AIBU ? Really sad about trip to the beach today.

[Tigertigertigertiger]

I’m fortunate to live a 15 minute drive from a big sandy beach.
Today was hot so after work I went straight to the beach to swim .( it was freezing )

I’m really sad about the experience.

The beach was full of out of control barking dogs, children literally screaming at the top of their voices for no reason ( yes, it’s a theme of mine ) , but the saddest thing of all was the place was strewn with litter.

Plastic bottles, empty crisp bags, discarded takeaways, fag ends, empty drink cans ....
There were loads of bins around . Not that you need a bin to not litter.

I’m genuinely upset by this. Is this considered ok now ? What can be done about it if anything ? I’m properly upset.

It's so sad, but selfish idiots will always spoil it for everybody else, children included!

No one needs to scream, it's just lazy parenting. It's usually the same parents who listen to loud music, and/or litter.

It's so sad when children can't have fun on the beach because others are screaming or screeching for absolutely no reason.

Many beaches now ban dogs during busy summer periods, due to poor control by their hums. Might be worth lobbying your council for this.

Litter should be taken home. It shouldn't be down to the 'council' (or anyone else to pick it up. More bins just encourage people to drop it anywhere. You won't see litter in Japan or Singapore, nor bins.

Children shriek (unfortunately. Nothing you can do about it.

hums = humans!

Locals are just as bad. Our littering and dog crap problems are not any better in the off season.

More bins just encourage people to drop it anywhere.

That makes absolutely no sense.

@ElephantOfRisk

Why can't folks just pack litter back into the bag they brought it in? I mean they managed to carry it full all the way to the beach so should be easier to take it home empty.

It used to annoy the feck out of me when my DSs would miss out on a playtime to litter pick in the school when their full pockets were evidence that they didn't drop litter.

As kids in a family of 9 with no car and little money, day trips to the beach involved my parents filling up the shopping trolley (not the supermarket type) with squash in glass bottles, sandwiches etc, all the rubbish was put back in the trolley and taken home on the bus.

We were just poor kids from a rough council estate, as were our parents, it's really not a hard lesson to learn or teach your kids.

There's also something satisfying about bagging up all the rubbish in one bag and throwing it in the bin, as you know you have less to carry home.

Has it occurred to some people here, that parking charges are so high BECAUSE they have to cover the immense cost of clean up?

Unless its a private beach you have no more right to use it than everyone else, if you dont like children and dogs that YOUR issue but they have every right to be there just as you do.

@Jaxhog

Has it occurred to some people here, that parking charges are so high BECAUSE they have to cover the immense cost of clean up?

sadly people who litter are also the kind who avoid parking costs by any possible mean, blocking roads, access, private drives to park "for free". Some area are very efficient to send traffic warden and fine them, but it's unfortunately not practical everywhere.

You have to be a special kind of moron to willingly block access to the coast guards when it's clearly marked and sign-posted that they need that access, but then who else would litter the beach and make it too unattractive to come back to it.

@mam0918

Unless its a private beach you have no more right to use it than everyone else, if you dont like children and dogs that YOUR issue but they have every right to be there just as you do.

No one has any right to let out of control dogs in a public place, or any right to litter either!

Being too lazy to stop your children from screeching might be your "right", but it's still out of order, and presumably the same kids will be screaming anywhere.

Other children have the right to enjoy themselves too, why shouldn't they matter?

Yanbu. The first lockdown was awful for people visiting my local neighborhood and leaving rubbish (temporary bbqs, entire picnics abandoned, even tents). We did arrange litter picks and tidy it up but why the bloody hell should I have to spend a day a week doing that?

There was a local beauty spot owned by a farmer he used to let families use to picnic at and paddle in the river.. Thanks to idiots with their rubbish and out of control dogs going for sheep it's now locked up with CCTV to prevent trespassing.

There's no excuse for people acting like 2 year olds on public places. Dogs need to be under control, litter should be carried home.

@SupermanInk

The human race is generally a piece of shit, I can't wait for us to blow each other up so the next species can become dominant. I really mean this. We have had enough time on this planet to become decent and have failed miserably. We are cruel to animals which share this space with us and cruel to each other. We have messed about with nature big time, cutting down the rain forest, polluting the sea and the skies and the ground and now we want to colonise other worlds and do the same again. Good riddance to the human race forever, I say, and make it as soon as possible.

I’m afraid I have to agree. 😞

That’s very sad. Human beings are also very compassionate and kind . There is no “we” in your statement, the actions of the few should not determine the many,

Op I’m with you on the litter,although birds do pick up and strew rubbish, but the dogs and the kids I’m not, it’s a public beach not a private one.

It's amazing how intolerant Mumsnet is towards children, considering its a parenting site.

@Juststopasking

It's amazing how intolerant Mumsnet is towards children, considering its a parenting site.

🙄

@tallduckandhandsome just take it home , why wouldn't you ? You managed to take it there
It blows out , the gulls pull it out , it blows everywhere pollutes the beach and blows into the sea
You want to enjoy the beach then respect it and do your bit when you can
I have no problem with kids screaming though , the sound gets carried away with the wind or you know , you could move further along the shore , let them have fun

[quote SmellThat]@tallduckandhandsome just take it home , why wouldn't you ? You managed to take it there
It blows out , the gulls pull it out , it blows everywhere pollutes the beach and blows into the sea
You want to enjoy the beach then respect it and do your bit when you can
I have no problem with kids screaming though , the sound gets carried away with the wind or you know , you could move further along the shore , let them have fun[/quote]
Er, have you @'d the wrong person? I ain't no litterer.

