Vacations
Depending on where you live, a trip to the beach might be a rare occasion. So before you take your beach vacation, spend some time brushing up on etiquette so that you know what to do when you get a chance to settle down in the sand. Keep the following things in mind to make sure your neighbors by the sea think highly of you.
– Use headphones when listening to music. Everyone wants their own soundtrack at the beach, whether that means a favorite album or the soothing sound of the waves. Using headphones with your music player will make sure you don’t impinge on anyone else’s sound space.
– Be aware of sand. Ideally, sand stays where it lies, because once it gets into the air, it can blow into people’s faces or onto their blankets or reading material. So when shaking the sand out of your clothes or towel, make sure to do it downwind of other people. And don’t run through crowded areas or walk close to other people with flip-flops on. Either practice will kick up sand on your fellow beachgoers.
– Try to set up away from others. Fifteen feet is a good distance to shoot for, though it may not be possible if the beach is too crowded.
– Don’t smoke on the beach. Smoke can blow into the faces of those around you, and cigarette butts can hurt the beach and people’s enjoyment of it. If you need to smoke, head to the parking lot before you light up.
– Play games away from other people. Throwing around a flying disc or a football on a beach can be a blast, but not if you’re doing it over the head of somebody trying to take a nap or read a book.
– Don’t feed birds and other wildlife. Human food is bad for animals, and giving it to them can encourage them to overcrowd beaches or lead them to beg aggressively.
