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[Dalek]

Reining In Beach-Spreading, Not to Be Confused With Manspreading

POINT PLEASANT BEACH, N.J. — The texts detailing beach coordinates went out to more than two dozen family members, but they really weren't necessary.

Monique Jefferson and Tavoy Weal's setup for their annual family beach day is hard to miss: four canopies of different colors (one equipped with a mosquito net); an assortment of sheets spread on the sand; a stereo inside one of the tents; a volleyball net; and a foldable table to serve homemade macaroni and cheese, chicken salad, tuna and buffalo chicken.

”We make it a whole day thing," said Ms. Jefferson, 34, a teacher's assistant. Last year, the beach here was packed, she said, and the families were irritated. This year, a cool morning fog kept the morning crowds at bay, and they were able to spread out unbothered and unchallenged.

Some beaches along the New Jersey shore are actually shrinking, gnawed at year after year by waves and hurricane swells with many still awaiting major restoration work from the federal Army Corps of Engineers.

But while the sand may be disappearing, the encampments are booming.

Call it beach-spreading.

In the already overcrowded environs of the Jersey Shore, an epidemic of beach accessories with extensive sandy footprints has set off competitive jockeying for precious space as day trippers and locals haul towering pop-up tents, grills, tables, coolers and cabanas that obscure ocean views and leave little room for fellow beachgoers.

The phrase was coined by Amy Rosenberg, a reporter who covers the Jersey Shore for The Philadelphia Inquirer, and stems from a similar phenomenon found on New York City subways — manspreading — in which boorish men spread their legs wider than their allotted space and take up seating area at the expense of others.

”In the last few years I've been noticing more people with their gear," Ms. Rosenberg said. She was originally looking to make a comparison between beach-spreading maximalists and just-a-towel-and-a-book minimalists. ”But the maximalists just won over,'' she said. ”Because that's all there really is in New Jersey. It's the maximalists."

It has become such a scourge that towns are now taking steps to rein in the expansive behavior. This year, Seaside Heights imposed limits on cooler and tent sizes and banned ”serving trays, warming trays, pots, pans," and other food preparation ”devices." Belmar has introduced legislation to ban tents. Manasquan already has similar rules, but added a ban on balls.

”It's to the point that it looks like tailgating at MetLife stadium," Matt Doherty, the Belmar mayor, said. ”And I love tailgating at MetLife stadium, I really do. It's just not what we're looking for on the beach."

On just about any given sunny weekend or weekday, evidence of the contagion is rampant.

With a tall, black pop-up cabana and the nasally vocals of Omi's ”Cheerleader" wafting across the beach, Andrea Julius and her friends from Philadelphia spread out toward the back of Jenkinson's beach here to celebrate her 29th birthday.

”We like to be secluded but still connected to everyone, and this tent does it," she said, while two friends volleyed a beach ball nearby.

They were, of course, there on a Tuesday, and the surrounding space allowed them some courtesy.

”We're respectful back here,'' Ms. Julius said. ”All they have to do is tell us, and we'll turn it down or take it down.''

On the weekends the situation can get thornier.

Farther down the beach from the Weal spread, Rob Trumbo, 31, and Jessica Helfrich, 31, opted for foldable beach chairs, even though they usually bring along an umbrella, which wasn't really necessary since the sun was hidden behind clouds.

While beach gear is often readily attainable at boardwalk shops, sometimes a simple cabana won't do.

”We had a guy last year bring in a coffin," said Mayor Anthony Vaz of Seaside Heights. ”I'm not lying, a wooden coffin with his food and his drinks and so forth. And we said, ‘No we can't have that.'''

In Ocean City, many beaches on the northern stretch have become noticeably narrower over the years, with high tides inching ever closer to the dunes.

So with real estate at a premium, beach-spreaders have to be creative.

On a sunny and humid early Sunday recently, the town's beaches looked a bit like a ghost town: Empty chairs ringed empty towels in the sand. One encampment had a canopy, four umbrellas and a several beach chairs.

Their absentee owners were claiming their turf before the usual hordes descended on the beach.

 

[norm9]

Those giant tents seem a bit much, disturbing the view of the ocean; but unbrellas, grills, chairs, etc are cool with me and seem like regular beach stuff you bring.

On a sunny and humid early Sunday recently, the town’s beaches looked a bit like a ghost town: Empty chairs ringed empty towels in the sand. One encampment had a canopy, four umbrellas and a several beach chairs.

