If I have this correct, New Jersey is the only state (a physical actual place plus a state of mind) where one needs to pay to use a beach.
And along with Oregon, we don’t allow customers to pump their own gas.
Gotta love my Garden State.
But back to the beaches.
As California surfer Liam Mahoney learned this week when visiting Belmar, and borrowing the “No tickie; no laundry,” line Jack Nicholson’s Frank Costello says in Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed,” when it comes to walking across one our sands, it seems Mahoney did not have his access badge, which he did indeed buy as required, on his person. Instead, the badge was on his bag not very far from him, as a female buddy was trying to make clear to the police, but as the scuffle over all this ensued, our beach cops detained and arrested the man, at one point putting Mahoney in a chokehold.
As we all know, all beach badges matter and Liam was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and obstruction of justice…and hit with a fine for not having his $12 beach badge on him.
It is interesting to note that while the Belmar Beautiful Sea Beach website (yes, I know, a URL you visit as much as Clips4Sale) clearly states the badge requirement, and that violators will be issued a summons as well as escorted from our sandy shores, it does not say whether one must always wear the badge while on the beach.
Personally, I am super pro cop. I am pro beach. But, I never understand why we are paying to step on NJ beaches. And a chokehold seems a bit much. But here in NJ we teach you right quick Cali suffer boy, how we roll on our beaches.
Yes, here Liam, you do need your stinking’ badges!
