BigDog Speaks

Once in a while, we all journey back to where we used to live. It might be mentally, or physically, but we all do it. I did so physically, over the weekend. Twenty years has past and there is a lot of changes, not all for the good.

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There are exits off the Turnpike that REQUIRE a Sunpass, no change provided, no manned toll booths, and a hundred dollar fine if you zoom past without a Sunpass. My first thoughts were what happens if that happens to be the exit a tourist needs to take? It is doubtful that whatever directions they are following brings them back from some other exit. They take the unauthorized exit, zoom past the video camera and get their hundred dollar ticket in the mail. I think this is a cheesy way for the state to make money. The Turnpike flows along with no hangups, very little traffic. The majority of the traffic is zooming along on I-95 which is a free road rather than pay crazy fees for the turnpike. One of the advantages of driving the Turnpike is you get to see some real Florida mountains! Yes, Florida has mountains, they are built of garbage. Huge mounds, heavy equipment driving on them, sod covered, mountains of garbage. No, they don't show THAT on tourist videos! You get far enough south and you will start hearing rumbles about nuisance animals eating up the plants and flowers. Iguanas are here with a vengeance. The little green ones scurry away and jump off the docks into the water. The big ones tend to stand their ground and are very reluctant to move. They eat plants, all kinds, flowers preferred, and the big ones leave Doberman size deposits all over the docks and landscape. Gee, these exotic 'pets' have become a real live problem! Glad I don't live there.