Beach Drinking...

[DeanM]

Took this off FB a few mins ago - my answer is down below. What does everyone think???

OCEAN CITY – An Ocean City councilman is calling for a campaign to remind Ocean City visitors there is to be no booze permitted on the beach.
At this week’s Mayor and Council meeting, Councilman Brent Ashley said he came across a group of men last weekend loading a large cooler of beer into their car at a local shopping center. He asked where the party was and they responded they were going to the beach. Ashley reminded the men it is illegal to drink alcohol on Ocean City’s beaches and they replied they do it all time while hiding it from the lifeguards.
Ashley then called Ocean City Beach Patrol Captain Butch Arbin, who told Ashley alcohol is by far the biggest problem on the beach, and although lifeguards keep an eye out for it, people hide alcohol or disguise it.
“Most of the behavior problems experienced on the beach are alcohol related. Numerous rescues have occurred because of alcohol consumption,” Ashley said.
Arbin also informed Ashley he is asking police for increased patrols in the Inlet area because of the alcohol problem.
“From a public safety perspective and in order to maintain a family friendly atmosphere and to return more decency to our beach, I would suggest that we begin a public awareness campaign to actively inform all visitors that we will have a zero tolerance policy towards alcohol or public intoxication on our beach,” Ashley said. “Such a campaign could include but not be limited to, large signs on the beach, messages on our reader boards in town and the entrances into town, as well as messages on the government cable channel. Perhaps messages could be displayed on the buses and trams as well.”

Is alcohol on the beach a problem in Ocean City in your opinion?
My answer is NO. In all my years of vacationing in OC, beach drinking has never been an issue as far as I've seen. Now if they really want to tackle something, I would suggest beefing up boardwalk patrol! Each and every year it seems to get worse with the teenagers/ young people using extremely vulgar language in what was always a family friendly atmosphere. I don't know too many people who've quit going to the beach while in town because of the out of control behavior, I can not say the same about the boardwalk.

[captpat]

No Dean, I don't think drinking is a big problem....I disguise mine in Gatorade bottles (don't tell anybody) I don't like hearing clanking beer bottles. My major concern is cig butts on the beach and fanny packs and spandex on the boards!!! Sea ya

[highball]

Sounds like the OC city boys are trying to bring OC to the same level as the current administration. If it's good for the ecomony, and a little bit of fun for people kill it. In all the many many years we have been going to OC, I have never saw this as any significant problem. Oh sure there have been a few incidents, but the lifeguards but an end to it very quickly by just asking the folks to get rid of it. If it's not glass bottles, and you pick up, and you don't get stupid, what's the problem. Hell when we were underage we would bury our cooler in the sand, with a blanket over it, and never got caught or caused anyone a problem. But as usual because of the 1%, we are going to create a situation that will piss off the other 99%. Now I am not supporting drinking on the beach or anywhere else. But, surely OC has BIGGER problems - that should, just maybe should be looked at??

[Z06RL]

People are always going to break the rules as long as nobody enforces it. The lifeguards don't really care as long as nobody is acting disorderly or obviously drunk. It's just like the "no dogs on the beach or boardwalk in the summer" law. Nobody enforces that one either. Even in broad daylight. But it's not just Ocean City. It's anywhere. As long as nobody does anything, it will go on.

Personally, I don't care if the guy next to me is having a beer or two. I've never seen anybody drunk on the beach as long as I've been going there (over 20 years). I think the reason they don't want you to drink to excess on the beach is obvious.........you make bad decisions when you're drunk and that's not good in the water

[pavisitor]

Never really cared if someone has a beer or two but this is an easy thing to do to draw attention away from the real problems, they can say they are protecting peoples safety and they are doing it for the kids on the beach and it makes them look good so no one notices that crime is worse than ever in OC.there are stabbings and gang fights but hey there aren't any drunks on the beach.

[highball]

Pavistor---You hit the nail on the head! I wouldn't take my family below 28th street after dark, if they were giving away new boats!

[brookie848]

I have never seen drinking on the beach as a problem -- I've never seen anyone drunk on the beach. Like others have mentioned, it is just a way to not focus on real problems.

Lifeguards are not supposed to be looking at the beach anyway. Their job is to watch the water. I'd much rather have their eyes there than them worrying about the fact that my 69-year-old father decided to have a beer after lunch.

[SlowRider]

We have a place on 95th, and I haven't seen a beach drinking problem in that area. Don't know if it's a problem closer downtown. I would want to see some real, verified numbers on alcohol related incidents before I would support something like that. On the other hand, I definitely agree with the points made about the cig butts on the beach, crime and vulgarity on the boardwalk. Those problems are not only real, they're obvious. The boardwalk behavior could really stand some improvement.

[Britt4duke]

I've been coming to Ocean City for almost 40 years and the only alcohol related problem I've ever seen on the beach was a bunch of drunks who almost drowned during high tide. In fact, the only other alcohol related problems I consistently see is when drunks decide to get mouthy from their balconies that overlook the Boardwalk. I stay on 21st Street and the Boardwalk and it is quiet in front of my Condo by 10:30 PM. This whole beach thing isn't an alcohol thing. It's a behavior thing. There are people that go to the beach, drink alcohol throughout the day, and never bother anyone. There are other people who go to the beach, don't drink a drop of alcohol and are loud, obnoxious and disrespect everyone around them. Ocean City needs to address the behaviors, not the alcohol.

[ocmommom]

I to have been going to OC for about 30 plus years..and never have i seen an alcohol issues on the beach...