Jersey Shore wars - again

[Native Floridian]

Nj is one of the only places on the east coast where you have to pay to get onto a beach. Long a contentious debate as to why NJ residents who pay for the upkeep of these beaches thru taxes are then forced to pay a users fee to enjoy them.

Metal Detecting, from May thru September, along the Jersey Coast can get expensive. With the exceptions of the Wildwoods, and AC, all towns along the coast require beach tags. Most of us buy seasonal tags that run from $20 per season per town and higher. Daily tags run $8 to $15. Add in parking which ranges from $10 to $20 a day in most places and it starts to add up.

One of the problems is, no tag, no access. You might make it onto the beach, but will get thrown off if discovered without a tag. This becomes a problem if you've forgotten your tag. Which you usually aren't aware of until the beach police stop you and ask to see it. THis forces you off the beach or to buy a daily tag. A typical season will have me buy tags for three towns, along with a 1/2 dozen daily tags for forgetfulness. DAH factor tags!!!!

The towns rake in millions of dollars via beach tags.

THis could change:

http://www.northjersey.com/news/NJ_legislator_Free_beach_access_for_storm_aid.html

 

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[OBN]

That will be good for the Jersey Boys, free access to the beach, other then parking. Every where you go it's tuff getting onto the beach's here at the Bay, If they don't get you with the parking, then it's private.

 

[Native Floridian]

Down in your neck of the woods parking is off the charts nuts!!!!! I was down for a non metal detecting event on a weekend. Got there about 1ish in the afternoon, and had to bribe a guy to let me park in his full lot. I've found that Andrew Jackson can find you a space in most lots. And, it was no different there. That was after 40 minutes of driving in circles. CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here the beach tag thing is more of a PIA than anything else. I buy about a dozen seasonal tags for our primary location because we rent a house there. Those will usually cover family and guests. Gotta tell ya, going out the door right to the beach is fantastic, until a half mile up the beach a guy on an ATV asks to see your tag and you realize it's connected to the hat you are not wearing. Bummer!

 

[Ace350]

Why don't you just pin them all to your finds bag.
If ya need to borrow one for another family member just remove it and replace it when they are done with it.

 

[Native Floridian]

Pinning them all to my finds bags isn't a practical solution. Myself and my sons are the only hunters. The tags get used everyday by my wife, kids, brothers, sisters guests etc. Besides that it's a dah factor deal, just like forgetting anything else you need. Regardless of where you leave it, or what you pin it to, there is a chance of not realizing you don't have it until you are far from it. The point is everyone forgets these things every once in a while and it is aggravating. Especially being a state resident whose tax dollars have been spent to subsidize the beach i'm now being charged an additional fee to use.

And, of course the day you forget it is the day someone will ask to see it. You can go weeks without seeing a tag checker or cop on some beaches. But forgetting that tag guarantees the beach will be swarming with beach tag checkers.

 

[NYwaterhunter]

I don't know the ocean well, but are there folks that go to the beach by boat? Do they have to pay to use the beach?
Just curious.

 

[Sandman]

Our tax dollars also go toward the roads and we think nothing of always carrying our drivers license. To not have that and drive is asking for a night in jail with BoBo. Same goes for the state parks. Tax dollars pay for those but we still need a entry fee, sticker or tab on license plate.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Put a short check list in your detector mobile and one of the items is uyour permit....... I go through a check every time I go hunting.... detector, scoop, shoes, findsbag, detector toolbox, camelpac, cooler, wet suit if needed, wallet.......

 

[spartacus53]

Native Floridian, you do know that there are several free beaches too... Yes, I agree that it at times feels like highway robbery to enter a beach, but that's the price we have to pay for now.

The other solution is to go after closing, no fee required

 

[chuckie]

Hey Native Floridian,

Take the Cape May-Lewes Ferry to Delaware. Beaches are free, there's no sales tax and the booze is cheaper! (;->)

Chuckie

 

[geojohn5]

Anyone have any good Jersey Beach post-Sandy finds?

 

[spartacus53]

Still can't go near most of the good beaches and won't be able to anytime soon

 

[Bill - De]

May be true, but have you checked the price for a round-trip ferry to Delaware? And you still have to pay to park. I live here, so no ferry rides for me, but parking is still pricey. On beaches like Rehoboth, the dry sand is combed every day by machines that rake into the hopper, pretty much everything but coins and very small jewelry.

