WASHINGTON – Thousands of you will be hitting the beach this weekend and to help you enjoy it, here are some simple etiquette rules to follow.
Butch Arbin, captain of the Ocean City Beach Patrol, offers these tips:
- Don’t be a beach hog! Everyone wants to be on the beach, but if you arrive late, don’t set up in front of someone else and cut off their view. Be courteous, and only take up enough room for your group.
- Not everyone shares your taste in music. To prevent awkward situations (i.e. profanity-laced rap songs near small children) use earbuds or keep it down.
- Control your kids! Others on the beach don’t want to be kicked with sand as children throw a Frisbee, or hear them screaming and crying. Play toward the back of the beach.
- While controlling the kids’ noise, watch your own.
- If you smoke, there are smoking stations on Ocean City beaches.
- Most American beaches require clothing, but sometimes foreigners will forget they aren’t at home and need to be reminded: No nude sun-bathing.
You’re not going to be alone at the beach. To make it pleasant for everyone, follow the basics listed above.
WTOP’s David Burd contributed to this report. Follow David and WTOP on Twitter.
(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)