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Original poster

To take pebbles from the beach?

353 replies

DarylDixonsHair · 25/05/2020 15:02

Is it allowed? I'd like to put some borders around my flowers beds so need about 20 - 30 medium sized ones. I wouldn't take them all in one go, probably a handful at a time while dog walking.

Just wanted to check I'm not breaking the law/endangering the planet/taking the piss.

OP posts:
Pumperthepumper · 11/11/2020 15:46

@hetanom

Stones look nicer in my garden than on the beach anyway. Sand beaches are much nicer than pebble ones.
Just realised this was you. What an absolute laugh a minute you are.
hetanom · 11/11/2020 15:53

So either I say ‘yes, I’m a vegan’ and you say ‘typical preachy vegan’ or I say no, and you say I’m a hypocrite

You're definitely a hypocrite.

Are you a climate change denier?

Nope. I'd say it's extremely likely I've done more to combat climate change than you, too. And I've managed to do it with a smile on my face and no time wasted moaning about people joking around on an internet forum too!

Tessiot · 11/11/2020 16:01

Why though? It’s important and 90% of the jokes have been shit, and identical.

Yes it is important. And we can have a laugh about it as well. Here, right this minute over the internet.

We can be many things. There is a whole myriad of humanity out there. Right now Greta has a pebble in her sock draw. Meanwhile Tarquin in Hampstead has not, but he went to Costa Rica to look at the birds last year and the year before that took pictures on his i-phone of the baby orang-utans in Borneo.

One less stone is good. One less foreign holiday is good. But just being alive is enough to take just something. Some perspective would be useful.

Pumperthepumper · 11/11/2020 16:02

@hetanom

So either I say ‘yes, I’m a vegan’ and you say ‘typical preachy vegan’ or I say no, and you say I’m a hypocrite

You're definitely a hypocrite.

Are you a climate change denier?

Nope. I'd say it's extremely likely I've done more to combat climate change than you, too. And I've managed to do it with a smile on my face and no time wasted moaning about people joking around on an internet forum too!

Sure you have. People like you always think being a hypocrite is worse than trying your best. So it’s better to do absolutely nothing - no recycling, take whatever you like from the beach, drive whatever car you like, fly whenever and wherever you like, burn whatever you like because then you’re a completely shit person, and that’s much better than being a hypocrite.

So weird you do sooooo much for climate change, except for look after the beaches. How hypocritical of you.

Pumperthepumper · 11/11/2020 16:04

@Tessiot

Why though? It’s important and 90% of the jokes have been shit, and identical.

Yes it is important. And we can have a laugh about it as well. Here, right this minute over the internet.

We can be many things. There is a whole myriad of humanity out there. Right now Greta has a pebble in her sock draw. Meanwhile Tarquin in Hampstead has not, but he went to Costa Rica to look at the birds last year and the year before that took pictures on his i-phone of the baby orang-utans in Borneo.

One less stone is good. One less foreign holiday is good. But just being alive is enough to take just something. Some perspective would be useful.

But 90% of the jokes are ‘just driving DS to the police station’ type side-splitters. Could we not just take this opportunity to recognise that actually, the small things do add up? Like the threads about not flushing tampons invariably lead to loads of people going ‘I didn’t know that!’ and stopping that tiny little destruction? Is that one insignificant pebble in a drawer really so important that that you can’t just leave it alone?
Tessiot · 11/11/2020 16:08

Could we not just take this opportunity to recognise that actually, the small things do add up? Like the threads about not flushing tampons invariably lead to loads of people going ‘I didn’t know that!’ and stopping that tiny little destruction? Is that one insignificant pebble in a drawer really so important that that you can’t just leave it alone?

Fair enough. And there are numerous threads on MN where we do that. And there are numerous sites where we can do that. And we can do something about it in real life as well as just read about it.

And we can come on here and have a joke too. We can do all this. It was obvious Hetanom was having a joke.