Hey Native Floridian,

Take the Cape May-Lewes Ferry to Delaware. Beaches are free, there's no sales tax and the booze is cheaper! (;->)

Chuckie

 

[Native Floridian]

Thx for all the suggestions!!!

That said, forgetting the beach tag isn't the issue. The issue is needing one on a beach My taxes have built or preserved.

I do hunt other beaches including the free beaches in AC, and Wildwood. However, neither is as convenient as the beach right out the back door of the house i rent.

As for idiot proof systems? Ha ha!!! it can be this simple or this complicated: I keep the beach tag pinned to my hunting hat. That hunting hat resides in my old Jeep Grand Cherokee. That Grand Cherokee is my beach vehicle. My normal routine is to drive the Jeep to the beach house every Thursday night. I drive it back to my home in the Philly burbs Monday morining. The rest of the week I drive a sedan for business.

With that routine, here is a simple way to forget a beach tag. An out of state client calls and tells me they will be in AC this weekend. They want to meet. I agree to take them to dinner Friday Night. I will need my biz car to do this as I really don't want my millionaire client and his wife riding in the Jeep next to my bait box and fishing tackle. My jeep, which is my favorite vehicle of all time, gets used as an SUV. It's driven off road, ridden in wet etc. Not ideal for chauffering clients. So, on Thurday Night I drive the biz car to the beach house. Friday morning I go out to the Jeep in the driveway to retrieve my hunting hat, except instead of a Jeep in the Driveway there's an S550. And, my beach tag is 60 miles away. DAH!!!! Usually, there are extra tags lying around, so not a problem. But not always. Finding a back up hunting hat, even more of a problem!!

 

[Native Floridian]

I don't know the ocean well, but are there folks that go to the beach by boat? Do they have to pay to use the beach?
Just curious.

Boat access to the beach is limited to Jet Ski/Wave Runner type power craft or beach catamarans like Hobie Cats. The entire coast of NJ is a shallow sand shelf sloped up to the beach. It a shoal with breakers that power boats can't run.

The police/beach tag patrol folks don't bother with us if we're on the sailing beach.

The beaches from Brigantine and south are open for hunting with some goodies showing up. Further north there are some beaches open, but many are not. LBI is completely off limits right now. I spent the weekend there helping some friends. There are big, impossible to miss, flashing signs warning everyone not to touch any trash. Anyone disobeying that order will be arrested. Truth is, i don't know if that extends to metal detecting, but because removal of any metal is specifically mentioned in the message, I wasn't going to test it.

 

[SeabeeRon]

That would be tough to have to pay to get onto a beach! Out here all the beaches are pretty much free access except for some State Beaches. During the "off season" even the pay lot at the Boardwalk is free on week days!

 

[Native Floridian]

SBR, everything is free here in the winter. So, a great time to hunt. The cops in some of these towns are a little bored in winter so you have to pay close attention to the traffic laws. 25mph means 25 mph. You get a pass for 35 in the summer but, this time of year 29 mph gets you a signed autograph from one of the local LEOs. One way or another these small towns are gonna get their tax!!!

 

[Native Floridian]

Beach tag season begins!!! The free ride was fun while it lasted!!!!

For OC seasonal tags are $20 and will be needed after the first week of June. May 31st, the tag price goes to $25.

Free parking in the Muni lots also done.

Johnson's Popcorn still $11!!! And one of the best deals at the shore!!! Good stuff!!!

 

[Southern_Digger]

Nj is one of the only places on the east coast where you have to pay to get onto a beach. Long a contentious debate as to why NJ residents who pay for the upkeep of these beaches thru taxes are then forced to pay a users fee to enjoy them.

Metal Detecting, from May thru September, along the Jersey Coast can get expensive. With the exceptions of the Wildwoods, and AC, all towns along the coast require beach tags. Most of us buy seasonal tags that run from $20 per season per town and higher. Daily tags run $8 to $15. Add in parking which ranges from $10 to $20 a day in most places and it starts to add up.

One of the problems is, no tag, no access. You might make it onto the beach, but will get thrown off if discovered without a tag. This becomes a problem if you've forgotten your tag. Which you usually aren't aware of until the beach police stop you and ask to see it. THis forces you off the beach or to buy a daily tag. A typical season will have me buy tags for three towns, along with a 1/2 dozen daily tags for forgetfulness. DAH factor tags!!!!

The towns rake in millions of dollars via beach tags.

Communism is ugly, isn't it.

 

[dieselram94]

Communism is ugly, isn't it.

If we dont change course in this country expect to see a lot more communism...

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