Daddy held for not having ID - appalling! I'm slightly surprised that this occurred in Miami, which apart from Key West is the only section of the state I've ever given a second thought to. The rest of Florida I've always dismissed as a frightening swamp of racist rednecks, Bible Belters, Disney theme parks and Republicans. And now the whole state is damned in my mind for the next 3 1/2 years for handing the presidency to George W. Bush. But Miami, with its heavy hispanic, black and gay populations, always seemed a different story - but I guess not. Sadly my mother just moved to Florida less than two months ago ... she sold the house I grew up in in Denver, Colorado and moved to a sleepy little town on the Gulf Coast called Tarpon Springs near Clearwater (ugh!), ignoring my impassioned pleas go east to the Miami/South Beach area (at least there I'd have something to do when visiting her besides lay around the house watching talk shows). I've put off visiting her there until the fall. I have another (dark-skinned black) friend who travels occasionally to Boca Raton on business. He is a highly-paid, successful and high-ranking executive in the international firm he works for, which has offices in Boca, and they arranged for him to have a condo there in an expensive development for when he is in town. Always he was harrassed by the groundskeepers and security there until they were all told explicitly by a higher up to be nice and furnished with my friend's name and likeness to avoid confusion. Now things are fine, but naturally it still gives him the creeps and he tries to avoid going there.