Thinking of moving to Miami? Read this... (Surfside, Christmas: appointed, leases)

[jasper12]

I have lived here for 18 months, and have not had the problems the OP has...but maybe it is where you live in Miami as well...I take the train everywhere, and the metromover, Omni, or bus. So, I don't have problems parking. Enjoy the holidays!

[Edu983]

Originally Posted by Jmlacysr

Most normal law abiding citizens coming from another part of the country can't even imagine the level of lawlessness and unconscionable behavior in south Florida.

It goes beyond the occasional criminal into something more in the general make up of this place. You can't trust ANYONE here and as soon as you think you can, you're just another victim.

Apparently, the law is too busy with "other" things and they have an attitude that's it's everyman for himself. If you are a scammer in Miami you are allowed to scam people simply because it's so prevalent. It's not likely the cops can arrest everyone who takes people for a ride, so they arrest nobody. It's also likely nobody will actually do anything about it because even the cops are on the take here and too lazy to do anything anyway.

People who have never lived here might think it's just an isolated case here and there and surely it can't be "that" bad. That's what I thought too, but I'm here to tell you as a short time resident, if you move here it won't be long before you're stung by one or more of the charlatans or better still, don't come here at all would be my advice.

How bad is it really?

I've been here for two months. I've got counterfeit money out of the ATM machines. I bought a car and the transaction was questionable at best. I bought a scooter and was scammed there. I put in 20.00 worth of gas and got 1/8th of a tank. 20 bucks usually gives me 1/2.

Even the dry cleaners is running a scam, advertising .99 cent shirts, go and pick them up and you'll find it's only .99 if you have a bill over 50.00. Of course there wasn't anything stating that before hand and they make no apologies for the mis-information.

I've been overcharged at the convenience store a few times. The ones you have to watch are those that have the register hidden. Check your receipts for the added gratuity they tack on.

I was in my usual store today. I normally buy cigarettes for 3.75. Today it was 4.50 because another guy was there. Next to me was a guy and when I told him the prices seem to vary from person to person around here he said this,"It's not that bad, you just need to smoke some weed and get a couple of *******." My guess is that he had both to sell.

You don't know what's fake and what's real here. Everyone is everything, everyone has an angle and side business.

I asked someone last month if they knew of a plumber. He told me everyone is a plumber, just ask them. He said people get plumbers licenses off the internet and advertise even though they have no experience. If they can complete the job and get paid fine, otherwise they become just another contractor missing in action.

Let's take another one. Plan on going to the Heat game? At 7:00 parking is $40.00, $30.00 at 7:15 and $20.00 at 7:30 for the same lot and $10.00 at 8:00 pm. You don't know what things cost here, it depends.

I could go on and on but you get my drift. There are many here who are all about exracting your money one way or another and have no morals about taking advantage of the unsuspecting. You think you might be savvy but it's hard to know who to trust so you can't trust anyone. These guys have scamming down to a science here.

What a way to live huh? Yeah, I agree so think twice about the hidden jewels of Miami, it's isn't all wonderful weather and beaches when you have to survive here.

Go back home. Miami doesnt need you.

[Hialeah_Rules]

Originally Posted by Jmlacysr

Most normal law abiding citizens coming from another part of the country can't even imagine the level of lawlessness and unconscionable behavior in south Florida.

It goes beyond the occasional criminal into something more in the general make up of this place. You can't trust ANYONE here and as soon as you think you can, you're just another victim.

My friend, you should move back to Dallas before it is too late

[Glasvegas]

JM, you should really look elsewhere in South Florida (maybe Broward or Palm Beach County) if you still want the water, South FL weather, etc. You're obviously a little like me in the sense of not having the right mindset to live in a place like Miami, which is very different from any other city in the US and is more of a Caribbean city than anything else (complete with pros and cons, depending on how you fit here). The chaos is not for all, not for me. You also live in a part of Miami that I would never have recommended to anyone, so you're probably feeling 100 times worse than I do here.

Can you not ply your trade slightly further up I-95? You'll find life a lot easier and you'll still experience the things that drew you here in the first place.

My wife and I were visiting a friend in Wellington last weekend, which is a different world altogether, but only 65 miles up the road from Miami. Rent is also significantly cheaper up there and for the most part, people drive normally.

The thing with Miami is that you'll either love it or hate it. If you don't fit in, it's a crazy and a lonely place to be, unlike other similar sized cities that are a tad more socially and culturally diverse and where standards, morals and ethics tend to rank more highly.

