Gator

[willy]

No, not dangerous. :o I understand your comfort with them due to your growing up with them. I also do not have any real fear of them just respect.
And I respect the fact that a decent sized one can take a full grown man down and kill him with little problem. So that means I respect them enough to remove any that are seen around where my children or wife etc. are as soon as possible if possible period.
Bears and cougars are two other critters I respect very much and handle the same way, they have the option, go somewhere else, if I'm going into some back swamp area or some remote mountain area or in the forest then I prepare for whatever may come but if they are in my immediate neighborhood they better not be visible or threatening.