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Having recently moved to Florida from Sweden, I was shocked at how biker/pedestrian hostile it is here. I naively thought I'd be able to live a more active life

Having recently moved to Florida from Sweden, I was shocked at how biker/pedestrian hostile it is here. I naively thought I'd be able to live a more active lifestyle because of the nicer weather, but instead I'm driving a car everywhere as I wouldn't feel safe on a bike. It seems to be a pretty vicious cycle of the infrastructure being hostile to biking so nobody does it, nobody is biking so the roads are optimized for driving. I've lived here for little over a year now and I've been _almost_ hit a couple of times while crossing the road at the crosswalk, and a few times at parking lots with drivers not looking back before reversing. I've also seen a dead cyclist in the intersection just outside my apartment complex :(

sethhochberg 8y ago
Florida is a perfect storm of retirees who should have had their licenses revoked years ago, car-centric exurban non-planning, big trucks as culture, and weather so hot and prone to unexpected storms that few people cycle for anything other than recreation and thus most riders are seen as ridiculous wannabe racers, or just some drunk who lost their drivers' license. Everything is spread out and connected by 6-lane divided highways with bike lanes "generously" thrown into the shoulder by FDOT, and everyone is distracted by their phones because they're bored because they spend enormous amounts of time sitting in traffic. I lived in Florida for most of my early life, was car-free for a lot of it, and don't miss riding there at all. The cycling community in Miami used to joke that in the rest of the country, you ride like you're invisible - but in South Florida, you ride like the drivers can see you and are actively trying to kill you. Stay safe.
- dmonagha 8y ago
  Native and lived in Florida most of my life as well. Everything you just said was true. There was a guy in my hometown, very well known surfer who was killed by a speeding car simply while waiting to cross the street. We have ghost bikes everywhere as well.
  - toomuchtodo 8y ago
    Florida is rated the most dangerous state for pedestrians.
    - randcraw 8y ago
      The video in the OP says it's Arizona. Or maybe more are killed there while more are simply maimed in FL. Much of the problem isn't snowbirds. It's the low rate of prosecution for vehicular manslaughter. Southern states seems especially tolerant of driver irresponsibility, perhaps because the victim is perceived as 'an outsider' -- i.e. not someone cluelessly driving a giant SUV.
      - toomuchtodo 8y ago
        Other states might be more dangerous if you take into account incidents that don't result in loss of life, but Florida has the highest rate of fatalities per 100k people. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article224923045.html https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article224923045.html "Walking may be hazardous to your health. In Florida, the risk of fatality on foot is significantly higher than in any other state. Nine of the 20 deadliest U.S. cities for pedestrians are in Florida, with Orlando ranked as least safe and the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metropolis ranked No. 14 in the 2019 “Dangerous By Design” report from Smart Growth America and the National Complete Streets Coalition." If you like walking or biking, don't move to Florida.
        emj 8y ago
        No walking is NOT hazardous to you health, even if there are 10 times as many pedestrians deaths in Florida compared to Sweden it will still be a net positive to have people walking around.
      - cmurf 8y ago
        >Southern states seems especially tolerant of driver irresponsibility If you're white, perhaps. As a matter of public policy, this form of institutional racism is a way more effective way of producing a desired outcome: coming down hard on people of color while letting white people off easy. The incidence of fatal escalation of routine traffic stops is way higher with people of color.
- bloomca 8y ago
  > Florida is a perfect storm of retirees who should have had their licenses revoked years ago Ha, that is so true – I live in a town with average age of 55, and indeed, a lot of people drive the way they would not get the license under any circumstances. I was at local DMV, and there are bunch of (old) people who moved here recently, and they need to get a new license. They don't have to pass a drive test, just a knowledge test. Still, they fail at least several times in a row (I heard about 5+, 3+ attempts).
- cylinder 8y ago
  Texas is the same or worse. Much of the postWW2 US is the same actually.
jak92 8y ago
thank the State DOT.
- magduf 8y ago
  The DOT is part of the state government, and as such responds to the voters. This problem is caused by the residents of Florida ultimately.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
cainxinth 8y ago
Florida has pretty bad drivers. They are the 8th worst state according to this list: https://smartasset.com/checking-account/states-with-the-worst-drivers-2018-edition https://smartasset.com/checking-account/states-with-the-wors... I think it's because it's a state with a lot of transplants (such as yourself) so you have a big mix of driving styles all interacting and they sometimes clash.
- jbarberu 8y ago
  I've also lived in Spain for a short time, which isn't exactly known for their great drivers. Central Florida is worse by miles. People stare at their phones while moving (at a light is bad enough, but at least you won't hit anyone), they drive with about a car's length of distance while going 45mph, shifting lanes without using their signals and other crazy shenanigans. I'm just astounded by the complete disregard for other humans while they're in their cars. This is one of the biggest reason me and my wife are looking to resettle elsewhere in a couple of years.
  - graywh 8y ago
    > they drive with about a car's length of distance while going 45mph, shifting lanes without using their signals and other crazy shenanigans this shit happens everywhere
    - magduf 8y ago
      It's worse in some places than others. Oregon, for instance, is famous for its drivers being too polite.
      - rconti 8y ago
        That's Washington. Oregon drivers are aggressive like Californians, don't signal, but then drive ungodly slow just like the overly polite Washingtonians. An Oregonian will cut you off without signalling, then drive 52mph.
    - loeg 8y ago
francisofascii 8y ago
Planners often cite the lack of cyclists as an excuse not to create bicycle infrastructure, and fail the acknowledge the reason is due to the danger, rather than the desire to bike.
- rhinoceraptor 8y ago
  Also, a lot of the existing bike infrastructure is just awful. They put bike lanes next to parked cars, paint sharrows instead of building real bike lanes, and pedestrian islands on roads with no bike lane, that make passing cyclists safely impossible.
jetrink 8y ago
Another anecdote about Florida: I bike almost every day during good weather in Chicago and though I know it isn't the safest activity, I've never had a serious incident. I traveled to Florida last Fall and was struck by a car on my very first bike ride there. I was on a dedicated bike path that was separated from the road by a grass strip and was hit by a car turning into a driveway. It was 11am on a sunny day, but the person didn't see me. (The person was not elderly, so I believe he was probably distracted by his phone.)
- kevin_thibedeau 8y ago
  You were on a glorified sidewalk. This is why separated facilities with grade crossings are dangerous because you exist outside the cone of attention of cagers who aren't expecting a 20MPH+ vehicle on the sidewalk.
  - cr1895 8y ago
    >separated facilities with grade crossings are dangerous On the whole they are much safer. https://library.swov.nl/action/front/fulltext?id=340421 https://library.swov.nl/action/front/fulltext?id=340421
  - ovi256 8y ago
    >grade crossings Grade crossings are everywhere in the Netherlands, but bikes have the right of way, and drivers and pedestrians don't, and that's also how the justice system judges things. In most US states afaik, the legal incentives are definitely not there to care about bikers.
    - ams6110 8y ago
      Cars turning right across another lane of traffic (the bike lane) is the problem. It's just a very accident-prone way to arrange the lanes. The reality is in America drivers are not accustomed to bikes passing them on the right when they are turning right. It certainly wasn't part of anything I learned in driver's training (though that was quite a while ago). I honestly could not tell you who has the right of way in that situation. Might vary by state. So if you're cycling in America and you don't want to get hit, pay close attention to the cars on your left at crossings. Assume they don't see you. In fact as a general rule, assume the cars don't see you. That's the main reason I rarely cycle in traffic. Too risky, and right-of-way or not, if a car hits a bike, the bike loses.
seanmcdirmid 8y ago
You would have been better off in California or anywhere out west actually. The humid weather alone makes Florida not a great place for cycling, and the culture dooms the rest of any aspirations.
0xCMP 8y ago
I have a personal conviction too that anywhere in South Florida which figures out how to change focus to walking/biking safely will reap very nice appreciation in real estate and taxes. Yes, the weather is very hot, but the issue is not the heat but the fact everything is so far away and there isn't a safe way either-way of getting there without a car. I'm a fan of how I understand Japanese zoning works + some of the stuff they're trying in Spain to ban cars in some areas.
- jessaustin 8y ago
  https://www.thevillages.com/ https://www.thevillages.com/ Of course that's only available to Boomers. "We've ruined most of society; let's find a place we haven't touched in which to hide from the consequences!"
- sethhochberg 8y ago
  The city of Miami Beach (not the city of Miami on the mainland) really does try, and I think they're doing a lot right - decent transit as a side effect of a tiny geographical area, lots of emphasis on walking and cycling and having a healthy populace, progressive environmental policies, etc... but they're a relatively tiny and extremely expensive locale, so their successes aren't exactly broadly enjoyable.
  - jak92 8y ago
    Probably the best place to cycle in South Florida. Then again, it is a true urban area and very walkable.
- nikk1 8y ago
