Toes between the sand, perfect temperature, the waves crashing just twenty feet away. What could ruin this day? You look around and see the polluted beach as you get a face full of sand from the person next to you, shaking out their towel. Yes, what a wonderful day to watch as drunken teens make foolish decisions. All this while you try to enjoy the beach! It shouldn’t be like this, though. The serenity of the beach should be enjoyed by all, so let’s look at what we shouldn’t do in order to maximize relaxation.

1. Making a Mess- The last thing you would like to step on at the beach is a bottle cap or, on some beaches, a piece of glass. The beach is a shared scene that shouldn’t be polluted by hazardous materials.
2. Shaking Sand Off Towels- There is a time and place to dust off the sand in your towel; that time and place, however, is not two feet downwind of someone, as that would result in a small sandstorm.
3. Blocking the View of the Ocean- It’s understandable when someone sets up in front of someone who clearly is only tanning or sleeping, but when you’re blatantly enjoying the view and someone sets up their chair and umbrella directly in front of you, they should take a step back and look at who they are blocking.
4. Music Blaring- Your taste in music is not the same as the college group at the tent to the right, nor is it the same as the family to the left. So the ideal thing to do is respect others’ taste in music by playing your music at a respectable volume.
5. Feeding the Birds- Birds poop.
6. Encroaching on One’s Personal Space- The beach is a beautiful space. It is a vast stretch, yet some people still find it necessary to put their stuff right next your tent. One thing that aggravates sophomore Madison Emmons is, “When teenage boys throw frisbees and run into you.”
7. Intoxication- Even with a ban on alcohol spreading across beaches, it is not enough to contain the wild college students who love to party with no care for others in mind. Alumni Juliette Gurganious describes these occasions as “Obnoxious harassments.”

In conclusion, when having fun in the sun, keep others in mind. Earbuds exist for a reason, and the beach is a wide space for you to spread out, with trash bins usually located everywhere, so there is no need for you to litter such a public beauty with trash. Make it a goal for your next beach trip to be as stress-free as possible by forwarding these What Not To Do’s to the people in your life who need it most.