Summer In March,Porsche On The Beach, Driving In Dunes, Overcrowded Beach Towns, During A State Of Emergency

You couldn’t tell yesterday Delaware is under a state of emergency. The parks in Delaware are free, the town beaches are wide open. Once we had a summer like day, the masses descended on the beaches, on a Friday no less. The governor even visited the beaches.
The only beaches that weren’t crowded and looked normal this time of year were the drive on beaches. The beach towns and state park walk on beaches were jam packed. I don’t think people realize the main issue is Sussex county barely has the medical facilities to handle the year round resident population. We can not afford a strain on that system right now. That is why people should not come down here to their “summer” homes. Rentals should not be allowed and why are the hotels open? Did you know Beebe Hospital only has 210 beds, and is usually beyond half capacity.

The drive on beaches are fine and wide open spaces. We went to Conquest beach and were one of maybe twenty vehicles on the beach all day, with a hundred yards plus between one another. That is how you social distance. We were headed to Cape Henlopen when we saw pictures of the parking lots. Nope, not even going to get that close to people. I have been avoiding people for over a week. I have family that can’t handle getting sick. I don’t want to get sick, I don’t even like a cold. My allergies are killing me right now, and saltwater soothes.

Going to a drive on beach is easy to social distance. Get out, air down, drive on, park way away, fish and enjoy, pack up, air up, and go home. Never being around people the entire time. Wash your hands after using the air hoses and use gloves. That seems simple until 22,000 tag holders decide to do the same thing. We can’t close down some beaches, we have to close them all unfortunately. Assateague is still open and they already limit access. Great example of what we should do for our drive on beaches to alleviate the crowding.

We did have some social contact yesterday, at a distance, we helped pull a BMW off the ramp at Faithful Steward. Same mistake as usual. They see the big red sign too late and then try to go forward to turn around. Once you hit the soft sand you’re finished. We helped the people out and pulled them off to the hard pack. The student driver magnet on the car was a good laugh, He learned … “I learned I shouldn’t have gotten rid of my Yukon”. I figured maybe he was trying to compete with the Porsche on the beach in ocean city.

The one thing that irked all of us yesterday was seeing vehicle tracks across the top of a dune on freshly planted dune grass. Someone decided to test their off road skills by driving up a dune, across it and then back down. I’m going out on a limb and saying it must be a Jeep thing. Things like this is how we lose access even without a national emergency in progress. Did you know that the fines for driving in a dune are charged by the foot, it can get very expensive.
Lot of joy riding on the beach this time of year. Parks are not equipped right now to watch everything like the summer time. They are way understaffed in the off season. Some cameras at entrances would help alleviate issues like this and others. I’d rather them spend a few bucks for that, then lose access due to a few bad eggs.

The beach towns were a total circus. If you are down here because you want to escape your area, I get that but … You really need to go home. I hate to be that guy, but our medical facilities and what not can not handle this influx of people. I understand the concerns of not wanting to be in an area that has more issues. In reality the entire country is at risk and we all need to do our part to social distance and isolate. A few weeks stuck at home is better than the entire summer shot for everyone.

You can’t blame the beach towns’ powers that be, they don’t have the manpower to shut down the town beaches and keep people off of them or away. It will take the governors’ people to make that happen, maybe the National Guard. The town mayors have said it, they need help to make that happen.
We can all do our part and stay away from each other and not crowd places. It is up to everyone to make this happen, instead of being forced. Which is probably the next logical step.

Stay safe and be smart out there,
Rich King

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

•