Study Shows Tampa Bay Has Most Of The Top 10 Florida Man Stories

TAMPA BAY, FL -- It's no secret that Florida has a notorious reputation for the weird and bizarre.

Authors Charlie Carlson, Mark Moran and Mark Sceurman made that clear when they published the best-selling book, "Weird Florida," highlighting such landmarks as Gibsonton, the winter home of carnies and circus freaks; Cassadaga, the world capital of psychics; the infamous Skunk Ape of the Everglades; the mysterious Ovieda lights; and the gravity-defying Spook Hill.

Then came "Florida Man," which first appeared on Twitter six years ago. It is a seemingly endless series of headlines culled from various news sources around the state that begin with the words "Florida Man," followed by some offbeat criminal act or kooky behavior.

Now Injury Claim Coach, a website that provides information on the personal injury claims process, has done a study of Florida Man stories.

"The Florida Man Archetype is inescapable," said Samantha Ouimette, media relations associate. "For residents of the Sunshine State, home is where Florida Man is…and what shocks the rest of the country is just another headline for us."

Injury Claim Coach analyzed 225 Florida Man articles. Florida Man stories got points if a mugshot appeared in the article, if the Florida Man was fully nude at any point, if it involved a strip club or the Everglades, if the story included an alligator or reptile, and if the story involved an ice cream truck or air boat.

See related article: Florida's Weirdest, Wackiest Stories Of 2018

Top headlines included:

Florida Reptile Store Owner Put Lizard In Mouth, Smacked Employees With Critter In Attack (Florida Score 47)

12-Foot Gator Tied To Tree Behind Apartment Complex (Score 43)

Florida Man Bites Off Girlfriend's Thumb On The Way To Taco Bell (Score 42)

Naked Man Swings Wooden Stick At Officers After Burning Himself While Dancing Around Fire (Score 41)

Flame Throwers, Weapons Recovered From Charred Remains Of Florida Death Metal Guitarist's Home (Score 35)

Horny Teen Caught Making Love To Stuffed Horse In Walmart Bedding Dept (Score 33)

New Port Richey Man Gets Out of Jail, Tries To Steal Deputy's Car In The Parking Lot (Score 33)

Officials Investigating Men In Video Driving With Possible Wounded Owl (Score 22)

Largo Couple Steals Motorized Shopping Cart From Walmart, Drive To Bar (Score 16)

Keys Deputies Arrest Man Dressed As Pirate Firing Musket At Cars (Score 14)

Here are some of the findings of the study:

• With an average “Florida Score” of 46, South Florida is home to the best of Florida Man. Highlights include tossing an alligator into a Wendy’s in Palm Beach and assault with a reptile in Broward County.
• The Tampa Bay area claims the most spots on the Top 10 Florida Man articles list. It is home to incidents such as public molestation of a stuffed animal in Hernando County and stolen police cars in Pasco County.
• North and Central Florida see less of Florida Man, but make their marks with incidents like driving an SUV off the showroom floor in Marion County and biting off a thumb en route to a Taco Bell in Brevard County.

Click here to read the complete study.

(For more local news from Florida, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)