People poo-pooing on the Beach

Good for you for cleaning up what you could! :clap_1: Half again as much was probably buried and you couldn't see it to get it. A lot of that crap gets blown back in and ends up in a trash layer on the bottom about 40'-60' down offshore. A hurricane will cover it up and then another will uncover it years later. We did a dive off the naval air station after Charlie went through to check conditions and we found a really old coke bottle and tons of stuff that didn't decompose that were exposed by the wave action. It looked a lot like a underwater landfill got dredged up. I hope the trench wasn't used for a landfill back in the day. I could see it happening with it being that close to land, but I pray not. There's no way to stop beach littering that hasn't been tried before except flaying the offenders with man-o-war tentacles.

I think/hope that people who find their way to this board are with the program.

I believe most people are conscientious about cleaning up their area, but with kids your area becomes the whole beach. The easy availability of cheap grab bags of brightly colored plastic beach toys is a problem. Some people seem to think the toys are disposable, and that if left scattered about, some other kids will get to play with them - like they're doing a good deed by "sharing". Or maybe there gets to be so many scattered about, that knowing whose is whose is confusing so they don't worry about it.

Then you have some stuff like the "camp" I saw decorated with balloons. The ballons were blowing away, or later they were popped and scattered on the beach.

The number of cig butts is alarming. I would like to see the people who leave all the butts I pick up have to swallow them. Ketchup would be allowed.

Last time I was down, I sat down next to a pile of buffalo wing bones. How nice!

A reminder that leaving tents, chairs, toys, or any other items on the beach overnight is unsafe, illegal, and rude. Even if you think you have secured your stuff, overnight storms will scatter it, people will trip over it, and can cause injury or death to humans and sea creatures.

Fill in holes dug in the sand!!!

I think SOME people put up tents because they see Grayton as a nice, small, safe community.And, they see others who have been coming here for years putting tents up year after year. It is rude to knowingly let your tent blow away in a storm, leaving poles and covering all over the beach. It is rude to smoke and throw the butts in the sand where you know others are walking and playing.It is rude to drive your big truck on the beach and not watch for small children playing. It is rude to let your dog poop on the beach and not clean it up-- I don't necessarily think it is RUDE to come down as a Grayton newbie and put up a tent-some people just think that this is the way that it is done in a small community. Uneducated does not necessarily mean rude--but , the question of the day--Does rude mean uneducated??? Do law enforcement officials help "educate"??

I think/hope that people who find their way to this board are with the program.

Unfortunately, you're right, so this is all preaching to the choir. Maybe you need to start another board specifically for the cigarette-butt-heads. Not sure the best way to go about attracting that audience, though.

For those of you that like to set good examples, picking up the occasional piece of trash, tsk-tsking loudly while shaking your head, and dropping it in a handy beach-side trash bag will at least make you feel slightly superior, if not better.

Aside from other folk's miscellaneous trash, for which I gladly use the beach-side trash bags, I promote a pack-it-in, pack-it-out philosophy. Most people must do the same or those bags would fill to overflowing on an hourly basis, so thanks to everyone that does take their trash off the beach with them.

And by the way, the public dune walk-overs are not the temporary storage sheds many people seem to think they are.

While we are on the subject of trash, and since most of us are "on board"-could we add-
PLEASE help clean up after July 4th!!!

I have always subscribed to the old Florida tourism slogan - "leave only footprints." Put your cans back in the cooler. Put your butts in a can and throw it all away in the trash cans located by each and every public beach access in Walton county. It's really not that hard.

As far as leaving stuff overnight, if it's just a tent or rented beach service items, then that should not be a problem. Really, it's just common sense.

I thought I was reading about PC Beach for a minute, then it hit me... You are talking about Sowal. If the type of trash you're mentioning is filtering in then there is definitely one thing we can all do. Is everyone ready? ONE....TWO....THREE....

