Posted on 08/03/2005 9:25:56 AM PDT by Puppage
BELMAR, N.J. -- Keep the beer pong and games of quarters inside.
In the ongoing tussle between summer renters and year-round residents of this seaside community, the borough council has banned outdoor games involving alcohol.
The so-called "Beer Pong" ordinance, which goes into effect Aug. 17, prohibits alcohol-related games or contests on porches, decks, lawns, front and side yards, or anywhere that can be viewed by the public and neighbors. Fines begin at $100 for a first offense.
Adopted last week, the regulation takes its name from a drinking game in which players bounce pingpong balls into cups of beer, with successful bounces triggering rounds of drinking.
Borough Clerk Margaret Plummer said residents near some rental areas have complained about people playing such games on their front lawns, getting progressively drunk and noisy.
Belmar, located about halfway between Manhattan and Atlantic City, has an offseason population of 6,000 that Plummer said can surge to 70,000 on a hot summer weekend.
Some summer renters, such as Michael Todd, say the borough is trying to drive out young people who provide an economic boost to the area. Todd, 27, filed a complaint against a police officer who issued him a summons for playing Wiffle ball, the Asbury Park Press reported in Wednesday's newspapers.
"I didn't know Belmar all of (a) sudden turned into a big dictatorship borough," Todd said.
The borough also plans to establish taxi stands around bars. A public hearing on that proposal is scheduled for Aug. 10.
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I spent a few summers being drunk in Belmar.
Once again our rights are being violated. I cant drink on my Deck? What freaking Nazi brain sturgeon decided they could stop free people from being free.
"Everything not forbidden is mandatory." - T.H. White
I spit on your mewling county ordinance and will bounce ping pong balls whereever and whenever I choose.
(Wild anarchic laughter)
when is the government going to stay out of our damn business
Welcome to New Jersey. Admission is free, but just try to get out without paying a toll. Nobody would pay to enter, but you'll pay whatever they ask to get out.
>>The so-called "Beer Pong" ordinance, which goes into effect Aug. 17, prohibits alcohol-related games or contests on porches, decks, lawns, front and side yards, or anywhere that can be viewed by the public and neighbors
Most of the parties I've been to where beer pong was featured, the people were low-lifes, rowdy, noisy, getting drunk if not already there.. (Needless to say I don't attend those parties anymore..)
Low class IMO.... Wanna play beer pong? Keep it in doors so the rest of civilized society doesn't have to put up with it.
Oh you can still drink on your deck, but just don't play solitaire while you're out there. This is ridiculous!
Doesn't the city already have a "public drunkenness" or "public nuisance" ordinance? This new law seems redundant.
Guess they can't hold their beer in Jersey anymore.
Put up with what, peole having fun?
if you saw the crap going on you may change your mind, I love horsshoes and a few other games but these kooks get way out of control. Seen plenty of whiffle balls hit bike riders and such....
Right, wouldn't that be "public nuisance," then? It's possible the city doesn't have a public intoxication or public nuisance statute, but if it does, then the new law doesn't seem to add much.
The hypocritical voters, that's who. They say "freedom first" out of one side of their mouths, and "take freedom away from the lowlifes" out of the other side.
Whiffle balls? Whiffle balls?
Oh, the humanity!
We'd spend the summer next door in Spring Lake where there was nothing to do after 8pm, while just a few blocks South, in Belmar, all hell was breaking loose.
What a time that was. I guess the locals must finally be getting tired of all the wildness. Wish I could remember more.
when it hits a lady in the head driving a minivan filled with kids, yeah theres a problem.
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