  St Pete is bike/pedestrian friendly relative to other parts of Florida, and I think it's getting better. I actually think that is one reason why the area has been growing so much over the past decade. There is actually a bike trail [1], which was made by paving over an old railway track. I used to take that trail to bike to downtown, and it was extremely safe. In contrast, I now live in a newer FL city on the Space Coast that is currently booming. Seeing all of the car-friendly development makes me cringe. Nothing is in walking distance. Traffic is terrible. A man backed into me at a stoplight. I have to take a shuttle from my company's parking lot to my building because we have to accommodate so many vehicles, despite the fact that many employees live within an acceptable biking distance. [1] http://www.pinellascounty.org/trailgd/ http://www.pinellascounty.org/trailgd/
justaguyhere 8y ago
An old lady looked at me straight in the eye while not slowing down her car and I jumped at the last moment. There is a video of a cop car hitting a cyclist and then arresting him for their mistake. I've lived in places where there are no sidewalks whatsoever. Basically you can either drive a car or sit at home. Most US city infrastructure and most drivers are not fond of pedestrians and cyclists.
AndyMcConachie 8y ago
I moved from The Netherlands to the USA then moved back to The Netherlands. Part of the reason for moving back was exactly this.
jtms 8y ago
Born and raised in northern FL, fled north to escape all this and more the second I graduated college.
magduf 8y ago
>Having recently moved to Florida from Sweden, I was shocked at how biker/pedestrian hostile it is here. Sorry if this sounds rude, but this was a surprise to you? I thought everyone in Europe realized how bicycle/pedestrial-hostile US cities are. Did you not come here first to check things out before committing to a cross-Atlantic move? And seriously, Sweden is one of the top countries on the quality-of-life indices. The US is definitely not. Why would you leave there to come here? That's like me leaving the US and moving to El Salvador, thinking it'll somehow be nicer. (This is a valid comparison: compare the murder rates of Sweden vs. US to US vs. El Salvador.)
- jbarberu 8y ago
  >Sorry if this sounds rude It does, a little bit, but that's ok. No, it wasn't a surprise that it wasn't as bike friendly as Sweden. My comment was I was shocked at how extremely hostile Florida in particular was. I hadn't been to Florida prior to moving here. I committed to move away from Sweden because my wife couldn't stand it any more, the social aspects of Sweden are not all that peachy. It's really hard to break through the social barriers and make friends there. I had visited other parts of the US which I really did like, but we ended up here for work. We'll spend a few years here and then leave for some greener grass. Having gone on some road trips my observation is it varies a lot by state. Tennessee is one of my favorites down south and D.C metro area is quite nice if you avoid the city center.
  - rmdashrfstar 8y ago
    Can you elaborate on what you mean about the social aspects of Sweden not being peachy? Many people in the US describe Sweden as a utopia for Americans looking for a new foreign country to call home... any input on that sentiment would be appreciated.
    - tapland 8y ago
      You do not talk to others in public. You do not meet new people at the gym, at bars, at anywhere. If you are lucky you work in a small startup-office where employees go drink after work on fridays and where you can get to know them. American tourists can be heard over all other sound in the metro- and trainstations in Stockholm because the natural level of noise-making is so different.
bloomca 8y ago
> I naively thought I'd be able to live a more active lifestyle because of the nicer weather, but instead I'm driving a car everywhere as I wouldn't feel safe on a bike. It is super ironic, I agree. USA has a lot of room for activities, but the irony is that you have to _drive_ to them. Yes, you have to drive somewhere first, and when do what you want. Wants to run? Well, big chance you need to drive to some park. Wants to cycle? There is a chance you don't want to do straight from your house (like I have to go on a highway, which is not the best idea to cycle on). > I've lived here for little over a year now and I've been _almost_ hit a couple of times while crossing the road at the crosswalk, and a few times at parking lots with drivers not looking back before reversing. In USA, I recommend to walk in the middle of the parking lot (always!). This way you'll have time to react to any hazardous situations. Yes, some might honk at you, but better safe than sorry.
maxxxxx 8y ago
" I naively thought I'd be able to live a more active lifestyle because of the nicer weather" The Florida lifestyle is to drive from air conditioned place to air conditioned place in your car. I am exaggerating but you should try ORegon or Washington for a more active lifestyle.
- dmonagha 8y ago
  >The Florida lifestyle is to drive from air conditioned place to air conditioned place in your car. I am exaggerating but you should try ORegon or Washington for a more active lifestyle. On the coasts people are very active. True the median age is much higher however they usually move to the coast to enjoy being outside year round.
  - lenocinor 8y ago
    West coast is not so active and I lived there a long time. Can't speak for the east coast though.
- loeg 8y ago
  Also, California has many good places to be active if you like the FL heat but not the humidity.
overcast 8y ago
Did you research the weather before moving to Florida? The majority of the year it is oppressively hot and humid. Nothing a Scandinavian is even remotely used to.