Add $500k to all available property

I thought it was getting high enough....but obviously not

I like your attitude, JB. In general, the "tent people" are not out to get us-we all enjoy Grayton because it is a CLEAN, small, friendly place. Personally, I enjoy walking along the beach and seeing families gathered, vs. rows of blue beach chairs and umbrellas lining the ocean front.
We should do our part to help keep it clean.

I like your attitude, JB. In general, the "tent people" are not out to get us-we all enjoy Grayton because it is a CLEAN, small, friendly place. Personally, I enjoy walking along the beach and seeing families gathered, vs. rows of blue beach chairs and umbrellas lining the ocean front.
We should do our part to help keep it clean.

I think it just boils down to what is, and what is not, practical to break down at the end of every day. The problem comes when people leave not only a tent, but chairs, pails, coolers, floats, etc., all littered around the site. I DO find that objectionable.

Tough crowd :shock: speaking for some vacationers, we do clean up after ourselves and our kids. I think its just terrible that people would trash up such a beautiful place. We treasure your beach and its surroundings and treat it so. I pick up other peoples trash here in Missouri in our nearby state park and will do the same on your heavinly beaches. we love it there and respect that it is home to many.

Last time I was down, I sat down next to a pile of buffalo wing bones. How nice!

That reminds me of the box of squid I found upon leaving only 2 ft from where I had been sitting. It was lost in the Sargassum.

(Kurt, I too, hope that the users of this Board do the right thing. I am trying to straighten out the few bad apples, who may occaisonally peek in.)

I thought I was reading about PC Beach for a minute, then it hit me... You are talking about Sowal. If the type of trash you're mentioning is filtering in then there is definitely one thing we can all do. Is everyone ready? ONE....TWO....THREE....

Add $500k to all available property

I thought it was getting high enough....but obviously not

I don't understand.
Surely, you are not suggesting that wealthy people are more conscientious than poor. If you are, shame on you. I have been blessed with the meeting of a diverse large number people on this earth, and I have quickly learned that one's income level or wealth does not make a person who he or she is. I could begin to rattle off many stories to prove my point, but I will refrain.

JB & Sue...I guess you leave your tents up overnight? If it's convenient to haul off do it. If not it's OK? For those of us who enjoy an early beach walk the open sand sure looks better than tents. Go to a campsite if you want to leave your tents up overnight. Grayton Beach State Park has some nice ones.

Smiling JOe
I agree that a person's wealth does not make them who they are but it seems that on average those who have higher incomes/wealth have greater appreciation/respect/consideration for the finer things (like Sowal beaches).

I know this is not always the case but I think it is mostly the case.

Is there a garbage problem in the Hamptons?

JB & Sue...I guess you leave your tents up overnight? If it's convenient to haul off do it. If not it's OK? For those of us who enjoy an early beach walk the open sand sure looks better than tents. Go to a campsite if you want to leave your tents up overnight. Grayton Beach State Park has some nice ones.

I never said that, so don't draw assumptions about me. Perhaps if you read more closely, you would see that my preference is for people to "leave only footprints." I was talking about people who may be in a gulf-front home for an entire week, utilizing the same spot on the beach every day.

Perhaps you should also direct your anger at the beach service companies, who leave chairs/umbrellas in the same spot for weeks on end. Honestly, what is the difference between that and a tent?

If someone (not you of course) is staying at a gulf-front home there is less reason to leave a tent out overnight.......unless they're lazy. Maybe we could all leave our garbage and other stuff in one spot(the one we use all week) and we could just clean it at one convenient time just before we leave.

Is there a garbage problem in the Hamptons?

Probably not because they most likely pay someone to clean up for them.

Yes, there are some of us that are not wealthy but are still very conscientious regarding the beach. I do believe some tourists are just ignorant in regards to not filling in holes and leaving things on the beach overnight. Hopefully some will read this thread and SoWal beaches will benefit from it.

Smiling JOe
I agree that a person's wealth does not make them who they are but it seems that on average those who have higher incomes/wealth have greater appreciation/respect/consideration for the finer things (like Sowal beaches).