Their absentee owners were claiming their turf before the usual hordes descended on the beach.

This you can not do. There needs to be at least one person to claim a spot.

 

[DonShula]

Banning enclosures seems like the sensible thing to do. Slap a max diameter on umbrellas.

Restricting the amount of surface area per person seems impossible.

 

[mrklaw]

we get this in the UK - families or large groups making huge forts out of windbreakers (basically a long roll of material with poles at intervals that you hammer into the sand to create a wall to keep the wind out). If you're just trying to sit and enjoy the beach its often impossible to see the sea, or even 20ft in any direction

 

[border]

What are the ski lifts in the background of the photo for?

 

[The Jackdog]

they are 100% in the right for this.

some of the beaches in NJ in particular are TINY. Sea isle has a whole beach restoration process. i believe multiple others do too.

You get down to the beach some days and a group of 4 people have set up tent city, taking up the space of like 30 people. or better yet, they LEAVE it there and go home for the day, and keep doing it all week

Like ill never understand going to the beach and creating your own hotel like environment on the beach. YOU JUST CAME FROM A BEACH HOUSE

 

[Deleted member 20415]

This is why I go to Spring Lake, NJ - you aren't even allowed food on the beach! You bring a cooler, leave it up on the boardwalk (no one bothers it), and then when you want food, you go up and eat on the boardwalk and come back down the beach.

It makes it so that everyone's footprint is fairly minimal, and better yet, it's the only beach I've ever gone to without birds - no seagulls, no nothing. They know not to go there, because there isn't trash and food on it.

What are the ski lifts in the background of the photo for?

It's one of the beaches that has that as a "ride" or sorts. You get on, and basically go down the beach over the boardwalk - it's ugly and silly.

All those amusement park beaches suck.

 

[TangoAlphaLima]

Other pics from the article:

These beaches do not look "overcrowded" to me...

 

[Kayhan]

Over to you, Chris Christie.

 

[Stinkles]

Germans are masters of this on European beaches. I used to think it was a stereotype but it's real. Usually just towels though and they're not obnoxious. Just incredibly early.

 

[Gordon Shumway]

What are the ski lifts in the background of the photo for?

Looks like a roller coaster to me..

 

[Socreges]

Looks like a roller coaster to me..

Can't tell if serious 🤔

 

[Deleted member 20415]

Looks like a roller coaster to me..

The other picture in OP.

1 has chair lifts, 1 has roller coaster.

 

[The Jackdog]

Can't tell if serious 🤔

they are looking at two different pictures

 

[Socreges]

they are looking at two different pictures

I understand that. But that might be his joke. I initially corrected him saying there was another pic and then edited my post because I anticipated an 'LOL it was a joke idiot' response

GAF has made me insecure

 

[Poppy]

i love the ocean and in theory i love the shoreline because i can walk along the ocean and see interesting nature things

but fuck going to the beach. dear god have i always hated the stupid beach with people everywhere, seagulls assembling en masse to pick at scraps, blah

it just feels like such an unpleasant place to be

 

[Vandiger]

Normally I bring a pop-up beach shade, a chair and umbrella, a cooler, and some sports gear. Thats perfectly fine right?

 

[Pastry]

You see some of this stuff on beaches in Texas but I guess we have enough of them and enough shoreline that it's not necessarily a huge issue. Especially with Padre, certain Galveston beaches suck but Galveston sucks anyway.

 

[BennyBlanco]

You have to pay $10 a head to even step foot on the beach in Pt Pleasant. I was there like 2 weeks ago... the tents don't really bother me. It's the music that I find kind of obnoxious. Like I'm trying to relax and enjoy myself not listen to Despacito farting out of your shitty bluetooth speakers.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Very strange.

I live in Southern Maine, and until last year, I lived in a nine-mile beach town where the ocean was visible most of the time from Route 1. Our town population explodes in the summer and lots of locals spread out to other neighboring beaches and leave the in-town strips to the tourist.

But this is not a problem in Maine. Whether you're on the jam-packed tourist beaches in York or sneaking away to a secret beach in Kennebunk, people pretty much only bring chairs and a beach bag. I've even noticed fewer umbrellas in the last several years than when my family used to vacation here. Back then, everyone had an umbrella. Now, not so much.

