Save the tents, stop beach umbrella madness

Had a conversation from yesterday carry over into today's show when the mayor of Belmar called me. I was making an issue of what I thought would be a ridiculous ordinance banning tents on the Belmar beaches that were bigger that 3 feet wide, deep and tall.

Mayor Matthew Doherty made some good points about public safety regarding lifeguards who patrol the beach on ATVs. He didn't like my idea of moving the tents because it may interfere with volleyball...OK, I let that one go. He did embrace the idea of longer lifeguard hours. So progress was made for sure.

Of course no conversation on the morning show would be without some controversy. I made a point, a bit tongue in cheek (or so I thought), about the real problem on the beach...unsecured beach umbrellas.

I've had a half dozen occasions of chasing down umbrellas not secure enough in the sand and posing a danger to sunbathers. And although we had callers defending umbrellas, notably Adam Geller, who serves as a pollster for the President of the United States. He aggressively defended the new technology of beach umbrellas and how they are more secure than ever before...nonetheless I still see them flying down the beach as potential impaler of beach-goers.

All in good fun...until I got an email from a listener saying that her aunt was actually KILLED by a beach umbrella that had come loose in the wind and went through her neck. Still trying to verify the story...will keep you posted. If true, then we really need to focus on the actual crisis developing on our beaches...and it has nothing to do with tents.

Bill Spadea is on weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., talkin’ Jersey and taking your calls at 1-800-283-1015. Tweet him @NJ1015 or @BillSpadea.

More from New Jersey 101.5: