Beach-Seeking New Yorkers Find Only Red Tape

Bizarre rules and legal restrictions make the summer heat hard to escape.

1 minute read

June 25, 2004, 9:00 AM PDT

By Jeffrey Goodman


From rules demanding that swimming trucks have a mesh lining to pricy surfing licenses, many cities around New York City are trying to keep their private havens from becoming the next Coney Island. While many locals claim the fees go to beach maintenance, some New Yorkers believe the beach, like nature itself, should be free to everyone. Compounding the confusion, the city of New York had to bring in 50 lifeguards from Latvia to make up for a shortage of qualified personnel.

Thanks to Jeffrey Goodman

Wednesday, June 23, 2004 in CNN

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