thong bikinis: your thoughts?

i've lived in south florida for the better part of my life, so i have been to the beach more times then i could ever even attempt to count.  therefore, i've seen just about everything there is to see at a beach...  young people having sex, old people having sex, dancing, thong bikini's on people that should never, ever be allowed to wear thongs under any circumstance, people jogging, people doing that crazy karate thing that moves really slowly, underage drinking, frisbee.. you name it, i've probably seen it.

i've been visiting this christmas break from knoxville and been, if not on, then close to the beach every day and there is one thing that has always made me curious.  

what is it about florida and the beach that make people (usually tourists) throw caution to the wind and arrive in practically their birthday suits?  i mean, i am aware that sometimes, it's a tidge warm out and perhaps you want to be sure to show off that newly purchased bikini as much as possible... but i live in florida and would never show up to the beach in a bikini and a vest, and that's it.  maybe that makes me lame, but i feel that there are certain things everyone driving along A1A don't need to see.  

so i suppose my question is, is it simply because i grew up in florida that a t-shirt and shorts are enough skin exposure for me to walk to and from my car and i should test out the thong bikini to expand my horizons, or am i the more normal one in this approach?