sethhochberg 8y ago

Florida is a perfect storm of retirees who should have had their licenses revoked years ago, car-centric exurban non-planning, big trucks as culture, and weather so hot and prone to unexpected storms that few people cycle for anything other than recreation and thus most riders are seen as ridiculous wannabe racers, or just some drunk who lost their drivers' license. Everything is spread out and connected by 6-lane divided highways with bike lanes "generously" thrown into the shoulder by FDOT, and everyone is distracted by their phones because they're bored because they spend enormous amounts of time sitting in traffic. I lived in Florida for most of my early life, was car-free for a lot of it, and don't miss riding there at all. The cycling community in Miami used to joke that in the rest of the country, you ride like you're invisible - but in South Florida, you ride like the drivers can see you and are actively trying to kill you. Stay safe.

dmonagha 8y ago
Native and lived in Florida most of my life as well. Everything you just said was true. There was a guy in my hometown, very well known surfer who was killed by a speeding car simply while waiting to cross the street. We have ghost bikes everywhere as well.
- toomuchtodo 8y ago
  Florida is rated the most dangerous state for pedestrians.
  - randcraw 8y ago
    The video in the OP says it's Arizona. Or maybe more are killed there while more are simply maimed in FL. Much of the problem isn't snowbirds. It's the low rate of prosecution for vehicular manslaughter. Southern states seems especially tolerant of driver irresponsibility, perhaps because the victim is perceived as 'an outsider' -- i.e. not someone cluelessly driving a giant SUV.
    - toomuchtodo 8y ago
      Other states might be more dangerous if you take into account incidents that don't result in loss of life, but Florida has the highest rate of fatalities per 100k people. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article224923045.html https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article224923045.html "Walking may be hazardous to your health. In Florida, the risk of fatality on foot is significantly higher than in any other state. Nine of the 20 deadliest U.S. cities for pedestrians are in Florida, with Orlando ranked as least safe and the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metropolis ranked No. 14 in the 2019 “Dangerous By Design” report from Smart Growth America and the National Complete Streets Coalition." If you like walking or biking, don't move to Florida.
      - emj 8y ago
        No walking is NOT hazardous to you health, even if there are 10 times as many pedestrians deaths in Florida compared to Sweden it will still be a net positive to have people walking around.
    - cmurf 8y ago
      >Southern states seems especially tolerant of driver irresponsibility If you're white, perhaps. As a matter of public policy, this form of institutional racism is a way more effective way of producing a desired outcome: coming down hard on people of color while letting white people off easy. The incidence of fatal escalation of routine traffic stops is way higher with people of color.
bloomca 8y ago
> Florida is a perfect storm of retirees who should have had their licenses revoked years ago Ha, that is so true – I live in a town with average age of 55, and indeed, a lot of people drive the way they would not get the license under any circumstances. I was at local DMV, and there are bunch of (old) people who moved here recently, and they need to get a new license. They don't have to pass a drive test, just a knowledge test. Still, they fail at least several times in a row (I heard about 5+, 3+ attempts).
cylinder 8y ago
Texas is the same or worse. Much of the postWW2 US is the same actually.

jak92 8y ago

thank the State DOT.

magduf 8y ago
The DOT is part of the state government, and as such responds to the voters. This problem is caused by the residents of Florida ultimately.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]

cainxinth 8y ago

Florida has pretty bad drivers. They are the 8th worst state according to this list: https://smartasset.com/checking-account/states-with-the-worst-drivers-2018-edition https://smartasset.com/checking-account/states-with-the-wors... I think it's because it's a state with a lot of transplants (such as yourself) so you have a big mix of driving styles all interacting and they sometimes clash.