I know this is not always the case but I think it is mostly the case.

Is there a garbage problem in the Hamptons?

I disagree. The "wealthy" people of whom you speak may have a greater appreciation for the finer things as you say, but that does not stop them from poo-pooing on the Beach. They are just able to poo-poo with finer crap. Let me further clarify by stating that I do not mean that wealthy people care less than poor people. I am simply saying that you cannot judge a person's concern or character by their wealth. There is trash in all economic levels of society.

As for the Hampton's, I have never been to the Hamptons so I cannot say. I know that in SoWal, we do not pay people to clean our beaches, so it is left up to those of us who care. Personally, I am growing tired of litter patrol. I will continue to do my part in keeping the place in which I live clean, but more and more, it is becoming a job.

Sorry, Georgian, but I'm not buying your comparisons. You seem to liken a beach service setup to a pile of beer cans and cig butts. Leaving a tent or umbrella overnight, and cleaning up everything else on a daily basis is not a problem. What do you think the term "beach service allowed" means in these rental brochures? It means they come the day you arrive, set up your chairs/ umbrella/tent/whatever, and it sits there for the duration of your stay.

Of course you should clean the whole area of trash/clutter every evening. If the setup is north of the high-tide line, it is technically on private property anyway. Some of these tents are a pain in the ass to set up/take down. It's just not practical to do it every single evening/morning. People put them up so their children don't get irradiated by our increasing lack of ozone protection.

If you want a totally untrammeled beach, I'm afraid you are looking in the wrong place. And it's only going to get worse in the coming years. I fully expect Grayton Beach to have an NFL franchise by 2025 :laughing1

I will agree, however, that anything left on a state park beach should be discarded by the county beach patrol.

SJ,
You're right, just because a person is wealthy does not prevent them from littering. And when they do litter who's to judge whether one piece of litter is more fine than another?

I agree "you cannot judge a person's concern or character by their wealth." and "There is trash in all economic levels of society." It is my opinion that there is less of it at the higher levels. Been to Mexico?

Are the people who stay on PC Beach from a lower economic level than those of us who stay on 30A?

Stop!!! Don't answer that.

I challenge you to first compare poo-poo accumulations specific to these areas.

And JB,
You seem to know an awful lot about these tents? Was that an assumption I made earlier or did I win the lottery?

Hey Folks, As my wife, a teacher of 24 years says, if you consider the average IQ is 100, why be stressed over the obvious. The lower half of the intelligence scale usually ruins things for everyone whether it be talking at the theatre, driving slowly in the passing lane, leaving items on the beach. Income probably has less to do with it although one could argue a correlation with smarts and personal wealth. I think more visitors equals greater trash issues. I try to pick up what flotsam I can when I visit.

I come to the beach to relax, not to fight with people. Same goes for these boards-I come here to talk about our wonderful upcoming trip, plan our outings based on your wonderful recommendations, and sit on lovely beaches with my family around me. No, Georgian, you do not win the lottery-My point was that we should not take other's actions as a personal offense to us. I really doubt if most folks with tents at the beach set them up on Saturday to ruin your view, or to act as rude visitors to this public space. Most visitors here clean up after themselves, and several on these boards clean up after others-I have been coming to this area for many years-thanks for the suggestion, but my family enjoys this wonderful, friendly area.

SJ,
You're right, just because a person is wealthy does not prevent them from littering. And when they do litter who's to judge whether one piece of litter is more fine than another?

I agree "you cannot judge a person's concern or character by their wealth." and "There is trash in all economic levels of society." It is my opinion that there is less of it at the higher levels. Been to Mexico?

Are the people who stay on PC Beach from a lower economic level than those of us who stay on 30A?

Stop!!! Don't answer that.

I challenge you to first compare poo-poo accumulations specific to these areas.

And JB,
You seem to know an awful lot about these tents? Was that an assumption I made earlier or did I win the lottery?

I don't own one, thank you. But I spend enough time down there to see all the different ones. This thread has gotten pretty pointless. I'm out.