Living anywhere is different to vacationing somewhere, but that is also magnified in Miami more than other places. As a tourist, you just see the beaches, palm trees, hot women and Latin flavor. You don't see the reality, which is that Miami is a very tough and stressful and often frustrating city to live in, in which you need to posses something far more complex than just thick skin. Other cities are generally more obvious and easier to figure out in a short space of time than Miami is. This is why so many move here and end up desperate to leave after a short space of time. It's a culture shock for sure.

[Coconut1]

I'm sorry, but I just really have a hard time believing a lot of what you're saying.

Originally Posted by Jmlacysr

I've been here for two months. I've got counterfeit money out of the ATM machines. I bought a car and the transaction was questionable at best. I bought a scooter and was scammed there. I put in 20.00 worth of gas and got 1/8th of a tank. 20 bucks usually gives me 1/2.

What ATM are you going to? One of those in a gas station or similar place? Why not go to the bank themselves??

You said before you had two cars in Dallas. Why sell them only to buy a new car once you got to Miami?? Cars can move you know. You could have drove them from Dallas to Miami.

Why would you buy the new car from somebody you didn't trust? What made it questionable?

Did the price of gas go up? It has around here. Was it the same station you always go to? Did you hit premium instead of regular by mistake?

Even the dry cleaners is running a scam, advertising .99 cent shirts, go and pick them up and you'll find it's only .99 if you have a bill over 50.00. Of course there wasn't anything stating that before hand and they make no apologies for the mis-information.

You didn't think to ask them the price before you dropped off?

I've been overcharged at the convenience store a few times. The ones you have to watch are those that have the register hidden. Check your receipts for the added gratuity they tack on.

I was in my usual store today. I normally buy cigarettes for 3.75. Today it was 4.50 because another guy was there. Next to me was a guy and when I told him the prices seem to vary from person to person around here he said this,"It's not that bad, you just need to smoke some weed and get a couple of *******." My guess is that he had both to sell.

Why keep going to the convenience store when you're getting ripped off? First, convenience stores are more expensive than supermarkets. You should really only frequent them when you need something quickly, or as the name implies, something you willing to pay more for for having the convenience of not having to go to the regular stores.

I asked someone last month if they knew of a plumber. He told me everyone is a plumber, just ask them. He said people get plumbers licenses off the internet and advertise even though they have no experience. If they can complete the job and get paid fine, otherwise they become just another contractor missing in action.

Why didn't you look in the yellow pages and go to the BBB for ratings on plumbers you were considering?


I don't know what line of work your in, but in normal business, nobody gets paid 100% up front. It just doesn't happen. A normal fee would be 50% up front and 50% on completion of the work, or some other percentages. I would never pay anyone 100% of the bill before they even showed up for work.

[Wild Style]

I think most of the people posting in response to all his posts are either Native Floridians. I have seen his story played out personally amongst friends. Had a family friend from Brooklyn move down here a few years back. Went on and on about how great it was. I would tell them look out for x, y and z and so arrogantly I would be told "nope, i visited here before I KNOW". I said, oh aight, g'head then. No like, with in 6 mths this person packed their ish and headed for the hills. I have seen this three times already. So his story is not as far fetched as some may wish it were. Not saying S. Florida is all that bad, to me MIAMI (East of 95 and south of the 70s) isn't bad. But as some have pointed out people come down here, move to corny areas and then get shocked when they see something totally different from what they expected. it happens (shrugs)

[xS☺B☺s]

Originally Posted by Jmlacysr

I loved Miami when I first got here. I had all the earmarks of a starry eyed tourist. The price to move here seemed worth it.

Being here on vacation is different when you have to deal day to day. The more I had to actually do any business here is when I started to notice. Then once I started to notice is when I noticed more.

Do they still have those dudes who stand at the gas station pumps and act like a station attendant waiting to fill up your pump? Those guys always annoyed me. Once in a while I would just act like I was fooled and let the guy charge me an extra dollar to fill up my tank ...

[Kinetic_A]

Originally Posted by jasper12

I have lived here for 18 months, and have not had the problems the OP has...but maybe it is where you live in Miami as well...I take the train everywhere, and the metromover, Omni, or bus. So, I don't have problems parking. Enjoy the holidays!

I wonder have I seen you.....since I'm like always one there. Except for now since I'm on holiday vacation for college. Still home hunting, found some decent priced places, in really bad areas.

[HowGoesIt]

[boxus]

Originally Posted by ♥♥PRINC3Ss♥♥

counterfit money from an ATM? Twice? Impossible, just like the rest of your stories.

I have known a few people that have gotten counterfeit money here in Miami, one even was a relative and received it from a bank, got detected at Walmart. I do not know of anyone anywhere else that have ever received counterfeit money other than here in Miami (not saying it does not happen anywhere else).