@PumpkinKlNG

Clean it?

How ridiculous.

In most areas, there are plenty of dog-free beaches, so I'd be surprised if you couldn't find a dog-free beach within a reasonable distance, OP.

The litter is disgusting though. When I go to a beach, or for a picnic anwhere, I always take plastic bag for rubbish, collect it all and either put it in a bin or take it home again. Not doing so is just lazy imo, and scummy to boot. I'm at a loss to understand why people think it's ok to leave loads of shit for others to clear up.

Children screaming would annoy me, but I realise it's unreasonable of me. If there were child-free beaches, I'd go to them!

Just because you CAN take dogs on the beach doesn't mean you should.

Take them when it's quiet or to less popular beaches. Not everyone wants a wet dog running up and jumping on them or frightening DC who might be scared of them. It's not the dog's fault that it isn't well trained and I don't think it should be the case that dogs are never allowed either but once again it selfishness and thoughtlessness that rules the day.

Same goes for kids, they can enjoy themselves without constant screeching but obviously should be allowed to express themselves in the wide open. I would have less of an issue with a bit of shouting, laughing and even screeching down at the water but not screeching at the beach where people might be wanting to relax and chat. I think everyone has rights to enjoy themselves but they also have a responsibility to consider others, children should be taught that.

@Juststopasking

It's amazing how intolerant Mumsnet is towards children, considering its a parenting site.

WHERE did you see anyone intolerant towards children on this thread?

We are talking about selfish idiots ruining everything for everybody else.
No one needs to scream, shriek or shout in order to enjoy themselves. Quite the opposite actually.

Litter really annoys me. I took a walk in my local park recently - there was a pile of litter on the grass (obviously residue of a family picnic) about 3 feet away from a bin. The bin was nowhere near full (not that that would be an excuse - if bin is full take the litter home).

Another time I was having a cigarette in town, using my portable ashtray. A couple nearby started discussing this (think they thought I couldn't hear) and ascribed the portable ashtray use to 'a lot of smokers getting done for litter'. No, not using it because I don't want to 'get done' - I'm using it because I don't like litter.

With you OP, litter is disgusting and dogs shouldn’t be jumping at you. I’d have been disappointed by that beach visit too!

I think, with the exception of some children with additional needs whom everyone should be understanding and tolerant of, most children are not naturally screechy especially in public. Some parents actively encourage their children to be loud and to associate being very, very loud intrinsically with having fun.

There were a couple like this at our outdoor pool yesterday - they had a little boy of about two and were going down the slide with him, all three together, and the parents were absolutely yelling and shrieking their heads off, trying to out-do each other in the volume it seemed. The first few times the little boy was just grinning in a bewildered way but quiet, then about the fourth time he started yelling too and the parents got even louder!

The lifeguard came over and asked them not to all go down together, and the parents made a loud yelling deal of making the child choose a parent and the "winner" (the mother) doing loud victory celebrations then instead of the father going down separately or watching quietly he stood at the bottom shrieking and yelling encouragement as the mum and toddler went down again and again, yelling at top volume...
It was early morning and the pool was mostly full of lane swimming adults, so they were really conspicuous as they trained their child up to be as loud and antisocial as possible.

They made more noise than an entire primary school class who arrived later, or than the dozens and dozens of families on a normal Saturday do.

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme

I think, with the exception of some children with additional needs whom everyone should be understanding and tolerant of, most children are not naturally screechy especially in public. Some parents actively encourage their children to be loud and to associate being very, very loud intrinsically with having fun.

There were a couple like this at our outdoor pool yesterday - they had a little boy of about two and were going down the slide with him, all three together, and the parents were absolutely yelling and shrieking their heads off, trying to out-do each other in the volume it seemed. The first few times the little boy was just grinning in a bewildered way but quiet, then about the fourth time he started yelling too and the parents got even louder!

The lifeguard came over and asked them not to all go down together, and the parents made a loud yelling deal of making the child choose a parent and the "winner" (the mother) doing loud victory celebrations then instead of the father going down separately or watching quietly he stood at the bottom shrieking and yelling encouragement as the mum and toddler went down again and again, yelling at top volume...
It was early morning and the pool was mostly full of lane swimming adults, so they were really conspicuous as they trained their child up to be as loud and antisocial as possible.

They made more noise than an entire primary school class who arrived later, or than the dozens and dozens of families on a normal Saturday do.

I (unfortunately) have some neighbours that are like this, the child now has no volume switch and their baby is getting older and is becoming the same. They've now started to wait until 8 on the dot in the morning before it starts so I suspect they've had complaints about folk having to listen to this from after 7am. I have another neighbour who is a childminder and can have 3 times the amount of kids in her garden which is closer to mine, and you hear nothing more than just normal children voices and play. I suspect the kids are equally happy - neighbour is a good childminder, plenty of equipment and a trampoline and a paddling pool etc. and can seem to keep them all engaged and playing without them (and her) shouting her head off.

Some people are just selfish twats with no regard for anyone except themselves.