#2 Florida Man Locks Baby Daughter In His Car And Nearby Florida Inmates On Work Detail Break Her Out Using A Coat Hanger While Florida Mother Proclaims "Them Bust That S**t Right Open So Thank God For The Criminals In The World"
#3 Florida Man Messes With The Wrong Person, Beaten Up By Former NFL Player Who Caught Him M******ating Outside Daughter's Window
As a proud Floridian and author of Florida Spectacular: Extraordinary Places and Exceptional Lives, writer and journalist Cathy Salustri is determined to show that the Sunshine State is more than the Florida Man stories and crowded theme parks by shining a light on little-known moments from its fascinating history.
Therefore, she strongly disapproves of Florida Man headlines and the popularity they have garnered through the years.
#4 Florida Man Loses 160 Pounds To Achieve Lifelong Dream Of Becoming A Soldier
#5 Florida Man And His Two Friends Rob A Drug Store Of $320,000 In Pills, Take Precautions Like Wearing Surgical Gloves So They Don’t Leave Prints, But Toss Empty Pill Bottles Out The Window Of Their Getaway Car, Which The Cops Follow Like Bread Crumbs To Their Front Door
#6 Florida Man Pardoned By Trump On Jan 6th Charges Gets Arrested On A Gun Charge A Day Later
"Florida Man" headlines are the least ethical form of journalism that exists short of Fox News. Frequently the people "featured" in these stories may be struggling with mental illness, and these "journalists" who make fun of them are punching them down," she explained.
"These memes and stories also minimize the astounding beauty and wonders of our state. There's so much to celebrate in Florida, and it's a waste to sell all that out for cheap jokes."
#7 Florida Man Caught Illegally Feeding Wild Alligator Resists Arrest: "He's A Good Boy…and He Loves Bagels"
#8 Florida Man Starts Gofundme To Build A Tunnel Under Trumps Boarder Wall
#9 Florida Woman, 73, Scares Off Naked Intruder Who Was 'Gyrating In A Lewd Manner' By Taking Out Her Dentures And Yelling 'Grandma No Teeth!'
As for why there are so many colorful characters that often end up in the news, Salustri has two explanations for it. "As Florida writer Craig Pittman is quick to point out, Florida has public records laws that make it relatively easy for anyone to access arrest reports and other documents," she said.
#10 Florida Man Kept Rambling On To Friends About Dead Palm Trees. Turns Out, He'd Spotted A New Disease K*****g Thousands Of The Florida's Signature Trees
#11 Florida Man Attacked And K**led By Pet Cassowaries. Becomes First Human K**led By The Species Since 1926
#12 After Years Of Pushing Sandy Hook Conspiracy Theories, Florida Man Who Worked With Alex Jones Is Arrested For Sharing Sandy Hook Parent's Ssn
"Additionally, Florida's promoted itself as a place where anyone can escape and reinvent themselves, but the reality is you are who you are. If you're a train wreck in Michigan, you're going to be a train wreck here, too. The palm trees and sand are magic, but their power is limited," Salustri noted.
#13 Florida Woman's Toddler Pulls Loaded Gun From Toy Box During Child Welfare Check By Police
#15 Florida Woman Tries To Scam $600 Lottery Winner By Telling Him He Won Only $5, But The "Winner" Was An Agent Working Undercover For The State Lottery Commission’s Security Division
When asked about some of the craziest Florida Man/Florida Woman stories she's heard, she flipped the question and told us about the positive ones.
"The Seminole Indian who escaped her captors along the Voyage of Tears and walked 400 miles home, barefoot, at night, with a few other women. They're a huge part of why the Seminole Tribe of Florida has been able to achieve as much as it has—something like 25% of the Tribe can trace its origins to her. Or the Florida Man, who's the face of the group working to create a wildlife corridor through the state."
#16 Florida Man Hired A Plane To Fly A Banner Over Mar-A-Lago Reading "Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha"
#17 Shirtless Florida Man Removes 9-Foot Alligator From Swimming Pool, Because Of Course He Did
#18 After Failing To Capture Alligator On Its Own, Chicago Hires Florida Man, Who Catches It In Less Than 24 Hours
As you can already probably gather from our conversation with Salustri, the Florida Man/Florida Woman headlines are far from accurately representing the state.
"The media who pushes this narrative are irresponsible journalists. People like to think Florida is someone irregular or more unusual. The reality is that we're like the rest of y'all, only with better weather, a more chill attitude, and a lot more saltwater," she said.
#19 Florida Man In Prison Allowed To Sit In Guard Station & Order Chinese Takeout After Giving Guards Advice On Their Taxes
#20 Florida Woman Running For Mayor Of Her City As 'Sea Turtle' So That She Can Put A Turtle In Office 'To Give Nature A Voice'
