Beach Bitching

Just got back from a wonderful weekend stay with friends in Gulf Shores.  One of our friends owns the condo that we stayed in. She rents it out during prime summer season and we learned first hand the dark side of that enterprise.

The complex is high end all the way.  The first three floors are for parking.  The elevators even have glassed in waiting areas that are air conditioned.  Each unit has a wonderful view of the Gulf. Each unit has an "owner's closet" that is locked, and are used for storage of items such as kitchen supplies, beach items, etc.... The owner as not been back to her unit since early summer, since it has been rented out.  The rents, at the going market rates, are not cheap, especially in the prime summer months.

The owner, upon entering her unit, began her walk through, making a mental list of items out of place, and worse, missing.  The couch had a cigarette burn (no smoking policy) and other holes.  The couch material was stained from spills and sunscreen from bodies just back from the beach.  Placemats were gone.  Kitchen towels were missing. The stainless steel refrigerator had a noticeable dent in it. Two favorite blankets were nowhere to be found.  The bathroom wall was damaged from improper use of the shower. The favorite scented candle was nowhere to be found. The list was growing.....

The hidden key to the owners closet was missing.  The realtor brought by the spare.  Once the door was opened, the closest was almost bare.  Cleaning fees are charged to get the unit ready for the next guest.  Repairs and replacement costs come out of the owner's pocket.  What kind of people do this?  The renters pay a lot of money for their stay, and do this????

The complex has a right-of-way on the side that allows city crews access to the beach.  This is also a complementary access for the residents across the street.  Yesterday, I personally spent 30 minutes picking up trash that had been left on the beach:  plastic water bottles, tent stakes, candy wrappers, and even an aluminum can that had washed up on the beach.

A group of beach goers were confronted by the beach patrol for having glass beer bottles beachside.  Two of them turned their bottles up and chugged away as they were walking to the garbage can.  Then they got into a "nasty debate" once the officers went on their way.

The older couple next to us said that they had been coming here in late August for over 30 years and this was the worst that they had ever seen.  I picked up more trash on my exit to the walkway.

I know and hope I'm preaching to the choir, but, when you are there, try your best to be green and leave the beach a littler nicer than you find it.  Bitch session over.