Back to All About SoWal

My first experience with public/private beach issue

organicmama avatar
Beach Fanatic
31,215 views
I took the kids out late this afternoon/early evening to the beach access at Dune Allen. Everyone had left, including the lifeguard. We were playing in the sand right in front of the access saw over to the left (when facing the Gulf) a man come out of his house and walk about halfway out to shore & pound a sign into the sand with a bucket. There was already a sign facing Dune Allen on his "property" (AKA the beach) that it was private property.

He went back up onto his deck and he watched us for about 10 minutes and then went inside. I don't know if he thought we were hooligans or something but his actions were strange, to say the least. We were at least 75 feet away from his "private property." And, I was picking up trash, ciggies & other crap off the beach. He obviously waited for everyone to go home before posting that, so that tomorrow, everyone could see where they shouldn't be, according to him.

This saddened me a lot. I didn't walk over there, because it would have been a blatant action on my part. With 2 young kids and a toddler dragging along behind me, not wanting to do anything but play in the sand... he would have known I was up to something.;-)

That sign would blow away in any hard wind and just be more trash on the beach and in the water. :bang: Signs on the beach, besides official ones, should be :banned:. They are atrocious.

Secondly, I (sort of) understand the whole idea of wanting your private space/sanctuary, but if that is what one wants, why build/buy a home right on a beach, ESPECIALLY right next to beach access???:idontno: To start posting ugly as h*** signs all over the beach, telling locals & tourists alike that they are not allowed on that location is rude. I can think of some other choice words, but I won't use them.

When are we going to get back to the idea of community? What is it going to take for us to wake up and stop biotching & moaning at each other? When are we going to realize that we are no better than someone else & that our needs are no more or less important that anyone else's?

Dave & others have mentioned it in the Blue Sign thread more than once, that we have successfully pulled together as a community to do something about the signs because they are eyesores. We need to pull together to make this community one we can all be proud of, without the nastiness of property rights regarding beaches & ugly signs (including for sale signs all over) everywhere.

This can be done and we can all be proud of SoWal as a whole.

Replies

145
CPort avatar
Beach Fanatic
#2
this sucks (sorry about my language):angry:
organicmama avatar
Beach FanaticAuthor
#3
this sucks (sorry about my language):angry:

Yep. My thoughts/comments were worse. I just didn't say them.
30A Skunkape avatar
Skunky
#4
You ought to limp around in fake agony around that sign (splattering some fake blood on you and the kids would help) screaming about how you walked into it and gashed your leg wide open...scream loudly about contacting an attorney...lots of drama will bring it down:biggrin:
organicmama avatar
Beach FanaticAuthor
#5
You ought to limp around in fake agony around that sign (splattering some fake blood on you and the kids would help) screaming about how you walked into it and gashed your leg wide open...scream loudly about contacting an attorney...lots of drama will bring it down:biggrin:


:floor::floor::floor::floor::floor::floor::floor:



He might have left us for dead.:shock:
Mango avatar
SoWal Insider
#6
It was my understanding that gulf front properties owners in Dune Allen did NOT own up the MHWL. :idontno:
Smiling JOe avatar
SoWal Expert
#7
I don't fault you on being afraid to look at the truth.I don't fault you on being afraid to look at the truth.

Maybe we need to make up some tee-shirts using my signature line, and go sit on the beach in front of his house.
organicmama avatar
Beach FanaticAuthor
#8
Maybe we need to make up some tee-shirts using my signature line, and go sit on the beach in front of his house.

:biggrin:
organicmama avatar
Beach FanaticAuthor
#9
It was my understanding that gulf front properties owners in Dune Allen did NOT own up the MHWL. :idontno:

:idontno:

I'm gonna go check in the am before soccer games to see what the signs say specifically, up close & personal. I can jump and run easier without the kids trying to play.
kathydwells avatar
Darlene is my middle name, not my nickname
#10
This is so sad to me. :cry:
InletBchDweller avatar
SoWal Insider
#11
OM, how sad!!:cry:
organicmama avatar
Beach FanaticAuthor
#12
This is so sad to me. :cry:

OM, how sad!!:cry:

It is sad.

From now on, I'm taking binoculars with me to the beach, so I can pretend to be bird watching but be able to check crap like this out from afar.:biggrin: I'm not the "in your face" type, especially with little ducklings behind me. I'm very wary & protective regarding my own actions because I don't want a possible backlash to affect them.
Beach Fanatic
#13
Maybe it's there now. Go see with someone ;-) :biggrin:Watch out for the holes though gull. That should be outlawed on the beach~private property signs all over. It's way too pretty for that.
organicmama avatar
Beach FanaticAuthor
#14
Maybe it's there now. Go see with someone ;-) :biggrin:Watch out for the holes though gull. That should be outlawed on the beach~private property signs all over. It's way too pretty for that.

Can't leave 3 kids at home asleep by themselves.... I'd be arrested!:blink:
Smiling JOe avatar
SoWal Expert
#15
We could pretend we were blind and walk into the signs, and get an attorney.
Alicia Leonard avatar
SoWal Insider
#16
We could pretend we were blind and walk into the signs, and get an attorney.

