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Beach beer ban, San Diego 2008:
What the hell took so long? I’m
assuming the riot last summer hastened this initiative. Something about
a handful of dumb, drunk folks throwing objects at police officers,
police officers that are armed with guns. Now I don’t hold a PhD in
rocket science or even basket weaving, but what type of <insert colorful metaphor>*
starts a riot when the other group is carrying guns. Oh I forgot to
mention that the gun carrying group can also call in backup, you know
them as SWAT. Half-naked drunks = losers, gun toting police = winners.
And I am not one to be supportive of the police in any way.
I
know many of you are up in arms because you feel it’s your right to go
to the beach, sip a brew or 10, and have a good time. Incorrect, wrong
answer, do not pass go. It was a privilege. Because there were
people that were unable to control their actions while intoxicated we
are now presented with the ban.
Now
I live near the beach. Actually I live less than 100 paces from the
sand. I’ve lived there for about 5 years and have witnessed quite a few
incidents. The beach riot happened about ¼ mile north of my domicile. I
happened to be traveling the opposite direction of the police convoy
who were heading to quell the storm. My first news of the event was an
Internet video from a young lady watching the violence happen below her
hotel balcony. It was embarrassing to say the least.
I
was born on the right coast and visited the beaches in southern New
Jersey (known as the Jersey shore) during summer vacations. You know
what I don’t recall seeing on the beaches, ever, alcohol. I do not
recall anyone complaining about it or saying that it was their right to
drink on the beach. It just was not there. I cannot say how many other
beaches across the United States are dry, but no alcohol means fewer
incidents of drunken behavior requiring fewer police officers and a
safer environment.
Then we have the freePB
folks that attempted to fight the ban. Nice job and making sure to
verify all those signatures. You were going to save coastal businesses
and our right to drink on the beach; this is a total load of
garbage. If anything the ban will increase traffic to restaurants and
bars. If you can’t drink on the beach and act like a fool I guess
you’ll have to go load up at a bar and maintain your human dignity. You
know, as opposed to falling down drunk in the sand so that your friends
can throw horseshoes at your sunburned rear-end.
San
Diego is a tourist trap. The beach is for everybody. This is sort of
like the smoking ban. The beach is not there just there for you.
Because you choose to act like a drunken monkey does not mean somebody
else has to be witness to it. And I never understood how getting drunk
was directly coordinated with having fun. The only thing I can relate
it to is angry, loud, obnoxious behavior. There’s nothing quite like
the smell of urine near your home because somebody decided your washing
machine looked like a urinal.
I’ll
admit that I feel for those who just go to the beach, have a couple
beers, and enjoyed the surf and sand. You got short changed in this
deal, but to combat the bigger/uglier problem please don’t be too hard
on the council members. They have to keep the tattered image of this
city in some type of positive light.
Please read this article by San Diego UT columnist Gerry Braun for a professionally written take on the ban. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/braun/20080127-9999-1m27braun.html
*I was told by my editor that my use of colorful metaphors was not recommended.
