Simple, Low-Cost Coquina Beach Safety Measures
Dear Manatee County Commissioners:
From what I’ve heard and read, it looks like Manatee County plans to spend more than $600,000 to chop up the Coquina Beach parking lots in order to make “cruising” there harder and, hopefully, make the area less of a magnet for gang members and others who destroy the area’s ambiance with loud music, gunfire, and other Bad Behavior. I have a simpler plan that would cost a lot less to implement.
1) Don’t use expensive (and ugly) cement barriers to separate sections of the parking lot from each other. Use logs, either rectangular or round. A wood barrier 12″ - 18″ high will stop almost any car, and looks a lot better than a concrete barricade. (Lots cheaper, too.)
2) For parking lot access control, use simple posts and chains instead of heavy security gates. I am not personally convinced that it’s a good idea to close the lots at all. But if it must be done, let’s do it the simplest and least-expensive way we can. Chains can be cut, but a cut chain is an obvious clue that tells observant law enforcement officers and passers-by that something is wrong, and chains are easy/cheap to replace if they are cut.
3) Loud music: We already have anti-noise ordinances on the books. Enforce them. I’ll bet stopping and ticketing (and, if warranted, searching) cars emitting amplified noise louder than the law allows *everywhere, not just in the Coquina Beach parking lots* will not only take care of the noise problem but will also get a lot of baddies off the streets, since (at least in my Bradenton neighborhood) the most flagrant noise law violators tend to be gang members and/or drug users/vendors.
4) Beach Vendors: I say, “Bring ‘em on!” I’m an American and I believe in free enterprise, so I love to encourage anyone who displays even the tiniest bit of entrepreneurial spirit. Sure, we want to license vendors, but we must make vending licenses easy and inexpensive to get — and we could (and should) require that all vendors carry cell phones and pledge to report any illegal activity they witness. Legitimate, licensed street (and beach) vendors have a stake in the place where they do business, and if we give them even the slightest bit of support they will help keep it calm, clean, and safe.
Manatee County currently prohibits most vending on public land. If you are a County Commissioner who rejects the American pattern of starting a small business (even one as tiny as a hot dog stand or kite kiosk) and gradually improving your lot through your own efforts, that’s fine — but please move to Russia instead of trying to inflict your sad ideology on *my* country. I’m sure Putin and the other old Communists there will welcome you with open arms. 
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These are just some thoughts for you on how you could make Coquina Beach a little safer without spending big $$ to uglify it — and possibly improve life a bit in the rest of Manatee County at the same time.
Thank you,
Robin ‘Roblimo’ Miller
Bradenton Florida
home/office: 941-746-2602
May 2nd, 2007 at 3:00 pm
Sorry for the OT comment, but was wondering if you’d remark on the Digg mutiny / about-face and HD DVD DRM encryption code crack. Thanks.
May 2nd, 2007 at 9:57 pm
i don’t know mr. miller, the searching of cars and vendors with cell phones scares me.
May 3rd, 2007 at 9:33 am
Stogie,
I don’t advocate searching cars without probable cause, but when I see these guys driving down the street with a beer can or blunt in one hand and the bass thumping out the windows, the beer can or marijuana give *obvious* probable cause. All I’m really saying is that more often than not, at least in my neighborhood, super-loud stero noise is a clue to other unlawful behavior — aside from that fact that the noise-blasting is illegal (ticketable) on its own.
As far as vendors with cell phones, why not? Vendors really should have cell phones for personal safety anyway (all the ones I know do), and I think most of the legit ones would report something like a fight or gun-threat without prompting. The main reason to make that a license requirement IMO is to make sure casual vendors feel like they’re part of the community instead of outlaws who exist on the fringe of society.
PS - I love your blog and read it often!