I wonder if it's just a regional expectation of what you do at the beach. In Maine, you go to the beach in the morning and go home for lunch. It sounds like these people are accustomed to spending the whole day there. They're basically camping.

I don't know why I find it so interesting, but for some reason I do.

 

[Pastry]

Very strange.

I live in Southern Maine, and until last year, I lived in a nine-mile beach town where the ocean was visible most of the time from Route 1. Our town population explodes in the summer and lots of locals spread out to other neighboring beaches and leave the in-town strips to the tourist.

But this is not a problem in Maine. Whether you're on the jam-packed tourist beaches in York or sneaking away to a secret beach in Kennebunk, people pretty much only bring chairs and a beach bag. I've even noticed fewer umbrellas in the last several years than when my family used to vacation here. Back then, everyone had an umbrella. Now, not so much.

I wonder if it's just a regional expectation of what you do at the beach. In Maine, you go to the beach in the morning and go home for lunch. It sounds like these people are accustomed to spending the whole day there. They're basically camping.

I don't know why I find it so interesting, but for some reason I do.

That's what you do in Texas also. You go to the beach in the morning, go grab food, go back to the beach later in the day or to the pool. It's just too fucking hot here to spend a whole day out there.

 

[Septimus Prime]

 

[NealMcCauley]

My family usually plans beach trips early/late enough in the season that it's mostly deserted where we go (outside Charleston, SC). We went for the 4th last month and these things were everywhere.

There was a sudden severe thunderstorm the last day we were there that caught everyone off guard. I was walking on the beach after it passed and there were so many destroyed tents splayed around. The owners could only stare at them with faces that said "Well, that's money down the toilet."

Never had to worry about loud music or anything. The patrol is pretty strict about that since the island doubles as a nature reserve.

 

[Steejee]

'Saving' a spot with items you leave behind before even coming to the beach, or bringing cooking equipment is not cool IMO. Leaving stuff out overnight seems even more nuts and should probably result in any items left behind going into the lost and found.

I've seen some ridiculous stuff, but things like Sumbrellas (the umbrellas that turn into little lean-to tents, the thing that the guy/gal in front of the rollercoaster have) or any sort of smaller shelter is fine, not much different than leaning your umbrella over. The giant mosquito tent is the only thing I find a bit outlandish, and it looks like they put it pretty far back at least.

Here in MA most of the really good beaches have limited pricey ($30) parking, so they cap out eventually and aren't too bad even totally full.

 

[The Greek Freak]

Welcome to why despite living a 5 minute walk from the beach we NEVER go in June-August unless it's like 5-6 am and I'm running the beach for exercise.

 

[flkraven]

This year, Seaside Heights imposed limits on cooler and tent sizes and banned “serving trays, warming trays, pots, pans,” and other food preparation “devices.” Belmar has introduced legislation to ban tents. Manasquan already has similar rules, but added a ban on balls.

Banning balls? Are you not supposed to have fun at the beach?

 

[mrklaw]

Other pics from the article:



These beaches do not look "overcrowded" to me...

It’s a sunny day at the beach. Why feel the need to take 'blasted by flash' photos?

 

[Tobor]

We rent a beach house in the Outer Banks every year and this isn't an issue because the beaches are private. There's plenty of room for everyone's outdoor living rooms.

 

[ahoyhoy]

As long as the canopy isn't set up in front of me I don't care.

Don't even think about bringing a speaker setup though.

 

[Tagyhag]

Lol, Do people really bring hookahs to the beach.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Banning balls? Are you not supposed to have fun at the beach?

I hate when people have balls at the beach. It basically explodes the amount of space two people take up because nobody can be in between them. Two guys with a football or two girls with paddles suddenly take up twenty feet of beach that nobody else can use.

Plus there's the anxiety of getting hit a stray ball or a frisbee.

I'm not telling anybody how to spend their time at the beach, but man do I hate when people play some kind of sport. I keep it to myself though.

It's a sunny day at the beach. Why feel the need to take 'blasted by flash' photos?

Yeah, the lighting in the photos is so bizarre. They don't even look real. They're like Photoshops with strange depths of field.

 

[Fenderputty]

What a bunch of stupid rules. Literally every rule in there is moronic.

 

[WarMacheen]

Pretty sure Myrtle Beach in SC banned tents a couple of years ago because of this. Now people put up enough large umbrellas to get the same effect.

