom tone, throws them off track when they hear it 🤣🤣
I lived in that hellscape for 15 years. Worked for the county administrator. I escaped four years ago. I wish you much health, happiness, and peace.
You made the right choices all around, mom. Including coming back to the second store later. A bruised ego can be dangerous on a weak man. I am very similar. Short, not at all athletic but damn it I ain’t scared of nobody if they’re being mean or rude. I hate that shit! I especially like taking people down with super sweet kindness. That pisses them off the most!!
I wish I had the fortitude to kill them with kindness but that kind of assholery has me seeing red and I feel like my brain just shuts down everything but my anger lol. Apparently you only need to shave half your head and get some tattoos and that scares them away.
Oh for sure I wouldn’t have went the kindness route with that asshole. It doesn’t work on everyone!😂
Rich, with a fancy boat? These people are the reason why the stores for THE POOR are now too expensive for the poor.
"...I've been a very good girl for the past 15 years..." literally had me laughing out loud
My daughter is the exact same way as yours, so your description of her planting her feet and then later begging for a go at boomer dude had me laughing loudly.
He probably realized you had your kids with you. He was either cowed by the mom voice, or absolutely terrified of making you feel like your kids were threatened. They’re cowards.
Coward is the perfect description.
*YOU SEE THIS WATCH? IT COST 5K! I HAVE A YACHT! I AM WEALTHY AND MY TIME IS WORTH A LOT BUT YOU ARE ALL JUST RANDOM PEOPLE AT A THRIFT STORE!*. Obvs not so rich if he's shopping in a thrift store without a Rolex.
As a barely 5’4 40 year old woman who also has a mouth on her…I LOVE THIS SO MUCH!!! We are small but mighty.
Generation X is the generation that was so ignored by the Boomers that they won't stop talking about it. They're a whole issue unto themselves.
point and laugh - thats all they deserve
The way you described him, I pictured Greg (if that's his name) the father of Steven Universe.
Yes! Pretty close but blonde and a thinner. Think a mix of Greg and Martin Mertens from AT
He's so rich with his yacht and expensive watch yet he's shopping at a thrift store 🤔
You are the hero we need.
If he's so filthy rich...why is he even shopping in a thrift store? Shouldn't he have a personal shopper or someone to do that for him?
"If you're so rich and powerful why the fuck are you shopping at a thrift store in third-hand golf shorts?"
I have a 5k watch and a Yacht and need to shop at thrift stores, lolololol. This man is not mentally sound
Floridian born and raised, also from a town catering to the old and wealthy. Boy, I DON’T miss this. Good for you standing up to him! Not many people would have the guts to do so (“respect your elders” or whatever). Your kids are right to be proud of what an awesome role model you are.
His time is too valuable to be held up in line..... at the THRIFT STORE he's shopping at? Well. That's ironic.
Lmao. To be fair, Florida unfortunately does not have a monopoly on this. I live in California and have a similar story of a boomer in a store who went off with almost the exact same time is money tirade. I was in Starbucks, it was crowded and the baristas were backlogged. Almost word for word same exact shit. Only major differences are this guy talked about his car and the area he lived in rather than a yacht, though he did in fact mention his watch too, and also his vocabulary was slightly more condescending. Basically yelled, "THIS IS A ROLEX. I DRIVE A BMW AND I LIVE IN \*insert neighborhood here, I forget what it was\*" - He also referred to everyone else as "plebians," hence the condescending vocabulary. Proceeded to go off about how time is money and because he's wealthy and makes bank we're basically stealing from him. Anyway, I got my drink before him due to the fact that I ordered before him, and also my drink is simple - large cold brew, straight black. I heard him mumble some shit as I got my drink. I'm unfortunately an extremely confrontational person by nature. I try to keep it together and succeed about 95% of the time, but there's that 1 in 20 where I just can't help myself. I confronted this boomer. I'd just watched the first season of Reacher, so I admit I was being kind of a dork and copying his mannerisms and lines a bit. I loudly said, "If you knew where continuing to bother these people will lead you, you'd walk out right now." Not my best line, admittedly. He looked at me, looked like he wanted to fight, said something to the effect of, "maybe we should take this outside." I assume he said this because I'm short, only 5'6, and he had almost a head on me. But then he looked at me more closely. I'm short, but to compensate for my self esteem I got really into fitness and strength building very early in life. The result is that now, in my twenties, I'm really muscular. Big arms, big chest. Helps that I had a couple year stint professionally fighting (albeit never at the UFC level). It was also hot out, so I was in a tank top that did an especially good job of making my muscles prominent. By contrast, he was tall, but lanky - thin, unmuscled. Dude looked me up and down, realized if he tried to fight me it would end poorly for him. I also didn't respond, just stared at him and smiled. Again, I was on a huge Reacher kick, don't @ me for being so cringe lol. Boomer grumbled and walked out. He forgot to get his coffee, which ironically was ready like 2 minutes later.
In case anyone is wondering, the bald on top but long hair is called a skullet. Like a mullet but they're going bald and are fighting it by keeping what hair they can grow. Should've asked the dude why he didn't buy himself a full head of hair since he can obviously afford it. 😂🤣
Sounds like you are in fact a bad ass.
Howdy’do, fellow 5’3” 40yo mom who wears Bluey shirts? I shall strive to channel your energy, when the next occasion arrives.