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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DallasFanForever" data-source="post: 350173" data-attributes="member: 13221">I can definitely see how alligators can be a little scary for someone who isn’t used to them. Down here they are so common that we all just kind of get used to them. I have a canal behind my place and they will quite often come out of the water and sit on the bank. I don’t go walking at night by myself anymore for this reason.  I’ve always been under the impression if you just leave them alone then they will do the same. It’s the people that try to feed them that usually end up getting attacked. I’ve had 4 experiences with them that I can recall. One time I was delivering and I saw one just crossing the street and go behind someone’s house, probably headed for the canal. Luckily I was a few hundred feet away and wasn’t in jeopardy as he never saw me.  They can move up to 35MPH by the way. My second encounter was at a wildlife zoo and a baby one was walking around during one of the shows. The trainer had him under control so there was probably no danger. I remember him walking right up to the bleachers and my nephew, who was very small at the time and in the front row, putting his legs up and sitting Indian style cause he was afraid of getting bit. It was actually quite funny. The third encounter I will never forget. It was at a different zoo and we were standing on a bridge looking down into the water below and there they were. Two of them and huge! And just laying flat at the bottom of this pool. I was probably 10 feet above them and all I could think about was please don’t let this bridge collapse cause if it does I’m done!!! The last episode was the most eye opening. It was on my old route in a development called Stonebridge. They captured him on the golf course after residents complained about the fact that he was apparently roaming the course and scaring all the golfers. I was there when they caught him and it was probably the biggest reptile I’ve ever seen. That one hit home and that’s the first thing I think of every time I pass that golf course til this day. Whenever I have to go in that development, I’m looking over my shoulder as I work.</blockquote>

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