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