jbarberu 8y ago
I've also lived in Spain for a short time, which isn't exactly known for their great drivers. Central Florida is worse by miles. People stare at their phones while moving (at a light is bad enough, but at least you won't hit anyone), they drive with about a car's length of distance while going 45mph, shifting lanes without using their signals and other crazy shenanigans. I'm just astounded by the complete disregard for other humans while they're in their cars. This is one of the biggest reason me and my wife are looking to resettle elsewhere in a couple of years.
- graywh 8y ago
  > they drive with about a car's length of distance while going 45mph, shifting lanes without using their signals and other crazy shenanigans this shit happens everywhere
  - magduf 8y ago
    It's worse in some places than others. Oregon, for instance, is famous for its drivers being too polite.
    - rconti 8y ago
      That's Washington. Oregon drivers are aggressive like Californians, don't signal, but then drive ungodly slow just like the overly polite Washingtonians. An Oregonian will cut you off without signalling, then drive 52mph.
  - loeg 8y ago

francisofascii 8y ago

Planners often cite the lack of cyclists as an excuse not to create bicycle infrastructure, and fail the acknowledge the reason is due to the danger, rather than the desire to bike.

rhinoceraptor 8y ago
Also, a lot of the existing bike infrastructure is just awful. They put bike lanes next to parked cars, paint sharrows instead of building real bike lanes, and pedestrian islands on roads with no bike lane, that make passing cyclists safely impossible.

jetrink 8y ago

Another anecdote about Florida: I bike almost every day during good weather in Chicago and though I know it isn't the safest activity, I've never had a serious incident. I traveled to Florida last Fall and was struck by a car on my very first bike ride there. I was on a dedicated bike path that was separated from the road by a grass strip and was hit by a car turning into a driveway. It was 11am on a sunny day, but the person didn't see me. (The person was not elderly, so I believe he was probably distracted by his phone.)

kevin_thibedeau 8y ago
You were on a glorified sidewalk. This is why separated facilities with grade crossings are dangerous because you exist outside the cone of attention of cagers who aren't expecting a 20MPH+ vehicle on the sidewalk.
- cr1895 8y ago
  >separated facilities with grade crossings are dangerous On the whole they are much safer. https://library.swov.nl/action/front/fulltext?id=340421 https://library.swov.nl/action/front/fulltext?id=340421
- ovi256 8y ago
  >grade crossings Grade crossings are everywhere in the Netherlands, but bikes have the right of way, and drivers and pedestrians don't, and that's also how the justice system judges things. In most US states afaik, the legal incentives are definitely not there to care about bikers.
  - ams6110 8y ago
    Cars turning right across another lane of traffic (the bike lane) is the problem. It's just a very accident-prone way to arrange the lanes. The reality is in America drivers are not accustomed to bikes passing them on the right when they are turning right. It certainly wasn't part of anything I learned in driver's training (though that was quite a while ago). I honestly could not tell you who has the right of way in that situation. Might vary by state. So if you're cycling in America and you don't want to get hit, pay close attention to the cars on your left at crossings. Assume they don't see you. In fact as a general rule, assume the cars don't see you. That's the main reason I rarely cycle in traffic. Too risky, and right-of-way or not, if a car hits a bike, the bike loses.

seanmcdirmid 8y ago

You would have been better off in California or anywhere out west actually. The humid weather alone makes Florida not a great place for cycling, and the culture dooms the rest of any aspirations.

0xCMP 8y ago

I have a personal conviction too that anywhere in South Florida which figures out how to change focus to walking/biking safely will reap very nice appreciation in real estate and taxes. Yes, the weather is very hot, but the issue is not the heat but the fact everything is so far away and there isn't a safe way either-way of getting there without a car. I'm a fan of how I understand Japanese zoning works + some of the stuff they're trying in Spain to ban cars in some areas.

jessaustin 8y ago
https://www.thevillages.com/ https://www.thevillages.com/ Of course that's only available to Boomers. "We've ruined most of society; let's find a place we haven't touched in which to hide from the consequences!"
sethhochberg 8y ago
The city of Miami Beach (not the city of Miami on the mainland) really does try, and I think they're doing a lot right - decent transit as a side effect of a tiny geographical area, lots of emphasis on walking and cycling and having a healthy populace, progressive environmental policies, etc... but they're a relatively tiny and extremely expensive locale, so their successes aren't exactly broadly enjoyable.
- jak92 8y ago
  Probably the best place to cycle in South Florida. Then again, it is a true urban area and very walkable.
nikk1 8y ago
St Pete is bike/pedestrian friendly relative to other parts of Florida, and I think it's getting better. I actually think that is one reason why the area has been growing so much over the past decade. There is actually a bike trail [1], which was made by paving over an old railway track. I used to take that trail to bike to downtown, and it was extremely safe. In contrast, I now live in a newer FL city on the Space Coast that is currently booming. Seeing all of the car-friendly development makes me cringe. Nothing is in walking distance. Traffic is terrible. A man backed into me at a stoplight. I have to take a shuttle from my company's parking lot to my building because we have to accommodate so many vehicles, despite the fact that many employees live within an acceptable biking distance. [1] http://www.pinellascounty.org/trailgd/ http://www.pinellascounty.org/trailgd/

