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Crap on the beach
- Thread starter Smiling JOe
- Start date
TNJed
Beach Fanatic
Ah, one of my favorite subjects. Crap on the beach. 
I set up and rent beach chairs in the Seagrove area and I can tell you, it will be a long battle to get folks to pack out what they pack in. Our busiest days are Sundays as everyone checks in on Saturday afternoons and hit the beach for a week starting Sunday. I do my best to politely educate some on proper beach etiquette (a.k.a. common sense), but alas each Sunday a whole new group of wide-eyed folks throng to the shores to leave a brand new mess.
It's gotten to the point that I just don't bother. It only upsets me and I can't, nor do I have the authority, to control anyone. It's the little stuff that gets to me. Beer bottle caps from illegal glass containers, cigarette butts, and plastic wrappers are the most common, but it dismays me that some leave whole tents which have predictably been torn apart from evening storms. Everyone expects the beaches to be nice for them yet many feel or rather don't feel, the duty to make sure it's nice for the next group. Where's the honor these days?
Unfortunately, it's a do unto them before it gets done unto me world these days.
I set up and rent beach chairs in the Seagrove area and I can tell you, it will be a long battle to get folks to pack out what they pack in. Our busiest days are Sundays as everyone checks in on Saturday afternoons and hit the beach for a week starting Sunday. I do my best to politely educate some on proper beach etiquette (a.k.a. common sense), but alas each Sunday a whole new group of wide-eyed folks throng to the shores to leave a brand new mess.
It's gotten to the point that I just don't bother. It only upsets me and I can't, nor do I have the authority, to control anyone. It's the little stuff that gets to me. Beer bottle caps from illegal glass containers, cigarette butts, and plastic wrappers are the most common, but it dismays me that some leave whole tents which have predictably been torn apart from evening storms. Everyone expects the beaches to be nice for them yet many feel or rather don't feel, the duty to make sure it's nice for the next group. Where's the honor these days?
Unfortunately, it's a do unto them before it gets done unto me world these days.
Kurt
Admin
Ah, one of my favorite subjects. Crap on the beach.
I set up and rent beach chairs in the Seagrove area and I can tell you, it will be a long battle to get folks to pack out what they pack in. Our busiest days are Sundays as everyone checks in on Saturday afternoons and hit the beach for a week starting Sunday. I do my best to politely educate some on proper beach etiquette (a.k.a. common sense), but alas each Sunday a whole new group of wide-eyed folks throng to the shores to leave a brand new mess.
It's gotten to the point that I just don't bother. It only upsets me and I can't, nor do I have the authority, to control anyone. It's the little stuff that gets to me. Beer bottle caps from illegal glass containers, cigarette butts, and plastic wrappers are the most common, but it dismays me that some leave whole tents which have predictably been torn apart from evening storms. Everyone expects the beaches to be nice for them yet many feel or rather don't feel, the duty to make sure it's nice for the next group. Where's the honor these days?
Unfortunately, it's a do unto them before it gets done unto me world these days.
You sound very level headed.
It's a shame too because if you ask kids to help clean up the beach they love to do it. It's like a scavenger hunt for them.
I still think that with a couple of years of strict enforcement that word will get around to most people. The TDC may be worried about offending some visitors but in the long run it would be best for us all.
SHELLY
SoWal Insider
Much like the old saying goes: "It's like trying to teach a pig to sing...it's a waste of your time and it annoys the pig."
dsilvar
Beach Fanatic
Yesterday I went to Wings around the corner from me and asked the manager guy if he knew how much of the cheap plastic stuff he sells gets discarded on the beach..and if he had any kind of company policy to help clean up the beaches. His answer? "My responsibility ends when the customer hands over his money. No,sorry, we dont have a company policy to help clean up the beaches.Ah, one of my favorite subjects. Crap on the beach.
Everyone expects the beaches to be nice for them yet many feel or rather don't feel, the duty to make sure it's nice for the next group. Where's the honor these days?
Unfortunately, it's a do unto them before it gets done unto me world these days.
Kurt
Admin
beachma
Beach Lover
We just returned 9/3 from a week at the beach. The first 4 or 5 days of our trip the only "beach crap" we encountered were the wooden beach chairs and umbrella's set up by the beach service people. They were left through the night all week from Dune Allen down to Old Florida Beach....
The ignorant slobs who litter the beaches will find that cheap plastic stuff at Wal-Mart or a ton of other stores even if Wings were to stop carrying those items. I can't say I blame the Wings manager for his response. Perhaps they could put up signs reminding customers about beach courtesy, but you can't put the responsibility on them to clean up after the slobs any more than you can ask the liquor stores to clean the empty bottles and beer cans off the beaches.
Rather B Paddlin
Beach Lover
We just returned 9/3 from a week at the beach. The first 4 or 5 days of our trip the only "beach crap" we encountered were the wooden beach chairs and umbrella's set up by the beach service people. They were left through the night all week from Dune Allen down to Old Florida Beach....
Beachma - Ditto, plus all summer. Thanks for the confirmation.
BPickelTDC
Beach Lover
You sound very level headed.
It's a shame too because if you ask kids to help clean up the beach they love to do it. It's like a scavenger hunt for them.
I still think that with a couple of years of strict enforcement that word will get around to most people. The TDC may be worried about offending some visitors but in the long run it would be best for us all.
Just a point of clarification that the TDC is not worried about offending visitors in regard to picking up after themselves. We work with all county personnel and our lodging associations to ask them to pass on a myriad of information to their guests including beach cleanliness. We also are eyes on the beach that point out the exact same enforcement issues that are often highlighted on this board. Additionally, we have installed close to 400 trash receptacles on the beach that are emptied daily except in the dead of winter (3-4 times a week), and allocate 1% of the overall TDC budget to Beach Maintenance that includes beach cleaning. Finally, we are the organizers for the International Coastal Clean-up day for South Walton along the beaches, and it's September 16th so come on out!
I am not saying we are perfect and that we get everything off the beach just that we are supporters both financially and philosophically with removing things from the beach.
Thanks Kurt for throwing us under the bus...
