New York: Swim in the ocean without lifeguards, go to jail.

PRCD

Tom Curren status
Feb 25, 2020
12,514
8,551
113
Few socal beaches have the same rule.

Watched a guy in Laguna go out for a morning swim in beautiful glassy 2' surf. We were only two on entire beach. Lifeguard kid, maybe 22, comes running full blast down beach and dives in like he's got to rescue someone. Then starts yelling at the guy to get out of the water as swimming is closed until certain time. The guy told the kid to fook off and started kicking water in his face and yelling at the kid as he swam away from him. The lifeguard came back to the beach looking dejected. :roflmao:
A marine safety officer made me swim out and tell an old guy who was snorkeling fine under the pier to come in. I felt stupid.

I get that it's easy to drown under the pier and it happens fairly regularly, but people need to accept the consequences for their actions. It's such a litigious society though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Swallow Tail

RayG

Nep status
Dec 3, 2002
586
95
28
Astoria, NY USA
Further evidence of the inability of government to act in a reasonable, responsible way to benefit its citizens.
Was he released immediately without bail, or did they have to hold him for his own good?
Probably life without parole. He would have been released WOB if he actually shot and robbed someone previously... several times.
 

Ifallalot

Duke status
Dec 17, 2008
88,305
17,591
113
Rockaway Beach? That's sort of a special case I think.

It's very accessible by a lot of poor inner-city kids who can't swim. They've run around and splashed in 3 foot or so pools but can't swim, have no concept of ocean safety, don't have friends or family that do and if they've got a good muscle to fat ratio they sink like rocks. I hear of a kid drowning at Rockaway beach or inlet on the news almost every other weekend and I don't listen to the local news all that much. School trip - no lifeguard - kids go in the water - kid swept away, random group of kids wading, one gets swept away, over and over.
So?

Personal responsibility
 

Subway

Administrator
Staff member
Dec 31, 2008
13,497
10,110
113
LBNY
I don't think PJ is advocating for stricter beach regs, i think he is just describing a sad phenomena that goes on in the summer in the city
 
  • Like
Reactions: Aruka

SurfFuerteventura

Rabbitt Bartholomew status
Sep 20, 2014
8,404
4,588
113
Ribbit
35 drownings recorded so far as of Aug 1st in the Canary Islands.

What was that sig line? "The ocean, always willing to take a life, for free"

:drowning:

Or three!

:drowning: :drowning: :drowning:
 
  • Like
Reactions: manbearpig

PJ

Gerry Lopez status
Jan 27, 2002
1,022
733
113
Shrub Oak,N.Y.,USA
I don't think PJ is advocating for stricter beach regs, i think he is just describing a sad phenomena that goes on in the summer in the city
I think you should be able to swim in the ocean any time you want. And in a Jersey shore beach town or Pacific Beach or Ocean Beach in San Diego I think it's practical. Most people who show up in those places know how to swim and know something about the ocean or are with someone who does to show them the ropes - and they probably drove there in a car which makes it more likely that they or their friends can swim. Sure there's some drownings every year but not too much. Yes, personal responsibility.

But I don't know if its practical at a beach with a subway line in close proximity. I think that's more like sheep to a slaughter and the City of New York may have the Parkies out there getting people out of the water after hours for good reason. As an illustration - when I was in Navy boot camp we had to tread water for 5 minutes to graduate. They took us to the pool and said for all swimmers to go to the left side and all non-swimmers to go to the right. Virtually all the white guys went left and virtually all the black guys went right - we stood there looking across the pool at each other in amazement. The black guys couldn't swim. I had no idea! So whenever I hear of another drowning at Rockaway I'm thinking about those guys in boot camp - a group with no swimmers at all in it.
 

