Tent City on the Beach

A couple of locals have pointed out the rising amount of beach items such as tents, umbrellas and chairs that are left in the sand once the visitor leaves. These items have become so cheap that it's easier to just leave them for "the next lucky vacationer" than take them home or dispose of them.

The tent above was on Thomas Dr. for several days during the week of the 4th. They do not get removed quickly in most cases. I guarantee you that you can go to the beach today and find an abandoned tent.

UPDATE: 07-22-07

This article was in today's Panama City News Herald. It seems that our neighbors to the west are always more proactive about keeping the beach clean, and we need to follow their lead.

Bigger Problems

Update: July 13, 2007: I promise I didn't squall this!

A funny Squall yesterday said folks like me need to worry about bigger problems than trash on the beach. I knew from the beginning that most locals won't see this as a big issue.

I'll just have to keep trying to communicate how I believe it's just as big of an issue as property tax hikes, home insurance costs and airports. So let me try to put it in a new nutshell to change this Squaller's view...

THE IDIOTS WHO LITTER OUR BEACHES ARE NOT GOOD CUSTOMERS OR CITIZENS TO OUR COUNTY AND ECONOMY.

BY ENFORCING OUR LITTER LAWS AND CLEANING UP OUR BEACHES, WE WILL RUN OFF THE FEW BAD CUSTOMERS AND ATTRACT MORE GOOD CUSTOMERS WHO WILL PUMP MORE MONEY INTO OUR COUNTY ECONOMY.


WE'RE MISSING OUT ON BIG DOLLARS COMING TO OUR COMMUNITY WHICH COULD HELP LOWER PROPERTY TAXES AND RAISE INCOMES SO WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO AFFORD INSURANCE IN THE FUTURE.

Independence.

Thank you very much to the few of you who wrote in and said you would work some of the beaches, including the bays. We didn't have enough sign up to come near full coverage, but we'll keep working on it.

Warning: the following photos should be extremely offensive and disturbing. Click on photos for larger images.

All photos taken AFTER trash crews came by to empty the blue cans.