Special Interest Group Seeks Ban On Alcohol
By Just Bushkar
We live in the greatest place on Earth. Folly Beach is full of friendly, helpful, and conscientious folks. People say howdy and thank you. On most weekends, the daytime population swells, and half of the Lowcountry comes to the only area beach with good surf.
Folly Beach also has many excellent restaurants and allows dogs on the beach during certain hours and alcohol consumption in plastic cups. Recently, several citizens have requested that City Council repeal the rights of adults to drink alcohol on the beach. A secret group that meets on the Internet cites increased beach traffic, poor behavior in the neighborhood near Tenth Block East, and litter as reasons to ban alcohol on the entire beach.
To be fair, the ban would undoubtedly reduce the number of people visiting the City of Folly Beach and curb some of the poor behavior of revelers. Of course, other consequences would likely follow. Any substantial decrease in tourism would cripple many businesses on Folly Beach. Most of these shops and restaurants are locally owned and employ Folly residents. If you are unwilling to ask your neighbor if his or her business could survive a 10 to 25 percent reduction in customers, look to your own line of work. Would you be able to keep your truck gassed up and your employees working full-time? Perhaps you are one of the employees who might be laid off.
This is not the time to slow our economy through legislation. Any reduction in tourism will also cut sales tax revenues. Much of this revenue is returned to Folly Beach. This money would likely have to be replaced through property tax increases. These tax hikes are certainly not welcome.
Our Public Safety Department does an excellent job maintaining order on Folly Beach. As summer crowds swell, the fine officers of this department keep the peace, enforce existing laws, and make sure that visitors and locals alike are safe. Public Safety consistently displays professionalism and common sense while on patrol. Folly locals are proud of the fact that their police force hands out trash bags and Solo cups to decrease litter on the beach.
Enforcing new laws will hurt public perception of the Department. A ban would require an officer to ticket a father who pops open a beer while watching his kids play on the beach. Whether it is a disappointed local who has relaxed on this beach for most of his life or a tourist who takes his family to a different Center Street restaurant each night of their vacation, this dad must be allowed to responsibly drink a beer on the beach.
Speaking of locals, what do these folks think? Nearly everyone I have spoken with declares that enforcement of existing laws can and will appease the angry residents of Tenth Block East. Please remember that it is your civic duty to report vandalism, theft, public urination, etc, if you witness these crimes on a busy Saturday afternoon, or at any time. Our Public Safety officers do a great job, but they need the help of vigilant citizens.
Most people I have spoken with do not think an alcohol ban will make the beach any cleaner. This year Isle of Palms, which does not allow alcohol, won the dubious distinction of dirtiest beach after the Fourth of July weekend.
I, for one, believe that a mess of puritanical laws will follow from the proposed alcohol ban. Sullivan’s Island has recently enacted a ban on radios and singing. Presently, Folly Beach does not allow surfing at the pier while lifeguards are present and has attempted to ban surfing at the Washout in the past.
Any proposals for “family-friendly” beach areas will likely prohibit surfing. The idea that a respected surfing, beach, and conservation advocacy group such as Surfrider would want to ban alcohol on Folly Beach struck me as strange. I asked Brian Eichelman, manager of McKevlin’s Surf Shop for an opinion. He did not support the ban and contacted the national leadership for the Surfrider Foundation. We were unsurprised to learn that they did not have knowledge of the proposal. It seems that members of the local chapter are operating well outside of their mission statement.
Supporting this splinter cell’s foolish crusade may change life on Folly Beach in many ways. I, for one, do not think these changes will be positive.
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