Free Advice
By Jeff Moffitt
@moffittjc (123833)
Gainesville, Florida
April 25, 2025 6:19pm CST
I had to laugh when I came across this meme about Florida, because this is exactly what happened to me onetime when my son and I were camping. And the scary thing is, our campsite along the river looked almost exactly like the scenario in the picture, but luckily in our case only one alligator took up presence in our campsite.
As a native Floridian, I should have known better. Known what? That there'd be alligators of course.
Reminds me of a TV commercial that aired recently from Florida State Parks. In the commercial, a park ranger is standing by a body of water, and poses the question: "How do you tell if there are alligators in the water in Florida?" She then bends down, sticks her arm in the water, wiggles it around real good, and then pulls it out of the water and stands up. She then looks at the camera and says, "If your arm is wet, then there are alligators." Quite funny, but also true as can be. In Florida, you have to assume every single body of water has an alligator in it.
So here's my free advice to anyone visiting the great state of Florida: if you go camping, don't set your tent up too close to the water. Instead, set it up closer to the woods, because the bears are much friendlier than the alligators.
10 people like this
9 responses
@Juliaacv (53184)
• Canada
8h
The alligators, and the size of their population, just totally freaks me out.
That and the snakes in Florida.
We have snakes here, but nothing poisonous.
When my cousin moved to Florida she told me that a snake got into their house when they were walking inside, like it was just hanging around on the step waiting for someone to open the door.
Someone should do a meme of that. 
2 people like this
@moffittjc (123833)
• Gainesville, Florida
8h
I wrote a discussion here on myLot a few years ago about a snake that was hanging on my doorknob when I came home. It freaked me out, but then I realized it was a harmless ribbon snake (a type of rat snake). It was very friendly and docile and I ended up picking it up with my hands and putting it in the shrubs in my front yard. It was just weird that it climbed up my front door and kind of coiled itself around the doorknob. I guess that's Florida for you.
I grew up here knowing full well that every body of water potentially has an alligator in it. But I still swam (and still do swim) in those bodies of water. For the most part, alligators will leave people alone (it's your little pet dog they want).
But them snakes? That's an entirely different story, especially when you start talking about the giant pythons in south Florida.
2 people like this
@Juliaacv (53184)
• Canada
8h
@moffittjc Here the 'worst' snakes that I have ever seen are rat snakes and pine snakes. Pine snakes are terribly long. I remember we were on a ride one afternoon just after an summer thunderstorm, and there was a line all of the way across a 2-lane road, and we drove over it. I asked my husband what it was and he was quiet before telling me it was a snake. I could barely get out of the door of the car when we pulled into the garage at home, I was afraid that I would see or come into contact with something the snake left behind. Of course he made contact with the tires not the actual car.
That same cousin of mine was bike riding with her husband and another couple and the girls were ahead of the guys, so they stopped and waited, but as my cousin was about to put her foot down, her husband could see a rattle snake right there and called to her to keep going and go fast.
Us Canucks are afraid of alligators and big ole snakes like that.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (123833)
• Gainesville, Florida
8h
@Juliaacv I know what you mean about them pine snakes, they are super long. That would probably startle me for sure. And trust me, I don't play around when it comes to rattle snakes. They are all over the place here in Florida, and there is like 3 or 4 different species of them.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (123833)
• Gainesville, Florida
8h
Keep that advice in mind for when you visit Florida soon!
Do not pet the alligators! They may look cute, but their teeth are sharp.
1 person likes this
@ARIES1973 (11576)
• Legaspi, Philippines
8h
Though my chance of getting near that part is 1 out of 100, I would still remember this advice. 
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (123833)
• Gainesville, Florida
7h
So you're saying there's a chance!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (351397)
• Rockingham, Australia
Just now
And you all go off about Australia and its dangerous animals!! 
@Ineeddentures (168)
•
8h
I've seen alligators on your golf courses.
And I can't run no more so I won't be teeing my balls up in Florida.
You get Bears there too?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (123833)
• Gainesville, Florida
7h
Bears, pythons, panthers. You name it, we've got them. Florida is no place to mess around in!
Alligators on golf courses is just part of life. I don't think there's ever been a time I've been golfing that I didn't come across an alligator on the course. Unless your ball is lying on or near them, you just ignore them and play through.
1 person likes this
@Ineeddentures (168)
•
7h
@moffittjc
I've ignored the group in front a good few times and played through them.
I am trying to imagine reasoning with a panther playing with my ball in the rough
@FourWalls (73910)
• United States
6h
I’ve done all my camping in Florida at the Hampton Inn or the Holiday Inn or the Courtyard Inn. Reduces the risk of alligators and bears, not to mention those 737-sized mosquitoes.
@DaddyEvil (146303)
• United States
7h
We have to warn tourists about camping in the woods because the bears aren't friendly and sh*tting isn't the only thing they do in the woods!