justaguyhere 8y ago

An old lady looked at me straight in the eye while not slowing down her car and I jumped at the last moment. There is a video of a cop car hitting a cyclist and then arresting him for their mistake. I've lived in places where there are no sidewalks whatsoever. Basically you can either drive a car or sit at home. Most US city infrastructure and most drivers are not fond of pedestrians and cyclists.

AndyMcConachie 8y ago

I moved from The Netherlands to the USA then moved back to The Netherlands. Part of the reason for moving back was exactly this.

jtms 8y ago

Born and raised in northern FL, fled north to escape all this and more the second I graduated college.

magduf 8y ago

>Having recently moved to Florida from Sweden, I was shocked at how biker/pedestrian hostile it is here. Sorry if this sounds rude, but this was a surprise to you? I thought everyone in Europe realized how bicycle/pedestrial-hostile US cities are. Did you not come here first to check things out before committing to a cross-Atlantic move? And seriously, Sweden is one of the top countries on the quality-of-life indices. The US is definitely not. Why would you leave there to come here? That's like me leaving the US and moving to El Salvador, thinking it'll somehow be nicer. (This is a valid comparison: compare the murder rates of Sweden vs. US to US vs. El Salvador.)

jbarberu 8y ago
>Sorry if this sounds rude It does, a little bit, but that's ok. No, it wasn't a surprise that it wasn't as bike friendly as Sweden. My comment was I was shocked at how extremely hostile Florida in particular was. I hadn't been to Florida prior to moving here. I committed to move away from Sweden because my wife couldn't stand it any more, the social aspects of Sweden are not all that peachy. It's really hard to break through the social barriers and make friends there. I had visited other parts of the US which I really did like, but we ended up here for work. We'll spend a few years here and then leave for some greener grass. Having gone on some road trips my observation is it varies a lot by state. Tennessee is one of my favorites down south and D.C metro area is quite nice if you avoid the city center.
- rmdashrfstar 8y ago
  Can you elaborate on what you mean about the social aspects of Sweden not being peachy? Many people in the US describe Sweden as a utopia for Americans looking for a new foreign country to call home... any input on that sentiment would be appreciated.
  - tapland 8y ago
    You do not talk to others in public. You do not meet new people at the gym, at bars, at anywhere. If you are lucky you work in a small startup-office where employees go drink after work on fridays and where you can get to know them. American tourists can be heard over all other sound in the metro- and trainstations in Stockholm because the natural level of noise-making is so different.

bloomca 8y ago

> I naively thought I'd be able to live a more active lifestyle because of the nicer weather, but instead I'm driving a car everywhere as I wouldn't feel safe on a bike. It is super ironic, I agree. USA has a lot of room for activities, but the irony is that you have to _drive_ to them. Yes, you have to drive somewhere first, and when do what you want. Wants to run? Well, big chance you need to drive to some park. Wants to cycle? There is a chance you don't want to do straight from your house (like I have to go on a highway, which is not the best idea to cycle on). > I've lived here for little over a year now and I've been _almost_ hit a couple of times while crossing the road at the crosswalk, and a few times at parking lots with drivers not looking back before reversing. In USA, I recommend to walk in the middle of the parking lot (always!). This way you'll have time to react to any hazardous situations. Yes, some might honk at you, but better safe than sorry.

maxxxxx 8y ago

" I naively thought I'd be able to live a more active lifestyle because of the nicer weather" The Florida lifestyle is to drive from air conditioned place to air conditioned place in your car. I am exaggerating but you should try ORegon or Washington for a more active lifestyle.

dmonagha 8y ago
>The Florida lifestyle is to drive from air conditioned place to air conditioned place in your car. I am exaggerating but you should try ORegon or Washington for a more active lifestyle. On the coasts people are very active. True the median age is much higher however they usually move to the coast to enjoy being outside year round.
- lenocinor 8y ago
  West coast is not so active and I lived there a long time. Can't speak for the east coast though.
loeg 8y ago
Also, California has many good places to be active if you like the FL heat but not the humidity.

overcast 8y ago

Did you research the weather before moving to Florida? The majority of the year it is oppressively hot and humid. Nothing a Scandinavian is even remotely used to.