 

[Earthbound64]

This has been a thing for over 20 years.
Fond memories of summers on Cape Cod.

As far as restrictions on it - people need to get over themselves and not feel the need to dictate how someone else is having a good time because "they're not doing it right."

 

[KingV]

I was like "that doesn't look so bad" then realized it was Chris Christie. Lol!

 

[BlackGoku03]

It’s a sunny day at the beach. Why feel the need to take 'blasted by flash' photos?

I was thinking the same thing. Why use the flash at all when there's so much light...

I almost never use my flash. When I do, I use a diffuser. Just makes for better pictures.

 

[crisdecuba]

Aside from ppl trying to stake out a spot without someone there, I see no problem with bringing this stuff. Be respectful to others, keep music volume reasonable, turn it down if asked, and clean up after yourself. That's it.

And I'm cool with the guy with a coffin as long he does the above.

 

[Tawpgun]

Have you been in a tent on a sunny day. It's fucking awful. Canopies I understand but jesus christ what is the point of tents.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

Have you been in a tent on a sunny day. It's fucking awful. Canopies I understand but jesus christ what is the point of tents.

Privacy.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

**POSTED**​

FINALE FIREWORKER's BEACH RULES 2017

• There will be absolutely no "sports" allowed.
• There will be absolutely no applying sunscreen at the beach - all sun protection must be applied prior to arrival.
• There will be absolutely no cooking equipment at the beach (including grilles, pots, pans, skewers, or improvised metal slabs).
• There will be absolutely no music at the beach dispensed by electronic means. No speakers, stereos, or concave vessels to make your iPhone sound louder will be tolerated.
• There will be no tents, windscreens, pop-ups, or shelters allowed. Failure to comply will result in paying a property tax.
• There will be no families larger than four. Families with too many children will be required to rotate them.
• There will be no "meeting up" with other groups at the beach. The party you arrive with must be your ONLY party.
• No dogs allowed.
• There will be no lighting of fires, including bonfires, at any time of day or night.
• The white zone is for loading and unloading ONLY.
• There will be no airborn recreation, including kites and drones.
• There will be no leaving of refuse at the beach - anything brought along for your stay must be 100% consumable and consumed therein.
• Speak very softly at all times.
• Sand structures, including castles, must follow all local architectural regulations and be fully up to code. Inspections are random and policy is enforced.
• Jeremy and Lisa are not allowed at the beach. Don't even show your face around here. I will fucking end you both, stay away from my kid. Seriously, you two, do not test me. Do NOT.
• Be courteous!

 

[Clockwork5]

Good thing the NYT had the foresight to alert me that this wasn't about manspreading. I would have been "confused."

 

[ZealousD]

Lol, Do people really bring hookahs to the beach.

Did you forget we were talking about New Jersey?

 

[Dr. Worm]

**POSTED**​

FINALE FIREWORKER's BEACH RULES 2017

Harsh, but fair.

 

[sangreal]

I don't see a problem with getting comfortable and putting some space between you and the next family over but some people do take it too far. You don't need to build an entire living room

What are the ski lifts in the background of the photo for?

It's the jersey shore

 

[Shadybiz]

People who bring radios onto the beach are the lowest common denominators of society.

 

[SoRuffShoNuff]

i love the ocean and in theory i love the shoreline because i can walk along the ocean and see interesting nature things

but fuck going to the beach. dear god have i always hated the stupid beach with people everywhere, seagulls assembling en masse to pick at scraps, blah

it just feels like such an unpleasant place to be

You should go to less touristy beaches. There are plenty where you will have plenty of space to roam and a natural landscape.

 

[t0va]

I don't get it. Is space really the issue here? These complaints seem to reflect social ineptitude.

 

[Switch Back 9]

The music thing irritates me more, only because if I show up cranking Death Metal or Wu-Tang everyone loses their shit, but I have to sit and listen to fucking raggaeton, shitty house music, or country and that's all well and good.

You should go to less touristy beaches. There are plenty where you will have plenty of space to roam and a natural landscape.

Also this.

 

[buttery fistful]

Guarantee he swims with his shirt on

 

[vikki]

The music thing irritates me more, only because if I show up cranking Death Metal or Wu-Tang everyone loses their shit, but I have to sit and listen to fucking raggaeton, shitty house music, or country and that's all well and good.



Also this.

I think I'd feel better if someone showed up playing metal. It'd be a welcome change from the usual beach tunes.