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Wonderful family vacation...discouraged by beach issues

beachma avatar
beachmaBeach Lover
32,452 views
We just returned from our annual family vacation in sowal. In the 28 years that we have vacationed in the area we have grown from a family of 5 to a family of 17! Our time together with our family which inclueds 8 grand children is priceless. I am saddened to say that because of the ridiculous issues that are going on with cusomary use and beach chair vendors I am researching other areas. In order to get a space on the beach so that we could keep close tabs on our grandchildren, we had to get up at 5:30 AM to be on the beach before the beach chair company, 30A-Shade. We have small, traditional umbrellas and chairs that we transport with us year after year. Our hearts are saddened by the conditions created by the customary use issue. I am working on completing the affidavid and sending pics of our vacations dating back to 1991. I am hoping that someone takes notice and changes are made...we love sowal and don’t want to have to search for a new vacation place.
The picture of the beach chairs at the water’s edge show how we sandwiched ourselves between the vendors...we are the small umbrellas! We stayed in a 6 bedroom home in Summer’s Edge near Eastern Lake. Our beach access was at Ramsgate.

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Replies

119
Everytime avatar
EverytimeBeach Fanatic
#52
Perhaps the politicians need to be voted out of office. Isn’t this a conflict of interests?

Fortunately one of the culprits of that relationship just got voted out!
Wuchie avatar
WuchieBeach Lover
#53
You can be respectful visitors and be respected as tourists. I completely understand your needs for renting chairs that a vendor sets up for you. I am not calling for beach chair vendors to be shut down, just asking that they not take up so much of the beachfront with unoccupied “ghost” rentals.

But many of us can also be respectful visitors and respected as tourists even if we bring our own chairs. How is it not respectful for people to bring their own chairs?
I did not mean to imply that you were being disrespectful ... my apologies. It just seems from many of the posts that those of us who rent chairs are part of the problem. I agree rules and regulations for the vendors need to be put in place and enforced. There must be some way to compromise.
Everytime avatar
EverytimeBeach Fanatic
#54
I did not mean to imply that you were being disrespectful ... my apologies. It just seems from many of the posts that those of us who rent chairs are part of the problem. I agree rules and regulations for the vendors need to be put in place and enforced. There must be some way to compromise.

No, and I didn’t meant to imply that y’all are part of the problem, because if you’re renting them and sitting in them, then you're putting the chairs and the space they’re on to good use. It’s more of the ghost chair setups that some of the vendors place to claim unneeded space with some type of wall or fortification or those who try to push rightful users (with their own chairs but wh were there first) out of the way.
bob bob avatar
bob bobBeach Fanatic
#55
What is the problem with bringing a towel to the beach? Seems a bit much to need all the stuff. There are vendors who sets up living rooms for people - sofas, big screen TVs, blenders .... ridiculous.
Everytime avatar
EverytimeBeach Fanatic
#56
What is the problem with bringing a towel to the beach? Seems a bit much to need all the stuff. There are vendors who sets up living rooms for people - sofas, big screen TVs, blenders .... ridiculous.

