How often do you actually go to the beach? (San Diego: law, pollution)

[LuvSouthOC]

Tijuana's sewage situation has never been worse.

Border Patrol agents said Tijuana sewage problem worse now than in previous decades - The San Diego Union-Tribune

[carolochs]

Originally Posted by RosieSD

Keep in mind that the County Health Department says water quality has been improving, not getting worse. So, I agree that no one should panic about this; just become an informed consumer and, as I said above, use common sense about not swimming in polluted water sheds near beaches , monitoring water quality, not swimming with open wounds, swimming after rains, and showering.

Highly suspicious of in-red. Everything I read is to the contrary.

[Native Transplant]

1. Area of the county where you live

Hillcrest

2. On average, how often do you actually spend time on the beach (ocean only please and I am not talking about driving by in a car or on your bike, but actually being on the sand:

Once in a blue moon

3. When/if you go to the beach, what type of activities do you generally do there?

I think last time I went to a beach, I just walked, and it was with my mother, who loves beaches. She's been here since 1972 or so, and she is still in tourist mentality. SD is "aoooooo gorgeous". "Ocean or bust". Melts over a pretty sunset.

4. During the time you've lived in San Diego County, have your beach-going habits changed or remained the same?

I moved away in 1991, at age 15. Before that, I used to go a fair amount, via day camps, etc. Since then, barely. At. All.

[TristramShandy]

Originally Posted by LuvHighDesert

Just because it hasn't happened to you yet doesn't mean it can't nor does it mean it won't.

Of course - - but we're also talking about the hundreds of thousands of other people who go into the water in Southern California each year. You can swim in rivers in the United States and get brain-eating amoebas.

Brain-eating amoeba kills woman after a swim in Colorado River - ABC15 Arizona

You can get hit by a baseball in the chest and die from it.

Boy Struck in Chest With Baseball Dies - ABC News

I'm not going to stop my children from swimming or playing baseball, though.

[carolochs]

I can't speak for anyone else who commented, but the purpose of *my* posts were not to create some mass hysteria or sudden total avoidance of the ocean, amoebas, or baseballs as you seem to be suggesting...heh heh. Um..duh? My only point is that there can be some truth to the warnings that going into the ocean with any kind of open wound can put you at greater risk. Even teensy tinesy cuts. I never personally used to believe that. In fact I used to think that saltwater was so healing that I would deliberately go in with cuts specifically TO help heal them. I personally no longer believe that, due to my leg infection incident. Just sharing an incident, Good People, just sharing an incident.

Most people, you'd think, would kind of appreciate the heads-up that this is possible. Not read into it or dub it scare-mongering designed to keep all people out of the ocean....haha....but read into it what you will.
(Jeez)
God forbid you or anyone you know catch ocean bugs, but if you do, I highly recommend that rather than standing around lamenting "It couldn't POSSIBLY be from the ocean!"...err...get your or their hiney to medical attention. If it's the same bugs I got (and many others, I'm hardly alone in this), you too, may need three different antibiotics to finally start healing.

[bloom]

Did you read of this loosely related case. It seems everything in Australia tries to kill you, they say.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/07/w...k.html?mcubz=0

[carolochs]

I did see that story circulating on the 'net. Poor kid. Hard to write-off those bloody legs as just in that kid's imagination, or some isolated random incident. No doubt it hasn't kept Aussies out of the water either. Like so many things, people don't believe it or take it the least bit seriously until it happens to them. And good luck with that.

Some of the warnings that have been written about will *suddenly* ring a bell if it does happen to them...... Hope it doesn't, but I seriously doubt these incidences are as random or mis-attributed as most want to believe. Cuz, who wants their day-at-the-beach messed up, right?

[Jenkay]

Originally Posted by carolochs

I can't speak for anyone else who commented, but the purpose of *my* posts were not to create some mass hysteria or sudden total avoidance of the ocean, amoebas, or baseballs as you seem to be suggesting...heh heh. Um..duh? My only point is that there can be some truth to the warnings that going into the ocean with any kind of open wound can put you at greater risk. Even teensy tinesy cuts. I never personally used to believe that. In fact I used to think that saltwater was so healing that I would deliberately go in with cuts specifically TO help heal them. I personally no longer believe that, due to my leg infection incident. Just sharing an incident, Good People, just sharing an incident.

Most people, you'd think, would kind of appreciate the heads-up that this is possible. Not read into it or dub it scare-mongering designed to keep all people out of the ocean....haha....but read into it what you will.
(Jeez)
God forbid you or anyone you know catch ocean bugs, but if you do, I highly recommend that rather than standing around lamenting "It couldn't POSSIBLY be from the ocean!"...err...get your or their hiney to medical attention. If it's the same bugs I got (and many others, I'm hardly alone in this), you too, may need three different antibiotics to finally start healing.

Right. And people keep saying "yes, I understand that happened, but I'm going to look at the odds and continue to go to the beach". There is risk everywhere, every day. That is as much a fact as your experience, and we all play the odds when we do anything outside the confines of our safe homes. The odds aren't huge that one is going to pick up an infection at the beach unless one is immune compromised or all the other risk factors mentioned before (I just had surgery and my stitches aren't 100% healed, so I'm staying out of the water until they are), so folks saying "sorry for your experience, I'm still going to the beach" is perfectly reasonable and rational- not some attack on your experience. I'm sorry you insist on seeing it as such, and I hope you find peace with it someday.

[carolochs]

Originally Posted by Jenkay

I'm sorry you insist on seeing it as such, and I hope you find peace with it someday.

Jenkay---stop mischaracterizing my posts. I do not insist on seeing it as such and am not lacking peace. It's unfortunate that you can't hear another person's experience without putting them down for it. You offer nothing constructive by doing so.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by Jenkay

Right. And people keep saying "yes, I understand that happened, but I'm going to look at the odds and continue to go to the beach". There is risk everywhere, every day. That is as much a fact as your experience, and we all play the odds when we do anything outside the confines of our safe homes. The odds aren't huge that one is going to pick up an infection at the beach unless one is immune compromised or all the other risk factors mentioned before (I just had surgery and my stitches aren't 100% healed, so I'm staying out of the water until they are), so folks saying "sorry for your experience, I'm still going to the beach" is perfectly reasonable and rational- not some attack on your experience. I'm sorry you insist on seeing it as such, and I hope you find peace with it someday.

It is like the shark attack issue. OK I grew up on the beaches in SoCal and never had a problem. When you actually see the number and circumstances, you are more likely to get hurt or killed driving to the beach than being bitten by a shark. Be aware of the potential problems is important and using common sense.

Common sense is not so common.