Whomever previously remarked on the security not being familiar with the English language was spot on, and it isn't due to the security being foreigners. Today, I went to the access to observe. Before I walked far enough to see the Gulf, a security lady stopped me and began asking questions about where I was staying, where I was going, what I was carrying, etc, before proceeding to confuse the heck out of me with her directives on where I could sit on the beach. She sounded really confused herself. I just played along. She began by telling me that if I was going to sit on a towel (I had no chair in hand), that I had to be in the wet sand. I asked her what was the point of bringing a towel to the beach if it was going to be wet.
She said, "well, not the wet stuff. Let me show you."
We walked up to the top of the walkover where she pointed to toward the Gulf's edge, and said, "you see that part right there?" pointing to an area which is a good 200 ft away, "you can sit their, but The Retreat owns all of this."
I asked, "how could someone own the beach?"
The security guard replied, "talk to the Sheriff."
I said, "so you are telling me that I have to sit on the wet sand if I want to be on the beach. That doesn't make sense."
The lady replied, "You see that wet part? The County owns it."
I said, "So you mean I can sit on the dry sand?"
Security said, "no, you see where the wet sand is? You can sit where it isn't wet, but the water comes up to it."
I responded, "so if the water comes up to it, you are saying it isn't wet, and that it is dry?
She seemed more confused with her own information at this time. She again pointed to the area 200 ft from us, and said, "you see that area down there, you can sit on it."
I said, "that is very confusing."
Again she told me, as she shook her head at the craziness of the entire idea, and said, "talk to the Sheriff."
She went on her way, not to be seen again.
I will point out that I saw a few people set up on dry sand in front of The Retreat. They were not asked to leave or move during the hour I was there. I saw most of them walk down from the access at the Inn @BMB. There were other people set up on the line where the highest splash of water meets the dryer sand, and I saw a couple of other people sitting in the wet sand, getting splashed by the waves.
I did notice that several people came out from the gated entrance at the Inn @ BMB and walked down to The Retreat property to set up camp. The beach in front of The Retreat, was otherwise deserted, except for two or three people who appeared to be in some Retreat chairs, way down the beach. In front of the Inn @ BMB, the entire beach front was shoulder to shoulder umbrellas and chairs. It seemed to me that maybe the private property crap could have started as a fight between the Inn @ BMB and The Retreat.
What about Marching with Signs up and down the beach!!! I am sure the media would eat that up!
