Well, Key West is a dump... moving on

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

Unfortunately it didn't stop with him. His "trickle down" economic system has been an utter failure but the mistakes he made have never been corrected. The assault on our personal freedoms has continued unabated since then and the economic disparity has skyrocketed. Help for the mentally challenged has been slashed as has help for the financially challenged. People don't live under bridges or in their cars because they love the surroundings, the view and the ambiance. Just take an honest look around you and at the world in general and ask yourself if the world is really a better place than it was 40 yrs. ago. End of my rant.

Rather than repeating myself, read posts #68 and#70.


I will add this though. 40 years ago (well fifty or sixty years ago), the poor were put to work and trained and the mentally ill were institutionalized and cared for. Today, the poor are given steak and lobster and cell phones and the mentally ill are left to roam the streets harassing the public.

[imaginz]

Vc

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Sheemgal]

The drive there is great, although 65mph?! Too slow!

KeyWest like most of the East coast I enjoyed but yes compared to Newport RI for history... Not so much as far as sailing is concerned.

[kerrydeare]

Originally Posted by natraps116

... Point is trashy people ruin places, and trashy people come from everywhere ...

I'm a little concerned about who decides.

Having said that, I've always encountered the "struggling" class over the past several decades, even in pristine Bermuda, Newfoundland, Cuba, etc. Merely a matter of degree.

[kerrydeare]

Originally Posted by Mistress Sirena

How could a boater be homeless.?

Perhaps in the same fashion that an unfortunate slum dweller is "homeless"? Not enough resources to live well.

[sailnow2011]

What has really ruined the key, and florida in general, is that fiberglass boats have no end game. There is no easy way to throw them away, so they are given away. The typical type who takes a boat, worth less then nothing, is a homeless drifter. These people can be mentally unstable, filthy, lazy and have no class or manners.
They make an anchorage look like a back woods abandoned trailer park. They fill the available areas that money rich tourists would use should they decide to visit. They steal from boats. They dump floating trash into the water.
Their needs to be a good law written for a boat worth less then $0 and the ability of such boats to be on the water. Perhaps a safety inspection requirement, where if the boat is unfit to navigate because of shoddy rigging, unkept thru-hulls, and nonworking equipment, the boats can be hauled, and crushed.

[kerrydeare]

Originally Posted by sailnow2011

What has really ruined the key, and florida in general, is that fiberglass boats have no end game. There is no easy way to throw them away, so they are given away. The typical type who takes a boat, worth less then nothing, is a homeless drifter. These people can be mentally unstable, filthy, lazy and have no class or manners.
They make an anchorage look like a back woods abandoned trailer park. They fill the available areas that money rich tourists would use should they decide to visit. They steal from boats. They dump floating trash into the water.
Their needs to be a good law written for a boat worth less then $0 and the ability of such boats to be on the water. Perhaps a safety inspection requirement, where if the boat is unfit to navigate because of shoddy rigging, unkept thru-hulls, and nonworking equipment, the boats can be hauled, and crushed.

Maritime eugenics lives on!

[Udacha]

Key West is, well, Key West, that's what makes it different. I lived there for 3.5 years in the early 90s and it was truly an eye opening experience. A friend and I showed up with about 20k between us and went to the local Honda shop and bought every pink moped they had (19) and went into the scooter rental business. We did well and met some interesting folks along the way like playing poker with Capt Tony. Key West, at least when I was there was a live and let live place. Quite a few people I met, it was the last stop before leaving to be an ex-patriot or people that were different and wanted to be left alone. People that live in Key West mostly don't believe they live in the USA, it's the Conch Republic and don't like too many rules. It's had an opinion to secede from the union, declare war on the US ( shooting a shotgun in the air ) surrender and demand foreign aid ( that is kind of funny ) Don't fool yourself about bartenders there, the ones in the high profile bars like Sloppy Joes, Hoggs Breath, ricks....... can make 1k a night during season. They like to work for 5 months then travel for 7 months rinse, dry and repeat. When you are a local, you want to go to the same bar for a while and they see that you do live there drinks cost a lot less. I also met a lot of the vagrants, most of them quite trustworthy and just want to be left alone for what ever reason. Some would stop by once in a while looking to clean or something for cash, a few I met were Viet Nam Vets that I tried to help, but again, they just wanted to left alone. As far as the derelict boats go believe it or not, are lived on, the ones that aren't are supposed to be hauled out by the only tow company in town and, well, they take their time, don't want to run out of work, need something for the great grand sons to do.

When I 1st got there I was in Capt Tony's bar and saw a guy with a green Mohawk, all the tats and piercings talking with an old worn out sailor laughing and having a great time, yea, that is Key West

Key West is different, some like it, some don't

[dennismenace111]

The problem in Key West is that there is no affordable housing for the people who work there. If you're a bar tender or waiter, your choices are to drive from Homestead every day or find a junker sailboat to live on....although it really just existing, not really living.