Pumperthepumper · 11/11/2020 16:10

I tried to have a discussion with Hetanom upthread and Hetanom ignored it to call me a hypocrite.

hetanom · 11/11/2020 16:13

So weird you do sooooo much for climate change, except for look after the beaches. How hypocritical of you

Firstly, I've never taken anything from a beach. Secondly, taking pebbles from beaches doesn't contribute to climate change so I'm not sure why we've even gone off on this tangent. Thirdly, my point was that as somebody above just explained, caring about things and joking about them are not mutually exclusive.

hetanom · 11/11/2020 16:18

Yes. Climate change causes coastal erosion. Not the other way round! Jesus wept.

transformandriseup · 11/11/2020 16:26

If every one took pebbles from the beach every time they went there would be problem. However I've always lived near a beach and most locals I know have taken a pebble/stone from the beach at some point.

Pumperthepumper · 11/11/2020 16:26

@hetanom

Yes. Climate change causes coastal erosion. Not the other way round! Jesus wept.
Wrong again, read some of those links. What is it exactly you do for climate change? You don’t seem to know much about it.
GoJoe2020 · 11/11/2020 16:27

caring about things and joking about them are not mutually exclusive

When the "jokes" are about how you don't give a fuck and how you will keep on doing the thing at hand, then yes, they are mutually exclusive.
Saying " its hilarious to think this matters, you're stupid" is not caring about it.

Butterer · 11/11/2020 16:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

hetanom · 11/11/2020 16:32

Wrong again, read some of those links

Not a single one of those links says coastal erosion causes climate change.

Pumperthepumper · 11/11/2020 16:33

@hetanom

Wrong again, read some of those links

Not a single one of those links says coastal erosion causes climate change.

Keep reading. What is it you do for climate change? This is the third time I’ve asked you.
Tessiot · 11/11/2020 16:37

So far this thread has 342 messages. At an average estimated cost of 4g per post, so far this thread has generated 1.4kg of CO2.

chickenyhead · 11/11/2020 16:39

I have told the kids, who were quite upset. We are going to rehome the pebbles on our next holiday (only had one in 7 years) ,

I have not mentioned the shells, these are being replenished naturally in a way that pebbles aren't. They have a few on their shelves they are attached to. We won't collect any more.

I would add that this isn't common knowledge maybe it should be.

They didn't know

notanothertakeaway · 11/11/2020 16:42

In the past, I probably would have said "just a few pebbles, sure, what's the harm?"

But a few years ago, I went to a Pacific island inhabited by indiginous villagers, who had no interest in shells / stones etc. There were shells and stones EVERYWHERE. Across the water, there was a tourist beach, where I expect lots of people took "just one stone" as a souvenir, and there were hardly any shells or stones to be seen

It really brought home to me how much impact everybody's "just one" can have

Pumperthepumper · 11/11/2020 16:43

@chickenyhead

I have told the kids, who were quite upset. We are going to rehome the pebbles on our next holiday (only had one in 7 years) ,

I have not mentioned the shells, these are being replenished naturally in a way that pebbles aren't. They have a few on their shelves they are attached to. We won't collect any more.

I would add that this isn't common knowledge maybe it should be.

They didn't know

That’s brilliant Chickenyhead! What a great thing to come out of this thread ❤️

It doesn’t have to be a sad thing, it’s a great thing - enjoy the beaches and look after them so they can enjoy them with their kids and so on. You’ve given them such brilliant awareness and that’s fantastic.

chickenyhead · 11/11/2020 16:54

@Pumperthepumper

Honestly, didn't have a clue. Yet I have lived on this planet 45 years!

At least they know. They aren't sad they can't do it anymore, just sad they didn't know because I didn't tell them better.

They are happy to rehome them. It will be an adventure.

Tessiot · 11/11/2020 16:57

I volunteer to take the Elgin Marbles back!

But not the space dust that got hoovered off that meteorite thing a few days ago.

hetanom · 11/11/2020 16:59

Keep reading. What is it you do for climate change? This is the third time I’ve asked you

I'll tell you when you actually post a link to what you're claiming, rather than just hoping that if you keep saying it's true, somebody might believe you.

Pumperthepumper · 11/11/2020 17:00

@hetanom

Keep reading. What is it you do for climate change? This is the third time I’ve asked you

I'll tell you when you actually post a link to what you're claiming, rather than just hoping that if you keep saying it's true, somebody might believe you.

I’ve already given you the link. I’m surprised you can’t think of anything you do for climate change, given that you’re so sure you do more than me, the hypocrite.
hetanom · 11/11/2020 17:03

Lol. You linked to a google search that shows the very opposite of what you're saying. Clearly you have no idea what you're talking about.