RayG

Nep status
Dec 3, 2002
586
95
28
Astoria, NY USA
I will relate a personal experience from 15-20 years ago at Rockaway. I was out for an early session on a crappy day, but at least it wasn't crowded yet with all the Williamsburgers still on the bus making their way down. Well before LG's hours. Pretty much by myself with 3-4 other people out. At the time the "Death Spikes" were still in place (which is another story in itself). the lines of wooden spikes created channels that sometimes funneled the water out like a man made rip current.
A group of about 6 kids aged, I guess, between 7 and 11 or so came over the boardwalk and made their way into the shallows. The usual laughing and screaming and horseplay. A set of about 3-4 waves came through and created a bit more current on the inside. Then that "happy screaming" kind of changed. I heard it almost instantly- this was different. One of the girls in the group got separated and was caught in the current moving out along the spikes. Now- it wasn't DEEP, deep, and most of them could still touch bottom, but she was a bit further out and was a bit panicky as she tried to fight against it until she was far enough out not to be able to touch bottom. I watched this as I powered my way towards her- 1 or 2 other guys heard it and where heading there as well, I just happened to be a lot closer.
A couple of the other kids started to react like you aren't supposed to- they began to go after her to try and help. As I got closer, I was screaming at them to stop and go back in and get help. It took a few tries but they did eventually stop as I got to the kid. Maybe 8 years old, she was definitely in panic mode when I grabbed her from behind and tried to calm her down. She at least stopped screaming, but was sobbing pretty hard. I got her onto the board while talking quietly to her as I made my way in. At least 2 or 3 of the other kids ran back over the boardwalk to the picnic area while the others watched and waited. Got her to the beach and it took her a minute or two to calm down a bit and answer "Where's your Mom or Dad?". She pointed toward the boardwalk and the picnic area. We walked up and over and I could hear music playing really loud. NO CHANCE the mother heard any kind of screaming. I brought her over and let the Mom know what happened in pretty severe terms. It turned out the other kids never said a word about what was happening, and she was mad at ME for touching her daughter. Then went back to tending her barbeque.
 

PPK96754

Miki Dora status
Apr 15, 2015
4,683
5,824
113
77
Kauai's north shore ~
I will relate a personal experience from 15-20 years ago at Rockaway. I was out for an early session on a crappy day, but at least it wasn't crowded yet with all the Williamsburgers still on the bus making their way down. Well before LG's hours. Pretty much by myself with 3-4 other people out. At the time the "Death Spikes" were still in place (which is another story in itself). the lines of wooden spikes created channels that sometimes funneled the water out like a man made rip current.
A group of about 6 kids aged, I guess, between 7 and 11 or so came over the boardwalk and made their way into the shallows. The usual laughing and screaming and horseplay. A set of about 3-4 waves came through and created a bit more current on the inside. Then that "happy screaming" kind of changed. I heard it almost instantly- this was different. One of the girls in the group got separated and was caught in the current moving out along the spikes. Now- it wasn't DEEP, deep, and most of them could still touch bottom, but she was a bit further out and was a bit panicky as she tried to fight against it until she was far enough out not to be able to touch bottom. I watched this as I powered my way towards her- 1 or 2 other guys heard it and where heading there as well, I just happened to be a lot closer.
A couple of the other kids started to react like you aren't supposed to- they began to go after her to try and help. As I got closer, I was screaming at them to stop and go back in and get help. It took a few tries but they did eventually stop as I got to the kid. Maybe 8 years old, she was definitely in panic mode when I grabbed her from behind and tried to calm her down. She at least stopped screaming, but was sobbing pretty hard. I got her onto the board while talking quietly to her as I made my way in. At least 2 or 3 of the other kids ran back over the boardwalk to the picnic area while the others watched and waited. Got her to the beach and it took her a minute or two to calm down a bit and answer "Where's your Mom or Dad?". She pointed toward the boardwalk and the picnic area. We walked up and over and I could hear music playing really loud. NO CHANCE the mother heard any kind of screaming. I brought her over and let the Mom know what happened in pretty severe terms. It turned out the other kids never said a word about what was happening, and she was mad at ME for touching her daughter. Then went back to tending her barbeque.
Dam'd if ya do, Dam'd if you don't ~ Good on Ya, Ray!! :bowdown: An experience, that the young girl won't forget .... ever.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mr Doof