Orlando: a melting pot of jerks
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11/8/2015
Orlando, Florida is a place where people move to because they hate snow. As a result, you're seeing the worst of humanity from places like Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, and the beacon of bright light known as the Northeast.
People in Orlando are rude. Very rude. I have lived in many major cities and towns all over the U.S., and this town has issues. It's not unusual to drive down I-4 (the only major highway servicing this town) and have somebody cut you off without a turn signal or refuse to let you over after you've utilized yours. It's normal to make a transaction with a cashier without her even making eye contact with you. In fact, you could probably get through an entire day without a smile here. Southern hospitality? Ha!
The population here is low-brow due to low pay and terrible schooling. After a while of living here, you will no longer be shocked to see a Confederate flag being waved on a huge truck with a gun rack on the back. The KKK is alive and well in St. Cloud, just south of here, and in Putnam and Lake counties to the west.
Speaking of low paying jobs, thank The Mouse for that. While it's true that there's no state income tax, it's also true that wages are low. I transferred into a company because there was nobody educated in the area who could fulfill the position, but I see many college (UCF) graduates who top out around $16 or $17 an hour. Most people in the area are topping out around $9 or $10 an hour. Considering that rent is extremely high, I don't know how most people live.
There is a large homeless population in Orlando due to the weather. There's also a big drug problem here, so often when you are just trying to pump gas, a tweaker will approach you and ask for a dollar for "gas." It's frustrating.
Public transportation? Non-existant. Taking a Lynx bus is the biggest step to admitting that you're a loser with nothing better to do than sit on an un-shaded bench on the side of the road for hours at a time, praying that a bus will accidentally pass by your area. There is a train, Sunrail, that was designed to be a failure by only running on weekdays during work hours, but failing to unload people near the major office complexes that run down the I-4 corridor. Speaking of I-4, it is the only major highway that runs through here. It is extremely torn up due to a misguided renovation project, and it's causing mayhem throughout the city because nobody has time for this. Ten years of backroads (also under construction!) that are clogged and a commute time that has doubled in the last six months. Is it no wonder everybody here hates each other? We spend too much time together in traffic. I have lived in Texas, Colorado, California and Washington, and even I have never seen anything this chaotic.
In terms of beauty, the city is dotted with bland ugly architecture and shopping malls. Anything older than 30 years is ripped down so another condo can be built on top of it. There are a few good mom and pop restaurants around town, but Orlando is Chain Central. Have a picky family member that won't eat anything but chicken fingers? We seriously have a chain restaurant devoted to chicken fingers.
Yes, there are beaches, but they are a good 45 minute to an hour drive away. The city is landlocked, and in the summer (which runs from April-November) it is stifling hot. No problem, you think, I'll get a pool. 1/3 of my friends have pools that are broken and they haven't bothered to fix, so now they have a mosquito infested swamp just steps from their back door.
The only positive thing about Orlando is the winter, when it doesn't snow. After all, that's why people move here, right? It's certainly not for natural beauty, Southern charm, friendly faces, great infrastructure, quality schools, or great wages. It's simply the lack of snow.
Natasha | Lockhart, FL