Beach tag
Encyclopedia
Ticket (admission)
A ticket is a voucher that indicates that one has paid for admission to an event or establishment such as a theatre, movie theater, amusement park, zoo, museum, concert, or other attraction, or permission to travel on a vehicle such as an airliner, train, bus, or boat, typically because one has...
that must be purchased at many of the beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
es along the New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
Shore
Jersey Shore
The Jersey Shore is a term used to refer to both the Atlantic coast of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the adjacent resort and residential communities. . The New Jersey State Department of Tourism considers the Shore Region, Greater Atlantic City, and the Southern Shore to be distinct, each having...
. The system restricts summer beach access to residents and paying visitors. Visitors and residents in communities with the beach tag system typically pay a fee for a daily, weekly or seasonal pass. Staff patrol the beach looking for people who are not displaying their tag, and visitors without one are asked to purchase a tag or leave. Beaches with a beach-tag program use the proceeds to offset the maintenance and staffing costs associated with running a beach, such as funding lifeguard
Lifeguard
A lifeguard supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, or beach. Lifeguards are strong swimmers and trained in first aid, certified in water rescue using a variety of aids and equipment depending on...
s, restrooms, and trash removal.
Pricing
Daily, weekly, and seasonal tags are usually available at beaches, and each municipality sets its own rates and policies. Beaches typically do not charge for children under the age of twelve and may offer discounts to seniors. In certain municipalities, discounts are given for seasonal passes purchased before a specific date (e.g. May 15 in Seaside Heights, New JerseySeaside Heights, New Jersey
Seaside Heights is a Borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 2,887. Seaside Heights is situated on the Barnegat Peninsula, a long, narrow barrier peninsula that separates Barnegat Bay from the Atlantic Ocean...
).
Controversy
Beach tags are controversial because the public trust doctrinePublic trust doctrine
The public trust doctrine is the principle that certain resources are preserved for public use, and that the government is required to maintain them for the public's reasonable use.-Origins:...
generally gives the public the right to access the intertidal zone
Intertidal zone
The intertidal zone is the area that is above water at low tide and under water at high tide . This area can include many different types of habitats, with many types of animals like starfish, sea urchins, and some species of coral...
, and guests may feel that a beach with beach tags should offer a superior service to free beaches. Detractors debate whether beach tags are actually to restrict beach use to people who are paying visitors of hotels, beach house rentals and local residents. The beach tag offered by one municipality does not grant access to beaches in other municipalities because each town has its own rules. For example, Long Beach Island
Long Beach Island
Long Beach Island is a barrier island and summer colony along the Atlantic Ocean coast of Ocean County, New Jersey in the United States...
is about twenty miles long, but there are more than twelve different beach tags; beach-goers cannot purchase one tag and use it on a different beach. Proponents of beach tags suggest that they improve the cleanliness and safety of the beaches, making them akin to user fees that prevent freeloading
Free rider problem
In economics, collective bargaining, psychology, and political science, a free rider is someone who consumes a resource without paying for it, or pays less than the full cost. The free rider problem is the question of how to limit free riding...
. In addition, proponents note that the beaches that require beach tags are those located in smaller cities, and beach tags allow small towns to offer a similar product to the larger centers.
New Jersey municipalities that do not require beach tags
- Atlantic CityAtlantic City, New JerseyAtlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
- StrathmereStrathmere, New JerseyStrathmere is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Upper Township, in Cape May County, New Jersey. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 175....
- WildwoodWildwood, New JerseyWildwood is a city in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area and is a popular summer resort destination. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's year-round population was 5,325...
- North WildwoodNorth Wildwood, New JerseyNorth Wildwood is a city located on the Jersey Shore in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. 4,935 residents were counted during the United States 2000 Census...
- Wildwood CrestWildwood Crest, New JerseyWildwood Crest is a borough in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 United States Census, the borough population was 3,980....