Ocean Swimming

[Jester]

Where are there swimmable beaches without police?

I mean sandy bottom, swimmable barefoot, with not many rocks or spiny urchins or whatever. And clean water.

Why do I ask?

I got "pulled over" by a police boat this morning for swimming too far out.

First time it has happened here in Mexico. They were more polite than in the USA (of course), and thankfully there was no helicopter here. And no megaphone.

But still, I am disappointed that it happened. There are no lifeguards here, so I really thought no one cared. In fact it may have been a nosy gringo tourist who called them, but still, it kind of spoils things a bit.

Imagine you are climbing a mountain. Huffing and puffing, you stop to rest. You look around at the birds, think how good God's universe is.

Just then, a helicopter hovers abruptly overhead. Someone shouts through a megaphone. Special forces commandos descend effortlessly from ropes. They want to give you a ride down.

"You might get hurt", they say.

"Why the f**k did you think makes mountain climbing fun, shithead. Go away and leave me alone!", you want to answer.

That's how this feels.

You swim to get away, to feel free. Then here comes the Nanny State's apparatus to "rescue" you, like "Rover" in the old TV series, The Prisoner.

(start at 2:26)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tra3Zi5ZWa0

[eurobrat]

Where are there swimmable beaches without police?

I mean sandy bottom, swimmable barefoot, with not many rocks or spiny urchins or whatever. And clean water.

Why do I ask?

I got "pulled over" by a police boat this morning for swimming too far out.

First time it has happened here in Mexico. They were more polite than in the USA (of course), and thankfully there was no helicopter here. And no megaphone.

But still, I am disappointed that it happened. There are no lifeguards here, so I really thought no one cared. In fact it may have been a nosy gringo tourist who called them, but still, it kind of spoils things a bit.

Imagine you are climbing a mountain. Huffing and puffing, you stop to rest. You look around at the birds, think how good God's universe is.

Just then, a helicopter hovers abruptly overhead. Someone shouts through a megaphone. Special forces commandos descend effortlessly from ropes. They want to give you a ride down.

"You might get hurt", they say.

"Why the f**k did you think makes mountain climbing fun, shithead. Go away and leave me alone!", you want to answer.

That's how this feels.

You swim to get away, to feel free. Then here comes the Nanny State's apparatus to "rescue" you, like "Rover" in the old TV series, The Prisoner.

(start at 2:26)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tra3Zi5ZWa0

Honestly dude, I don't think you should be swimming around in the Baja. And you should be lucky the Mexican coastguard came to talk to you and not a great white.

[Jester]

What would they have said to a great white?

[Ghost]

-----

[MrPeabody]

I once saw a large seal lying on the beach while walking on a beach in Baja and told some Mexican guards about it. They said don't worry, they sometimes come onto the beach because they are escaping from sharks, and they can get back into the water by themselves.