As Winston Churchill said: "It's a constitutional right, wrapped in a moral dilemma, inside a slippery slope." Well, he would have said that if he'd lived close to the Florida coast. I too, feel conflicted about the damage to our fragile sandbars and beaches. But, just as sure as I enjoy quietly flipping bait, or silently cruising on my paddle board, I also acknowledge that my fellow citizens have a right to get drunk, half naked, and sunburnt on a floating disco ball.
My only consolation is that, as all American fads do, this one too shall pass.
If cars are going to slow down anyway, put in a toll. Once they've collected enough money to psy for the screening, remove the toll.
While the boaters are completely within their rights, this could be an opportunity for NPS to enact user fees/permits on certain sandbars. The idea is against my principles but the older I get the fewer principles I have
Yes, I know it's an enforcement nightmare but a couple of cameras and any boat without a day use permit gets mailed a ticket. Not a solution but a something
I agree and a great idea. I am on the SW Coast of FL and the sandbar thing is out of control...The issue is not just the sandbar parties themselves but the damage to the surrounding eco systems and the physical danger of unskilled boaters that present a danger to wildlife, paddlers and other boaters...
Steve I feel your pain! We go back and forth between our place in Lauderdale and Tavernier a few times a month and the rubberneckers at that spot are ridiculous! I think everyone slows down there because that’s truly the first open view of water coming into the keys, and the hopeful look at a bikini clad young lady! I don’t know what the right answer is, but building a beach elsewhere and then prohibiting anchoring by the highway won’t work. These boaters are going to go and drop anchor wherever they want, especially since you can’t have 24 hour enforcement of that area! Fence, bushes and trees sadly might be the way to go, even if it’s at the taxpayers expense. And what about the bridge at Gilbert’s? Why is it necessary for everyone to stop at the top? To take a picture? I can’t wait to get off the highway and zip into the left lane and fly by all the lookie loo’s!
You're probably right about them dropping anchor wherever they want, it's just frustrating. We usually drive down at night, so it's not an issue. On the way back, you would have thought they'd seen enough water and there is NOTHING to see at the sandbar. The answer is probably to build the visual barrier, but the question is interesting.
Now, what can we do about the drivers that go 45 in the single lane section and 75 in the passing areas so you have to go 90 to pass? AND the trucks towing boats and RVs that won't slow down for a minute and let everyone by?
Not having driven that stretch of road in over a decade, I'm not familiar with Bikini Beach. But having sunk down into the Key's marl on more than one occasion, I can appreciate the attraction of a hard patch of sand. Dredging up another as an alternative site though? Sounds like you'd be creating another "attractive nuisance" which would encourage even more to join in. At least they'd be away from the road though.
So what's the attraction for the "rubberneckers?" Is it a nude sunbathing spot, or just a place where a passerby might get a few second glimpse of a pretty girl in a bikini, or a "pool boy" in a speedo? I don't get it.
The sand is good, but I'd rather anchor somewhere quiet in the marl and stay aboard rather than sit 50' from a highway. Last time we drove by there was a family sitting in chairs against the fence in the picture. There really is no attraction as they are too far away to see any detail.
Sounds like a workable plan to me...except that if all the traffic is routed by Alabama Jack's, instead of tourist slowing down to gawk at boats, they'll be slowing down to gawk at bikers, because isn't it obvious that tourist who've never seen a boat on the water, have probably never seen a dirty biker bar?
As Winston Churchill said: "It's a constitutional right, wrapped in a moral dilemma, inside a slippery slope." Well, he would have said that if he'd lived close to the Florida coast. I too, feel conflicted about the damage to our fragile sandbars and beaches. But, just as sure as I enjoy quietly flipping bait, or silently cruising on my paddle board, I also acknowledge that my fellow citizens have a right to get drunk, half naked, and sunburnt on a floating disco ball.
My only consolation is that, as all American fads do, this one too shall pass.
If cars are going to slow down anyway, put in a toll. Once they've collected enough money to psy for the screening, remove the toll.
While the boaters are completely within their rights, this could be an opportunity for NPS to enact user fees/permits on certain sandbars. The idea is against my principles but the older I get the fewer principles I have
Yes, I know it's an enforcement nightmare but a couple of cameras and any boat without a day use permit gets mailed a ticket. Not a solution but a something
I agree and a great idea. I am on the SW Coast of FL and the sandbar thing is out of control...The issue is not just the sandbar parties themselves but the damage to the surrounding eco systems and the physical danger of unskilled boaters that present a danger to wildlife, paddlers and other boaters...
Steve I feel your pain! We go back and forth between our place in Lauderdale and Tavernier a few times a month and the rubberneckers at that spot are ridiculous! I think everyone slows down there because that’s truly the first open view of water coming into the keys, and the hopeful look at a bikini clad young lady! I don’t know what the right answer is, but building a beach elsewhere and then prohibiting anchoring by the highway won’t work. These boaters are going to go and drop anchor wherever they want, especially since you can’t have 24 hour enforcement of that area! Fence, bushes and trees sadly might be the way to go, even if it’s at the taxpayers expense. And what about the bridge at Gilbert’s? Why is it necessary for everyone to stop at the top? To take a picture? I can’t wait to get off the highway and zip into the left lane and fly by all the lookie loo’s!
You're probably right about them dropping anchor wherever they want, it's just frustrating. We usually drive down at night, so it's not an issue. On the way back, you would have thought they'd seen enough water and there is NOTHING to see at the sandbar. The answer is probably to build the visual barrier, but the question is interesting.
Now, what can we do about the drivers that go 45 in the single lane section and 75 in the passing areas so you have to go 90 to pass? AND the trucks towing boats and RVs that won't slow down for a minute and let everyone by?
Lol! I don’t consider it a good drive unless I hit 90 in the passing zone!
Not having driven that stretch of road in over a decade, I'm not familiar with Bikini Beach. But having sunk down into the Key's marl on more than one occasion, I can appreciate the attraction of a hard patch of sand. Dredging up another as an alternative site though? Sounds like you'd be creating another "attractive nuisance" which would encourage even more to join in. At least they'd be away from the road though.
So what's the attraction for the "rubberneckers?" Is it a nude sunbathing spot, or just a place where a passerby might get a few second glimpse of a pretty girl in a bikini, or a "pool boy" in a speedo? I don't get it.
The sand is good, but I'd rather anchor somewhere quiet in the marl and stay aboard rather than sit 50' from a highway. Last time we drove by there was a family sitting in chairs against the fence in the picture. There really is no attraction as they are too far away to see any detail.
Sounds like a workable plan to me...except that if all the traffic is routed by Alabama Jack's, instead of tourist slowing down to gawk at boats, they'll be slowing down to gawk at bikers, because isn't it obvious that tourist who've never seen a boat on the water, have probably never seen a dirty biker bar?