Nothing at all, but if someone wants to take a chair and sit in it, and an umbrella, that’s fine too, as long as they take it all when they leave and leave the area as it was before they arrived.
beachma avatar
beachmaBeach LoverAuthor
#57
The very simplest soulution that does not exclude anyone who needs a chair set up is not to set up the chairs and umbrella’s until those patron’s come down to the beach and rent them on the spot. If there are rentals that span the week, set up the chairs only after they bring down a card or voucher each day. This simple system puts everyone on an even playing field, if you get down to the beach at
7 AM, you get a front row seat...if later in the day, you pick a spot that is available. My husband and I arrived at a very popular restaurant that would not seat us until everyone in our party arrived...it’s an accepted practice and they are definitely not losing business because of it!
steel1man avatar
steel1manBeach Fanatic
#58
The very simplest soulution that does not exclude anyone who needs a chair set up is not to set up the chairs and umbrella’s until those patron’s come down to the beach and rent them on the spot. If there are rentals that span the week, set up the chairs only after they bring down a card or voucher each day. This simple system puts everyone on an even playing field, if you get down to the beach at
7 AM, you get a front row seat...if later in the day, you pick a spot that is available. My husband and I arrived at a very popular restaurant that would not seat us until everyone in our party arrived...it’s an accepted practice and they are definitely not losing business because of it!
I agree, but this would cause the Mafia to hire more people...someone would have to be there ALL day to setup your chairs when you arrive and remove when you leave...most of these kids ( who also fight amongst themselves over sand) just setup and then leave the area and troll all their setups ALL day seeing if someone has decided to sit in an empty chair and then they ask you to PAY up.....
I actually was talking to a code enforcement officer two years ago who said some kid wanted to start a vendor business but didn’t have any money for required insurance. The kids said if the officer would allow him to work the beach for two weeks he could make enough money to pay for the insurance that is required. The officer told me that he allowed The kid to operate for a couple weeks without insurance until he could become qualified. Also I’ve had and Enforcement officers tell me that if He writes a Vendor a violation and issues a ticket the vendor will probably fight it and the officer would be forced to spend a whole day in a court room which he didn’t want to do so he was in issuing FINES.....
PoppaJ avatar
PoppaJSoWal Insider
#59
Maybe fifty locals should band together every morning and set up their personal chairs and umbrellas in a straight line then leave before the vendors arrive.
beachma avatar
beachmaBeach LoverAuthor
#60
What we saw throughout the week at the Ramsgate access was the vendors worked an hour or so starting at 5:45 AM doing their set up...between 2 and 4 guys. They set up a white folding table and made a shelter at the edge of the dunes with umbrellas at the access when they were finished and sat there the rest of the day...ALL day. At 5:00 PM or so, they would take down the set ups, store their chairs, umbrellas and table at the dune edge and call it a day.
30A Skunkape avatar
30A SkunkapeSkunky
#61
The tourists are bringing more crap down in general. Those racks that hitch to the back of SUVs to create more carrying space are now seemingly the norm.
Wuchie avatar
WuchieBeach Lover
#62
The tourists are bringing more crap down in general. Those racks that hitch to the back of SUVs to create more carrying space are now seemingly the norm.
That’s why, as tourists, my husband and I rent from the beach vendors. We are starting to feel like, as tourists, that we aren’t welcome ... no matter what we do.
beachma avatar
beachmaBeach LoverAuthor
#63
The tourists are bringing more crap down in general. Those racks that hitch to the back of SUVs to create more carrying space are now seemingly the norm.

This attitude along with the beach vendor issue is why I have made reservations for our next year vacation in another county in the panhandle. We spend thousands of dollars to support your community as tourists...
Wuchie avatar
WuchieBeach Lover
#64
This attitude along with the beach vendor issue is why I have made reservations for our next year vacation in another county in the panhandle. We spend thousands of dollars to support your community as tourists...
I hope wherever you are going turns out to be wonderful!
Wuchie avatar
WuchieBeach Lover
#65
There shouldn't be any pre-setup, period. If someone wants to rent a chair, it should be set up when the person is actually at the beach and taken down when the person leaves.
What if the person or persons just goes back to his or her rental unit to get lunch, use the restroom, etc?
Wuchie avatar
WuchieBeach Lover
#66
Why can't tourist carry their chairs and umbrellas to the beach each day like the lowly locals?
We used to but as we have gotten older it’s a bit challenging, especially with knee and shoulder replacements; however, we still love the beach and have kept our beach bodies int pretty good shape.
steel1man avatar
steel1manBeach Fanatic
#67
This attitude along with the beach vendor issue is why I have made reservations for our next year vacation in another county in the panhandle. We spend thousands of dollars to support your community as tourists...
Buh-Bye
bob bob avatar
bob bobBeach Fanatic
#68
How far do you think we can push money grab? In the spring if someone set up a table at a county access and charged admission do you think anyone would come to stop it?
Everytime avatar
EverytimeBeach Fanatic
#69
How far do you think we can push money grab? In the spring if someone set up a table at a county access and charged admission do you think anyone would come to stop it?

Unfortunately, that’s pretty much what the BCC allows the chair vendors to do on 50% of the beach access sand.
James BentwoodBeach Fanatic
#70
How far do you think we can push money grab? In the spring if someone set up a table at a county access and charged admission do you think anyone would come to stop it?
In order to claim your 50% to make money off of you have to claim your territory by spreading out items like chairs or umbrellas.

I do wonder what you could get away with. Like spreading out bamboo mats or towels or mini umbrellas as place markers along the water and charging for "your" space.

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