To remove a pebble from a beach?

[Pigeonpoodle]

I saw this on another thread… Apparently “everyone knows that’s wrong!” I’ve very occasionally taken the odd interesting pebble as a momento. AIBU to have done that… What on earth could be the problem with it? One pebble amongst billions!

Are you sure, I thought beaches were big pebble farms?

You're not BU. Can you imagine someone trying to monitor the number of stones/pebbles on a beach at any given time? Will anyone be checking your pockets? If you get a small one stuck in your shoe are you in the shit?

Before anyone gets their knickers in a twist, yes I do know about coastal erosion etc.

No they’re formed over thousands of years! Carried around by the tide. It’s very romantic when you think about it

If 100,000 people visit a beach and all take home one pebble, that’s 100,000 pebbles. That’s why it’s not allowed, because one is not just one.

Tbf, as a PP said, it’s not allowed to prevent industrial collection for profit, not to prevent day trippers taking one.

I better get out in the garden and hide those pebbles, or I’m for the gallows!!

What about fossils

I took a pebble from the beach after scattering the ashes of both mum and dad (so 2 pebbles in total) over 3 years. Am never going to say sorry. Sorry! I live 300 miles away from them, it's all I have.

But even if everyone took a handful of pebbles each year, we'd never get near to taking even a millionth of all pebbles, so it won't make even a tiny dent in anyone else's life and more pebbles are being made by nature each year at a fast enough rate to replace a millionth of pebbles each year.

The much, much bigger threat to coastlines is sea level rise and the increases in storms that increase coastal erosion. Yet very few people care enough to stop flying or vote for people who might make an impact on reducing climate change or plastic pollution. Or accept that some land beside the coast may need to be used to replace lost coastal habitats.

Thats no way to talk about some on the posters on here!

ok....what about bits of sea glass?! I've got a beautiful clear pot at home that I add to, every time I go to a different pebbly beach, with different colour sea glass. Am I for the gallows too? 😱

With Trump’s climate policies, I’m afraid I can’t get too het up about a few people talking a pebble off a beach.

It’s just illegal. That’s the only reason anyone cares or is talking about it. For some people legal or illegal is the main test in life and what dictates their moral compass and drives their judgement against others.

I live by the sea. If visitors picked up 5 pieces of litter and put them in the bin on their way home in return for taking one small pebble as a memory of their day. I’d agree to that.

We took the odd pebble off a beach when the kids were young. One had a fossilised shape in it, and one was in the shape of a heart, which my son found and gave to me - I still have both. I must admit I never thought about it before so won’t do it again (not that I am anywhere near a pebble beach and my kids are adults).

Of course it isn't. It's perfectly legal to forage. I'll be heading to the woods for som wild garlic next week.

Its theft of property as the shore is owned by someone eg the Crown.

Plua the law is a blanket ban to stop people from using that argument to justify their trailer full of sand and pebbles.

Its the reciept of stolen goods issue.

The judge who ends up hearing the case only has to agree that possession was established to rule guilty.

That’s the sensible view.

Pick up all your litter and dog mess. The beach will be fine if your kids take a few pebbles home.

Where on earth did you get all this from? 😭

I’ve got a vague recollection of Ian McEwan getting into trouble for this years ago! It’s true that it’s illegal and I guess it’s to safeguard against commercial extraction but people collect fossils don’t they?

Imagine someone going to court over a singular pebble 😂. We struggle to charge people with coercive control, or get a rapist up in court, but sure, take a small pebble from the beach and you'll be hauled up in front of a judge.

I did not realise until this moment what a hardened criminal I am and what I've been teaching my children all the years we've gone foraging for blackberries to make crumble and the amount of interesting shells and pebbles they've collected across the summers. I've even cut wildflowers to put in vases at home. I didn't know any of this was frowned on - not to mention illegal!

It's one of those things some people are extremely self-righteous about, conveniently ignoring anything they do that's probably worse for wildlife, the environment, erosion control, etc.

I'd go ahead and take my souvenir pebble (discreetly) and not tell anyone about it, especially if they're the busybody type.

Whilst it’s against the law, it’s punishable by fine from the local authority. No one is going to court unless it’s for an unpaid fine😂

Only if it's not for personal use, so someone collecting blackberries and then using them in something for sale, would be breaking the law (Theft Act).