[Boatguy30]

Originally Posted by rwidman

Rather than repeating myself, read posts #68 and#70.


I will add this though. 40 years ago (well fifty or sixty years ago), the poor were put to work and trained and the mentally ill were institutionalized and cared for. Today, the poor are given steak and lobster and cell phones and the mentally ill are left to roam the streets harassing the public.

where do I go for the free lobster? I'm sure you mean food stamps which Walmart loves and probably makes them more than a genuine jobs program would. Damn shame there's no Walmart in keys. Publix gets to give outbsll that steak and lobster.

Will $650 a month buy a family of 4 steak and lobster 90 meals a month? How much data you get for that $9.95 cell phone plan? (passed by Regan)

[dennismenace111]

Originally Posted by rwidman

Rather than repeating myself, read posts #68 and#70.


I will add this though. 40 years ago (well fifty or sixty years ago), the poor were put to work and trained and the mentally ill were institutionalized and cared for. Today, the poor are given steak and lobster and cell phones and the mentally ill are left to roam the streets harassing the public.

You my friend are about as out of touch with the world as Donald Trump.

35 years ago the mentally ill were turned out of the hospitals to live on thexstreets or put in prison to control the by none other than the Republican God, Ron Reagan. Are there homeless bums in Key West, hell yes...but most on those dumpy boats are the people that have to kiss your ass for tips and can't afford to live there cause there is no affordable housing as its all been bought up by real estate investors and wealthy northerners as vacation homes leaving no place for local workers to live.

[jwcolby54]

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

where do I go for the free lobster? I'm sure you mean food stamps which Walmart loves and probably makes them more than a genuine jobs program would. Damn shame there's no Walmart in keys. Publix gets to give outbsll that steak and lobster.

Will $650 a month buy a family of 4 steak and lobster 90 meals a month? How much data you get for that $9.95 cell phone plan? (passed by Regan)

Don't confuse the poor guy with facts.

[dennismenace111]

Originally Posted by sailnow2011

What has really ruined the key, and florida in general, is that fiberglass boats have no end game. There is no easy way to throw them away, so they are given away. The typical type who takes a boat, worth less then nothing, is a homeless drifter. These people can be mentally unstable, filthy, lazy and have no class or manners.
They make an anchorage look like a back woods abandoned trailer park. They fill the available areas that money rich tourists would use should they decide to visit. They steal from boats. They dump floating trash into the water.
Their needs to be a good law written for a boat worth less then $0 and the ability of such boats to be on the water. Perhaps a safety inspection requirement, where if the boat is unfit to navigate because of shoddy rigging, unkept thru-hulls, and nonworking equipment, the boats can be hauled, and crushed.

Very good points..The state of Florida pay tons of money to recover junkers and sunken derilicts. It seems that it would be less expensive to recover them before they sink.

[quill]

My Key West Story.
Several Years ago I Crewed on a boat from Texas to KW. I'd been there several times. Done all the tourist stuff. I was walking down the street and at every cross street I'd take the turn that went uphill. Well I ended up in the cemetery. One area was especially impressive (big stones etc.). I went to the biggest stone. It said Dr Ezra Johnson (not real last name). Next one said Mathew Johnson, Surgeon. Next two Albert, then Henry (both doctors). I started to leave, my eye caught a modest stone in the family plot. It had several small graves at its foot. I thought, probably lost some small children. The stone said Robert Johnson, Artist. The small stones said
Precious "A little high strung, but a good dog". "Biff, A heart like a lion".
"Kosmo, A natural comedian."
I walked to and thru the main gate, closing it behind me. After a couple of steps; I stopped, turned around, and on the gate was a sign that said NO DOGS ALLOWED.

[quill]

(sorry I got sidetracked).
Maybe some rich people should buy up a bunch of these run down boats,
put'em on a freighter, haul them to some place like Haiti and give them away. The Haitians could use them to Oh, I don't know, Feed their families.
Maybe the Haitians are too stupid to fix them.
No that can't be it. I've worked in depressed areas of the world. I was constantly amazed at the mechanical skill of the locals(some couldn't even read). No Parts? Make'em with a hammer and a file.
Maybe some of you cruisers need a challenge
AIS, Internet,sat fones,chartplotters,radar. Could you even do a DR plot if you had to(lightning strike).
Get a smallish boat. Go over it. Take it to Haiti. Anybody can get to Haiti(Its all Daysails). Find a responsible local family man. Tell him you want to set up a business(nobody likes charity).Then go home.
I may think about doing this myself