I don't see good at night. I'll be your lawsuit dummy:biggrin:
NOLA TRANSPLANT avatar
Beach Lover
#17
O.K. So I wasn't raised near the beach, NOWHERE near the beach and as a matter of fact am still adjusting to beach life so could someone clear this up for me??

I have been told so many different things but the most commonly one I hear is the beach is public and no one can be bared from any stretch of beach unless it's been closed by the officials due to something like sea turtles or rebuilding the dunes or something along the lines of these things, not because someone owns a stretch of beach in front to there home.
Please in as few words as possible can someone explain this to me??
Thanks Ya"ll
wrobert avatar
Beach Fanatic
#18
O.K. So I wasn't raised near the beach, NOWHERE near the beach and as a matter of fact am still adjusting to beach life so could someone clear this up for me??

I have been told so many different things but the most commonly one I hear is the beach is public and no one can be bared from any stretch of beach unless it's been closed by the officials due to something like sea turtles or rebuilding the dunes or something along the lines of these things, not because someone owns a stretch of beach in front to there home.
Please in as few words as possible can someone explain this to me??
Thanks Ya"ll

It can not be done in a few words. I thought the TDC was working on a map last year to show where the deeds were to the high water mark and where they were to the water so this would not be such a problem this year.
rapunzel avatar
Beach Fanatic
#19
What I find most sad is that this person didn't appreciate that OM and her three children playing made the beach a more beautiful place. Those three children are three of the most beautiful children I've ever seen. IMHO, scenes like that only enhance the beauty of the beach.

I totally get why people would tire of crowds of Spring Breakers dropping drink box straw wrappers everywhere, but I think we as a community should be able to find a better option for keeping the beaches visited, but not overwhelmed.

Again, I think the TDC has a role....their emphasis on growth is short sighted. A 26% increase in bed tax may be great for the TDC board members, but a pace like that is not sustainable if we hope to have pleasant beaches and reasonable quality of life.

Sustainable growth, beach access to minimize density, preserve the natural beauty of the area -- these should be goals we all agree on.
Smiling JOe avatar
SoWal Expert
#20
"The beaches of Florida are of such a character...as to require separate consideration from other lands with respect to the elements and consequences of title." -- FL Supreme Court
Hop avatar
Beach Fanatic
#21
Organic Mama...i'm pretty sure Dune Allen Beach belongs to me...you're welcome to use it however you wish...;-)
Beach Fanatic
#22
Just for the record some visitors and 2nd homeowners help clean too. :cool:
It's not all visitors littering the beach and sowal. :wub:
organicmama avatar
Beach FanaticAuthor
#23
Punzy, thank you so much! That was sweet. :wub: The way I see it, all kids are beauties, not just mine.

You're right, the whole point is better options that take into consideration everyone & sustainability.


What I find most sad is that this person didn't appreciate that OM and her three children playing made the beach a more beautiful place. Those three children are three of the most beautiful children I've ever seen. IMHO, scenes like that only enhance the beauty of the beach.

I totally get why people would tire of crowds of Spring Breakers dropping drink box straw wrappers everywhere, but I think we as a community should be able to find a better option for keeping the beaches visited, but not overwhelmed.

Again, I think the TDC has a role....their emphasis on growth is short sighted. A 26% increase in bed tax may be great for the TDC board members, but a pace like that is not sustainable if we hope to have pleasant beaches and reasonable quality of life.

Sustainable growth, beach access to minimize density, preserve the natural beauty of the area -- these should be goals we all agree on.
Beach Fanatic
#24
OM, sorry for your disturbing experience....


Wouldn't it be nice if everyone who is fortunate to have a gulf front home in this wonderful place realized that sharing the beach with friends and neighbors and tourists and especially children just adds to the joy .....

wouldn't it be nice if everyone picked up after themselves and taught their children to do the same...

wouldnt it be nice if all parents watched their little ones to be sure they are safe in the water...

wouldn't be nice if our leadership read Rapunzel's post and actually started to work on these kinds of goals...

wouldn't it be nice if we all decided we really wanted to work toward improving our community every day...and, then, actually did something toward that end...

wouldn't it be nice if that person in Dune Allen thought about how offensive his sign is to the children, and actually took it down...
Smiling JOe avatar
SoWal Expert
#25
Maybe we need a bunch of minors to do beach sit ins. Surely the Sheriff want arrest a bunch of 8 year olds for sitting on the beach, with charges of trespassing. Can you imagine the headlines around the world?
sunspotbaby avatar
SoWal Insider
#26
OM- that really ticks me off. A few years ago when they were doing the sit-ins in Destin I wrote a column on my thoughts about several beach issues. (I got some nasty responses from homeowners:biggrin:) I went down to Dune Allen and walked, and those atrocious walkovers that people had built after Ivan that stretched an ungodly distance to the water were such eyesores to the view. I don't even know if they're still there, but I couldn't believe they were allowed to build them!:eek:

Sorry you had to go through that...I think the kiddies doing a sit in is a great idea...if we could only get them to sit!!
Here's the column if you want to read it.

Checking your forum account

Please wait while we verify your forum account.

New posts