Beach protestors at Acapulco yesterday

NatAless



Joined: 31/03/2009
Posts: 789

Message Posted:
13/07/2009 10:10

A big group of protestors went to Acapulco hotel yesterday claiming that the beach should be free for all and refusing to pay the 20ytl entrance fee!

They got away with it and apparently enjoyed themselves having a good swim etc, the police were called but could only supervise that no trouble was caused, which it wasn't... the group of maybe 50 people, who apparently were quite young and possibly students were handing out small flyers (written in Tukish) stating their case that you should not have to pay for any beach, the sand and sea is part of nature and nobody has the right to charge you for this...this caused a big debate all day amongst staff, day trippers and hotel clients all talking about who is right or wrong, the positive thing is that it did get people talking and there will probably now be an atricle in the local paper discussing this (I know there was an article in Cyprus Today recently about this)

daisy dukes


Joined: 06/09/2008
Posts: 3815

Message Posted:
13/07/2009 10:12

About time too....although most places on the beach say you are not paying for the beach, but for the use of things likes beds and brollies and toilets etc etc....



DD

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
13/07/2009 10:14

Nothing like a bit of Civil Disobedience! Love it!



Richard

deecyprus4


Joined: 27/07/2008
Posts: 3452

Message Posted:
13/07/2009 10:17

I think it is right that ppl should pay to use the facilities if they are not staying there.

Earlybird


Joined: 28/04/2009
Posts: 816

Message Posted:
13/07/2009 10:36

Good for them, beaches should be free if you are not using sunbeds and umbrellas!

maybemike


Joined: 12/01/2009
Posts: 188

Message Posted:
13/07/2009 10:39

thats the point the beach should be free, but all the facilities are not hard to police.

Stewart


Joined: 19/07/2008
Posts: 1107

Message Posted:
13/07/2009 10:40

Quite right, beach should be free...but does this price of 20ytl not include all their facilities ie inc use of the pool?



Not sure how you could manage a free beach and not any facilities inc toilets?



Perhaps they will stop the charge for the beach, but payment would be required to enter private property..as you would do for a water park?

keithcaley



Joined: 13/06/2008
Posts: 2521

Message Posted:
13/07/2009 10:46

I agree with msg 4 and msg 5, the Law says that there is free public access to beaches, however the operators are entitled to charge for use of toilets and other facilities that they provide.

I can imagine that it is quite difficult to control who uses the toilets if there is a mixture of payers and non-payers though!

Sunbeds and parasols are easy enough...

One difficulty is the tendency of some Beach/Resort Operators (like Acapulco) to ban the consumption of your own food and drink whilst on 'their' beach.

Surely, if you are sat on your own towel, on a beach to which the law says you have free access, you can legally eat and drink whatever you like!

Not so easy...

Jovial_John


Joined: 31/01/2009
Posts: 1024

Message Posted:
13/07/2009 11:29

The law says (as I understood it from the recent Cyprus Today article) that operators may charge for the facilities they provide but no more than 1/2 tl per item that you use - except car park which can be the same charge as imposed by the local municipality (so 2tl in Girne).

So if you park there, use a sunbed and a parasol you should be charged 3 tl.

pinkchilli


Joined: 30/11/2008
Posts: 689

Message Posted:
13/07/2009 11:58

I have a solution.



Where there are facilities provided, section off an area which is free. Do not clean this area, have no facilities, have no toliets, (have signs up in all languages highlighting the dangers of using the sea as a toilet! Throw in the sea the occasional Twix bar ) and Bob's your Uncle and Fanny's your Aunt.



Simples.

keithcaley



Joined: 13/06/2008
Posts: 2521

Message Posted:
13/07/2009 12:08

pinkchilli,

I see that you are thinking outside of the box!

The problem would be though, that legally, eveyone is entitled to free access to ALL of the beach - cordoning off a part of it would thus be ILLEGAL...

Good try though

pinkchilli


Joined: 30/11/2008
Posts: 689

Message Posted:
13/07/2009 12:42

If they cleaned the "pay" area only, this could be classified as providing a facility.



It would mean that they could simply run a rake over their area and say that this is providing a service, whereas overthere, in that other (unraked) area, is your free area, which you can use.



The next argument could be that beach owners clean the total beach, and use my argument above as providing a service and therefore there will be no free areas.



New legislation I feel.

Carndi


Joined: 12/06/2009
Posts: 613

Message Posted:
13/07/2009 12:46

The problem here is that about 4 years ago someone spotted that if they put up a fence they could make money especialy from the tourists by charging for access to the beach. This was closley followed by bars and resturants doing the same and as no one complained it was a free for all.

The operative words here are ' No one complained '.

If enough people complain and ask for the police to be called then those beaches which should be free,will be.

To pay for sun beds and brollies is only right but to be forbidden to consume your own refreshments on a public beach is criminal.

This is typical of North Cyprus. Take as much money of the tourist, over charge etc and then wonder why the tourists are not comming back here for their holidays.

daisy dukes


Joined: 06/09/2008
Posts: 3815

Message Posted:
13/07/2009 12:47

Maybe if you either had a) a toilet attendant to pay or b) have a slot machine this would cut out another 'use' of a facility....



DD

Woodspeckie


Joined: 25/01/2009
Posts: 2263

Message Posted:
13/07/2009 13:22

A couple of places in Turkey we pay for the facilities but when we buy a drink or something to eat at one of the cafes they knock the cost off the bill, makes sense.

hybrid


Joined: 07/07/2009
Posts: 13

Message Posted:
13/07/2009 13:41

In Turkey the beaches are free. If you want to use a sunbed and parasol then you pay for it. Same with the public toilets/showers 1 or 2 tl to use. I think this is fair if you just come down with your own towels and picnic (tidy up afterwards) then you shouldn't have to pay !!!

littlejohn


Joined: 09/03/2009
Posts: 316

Message Posted:
14/07/2009 01:53

Escape is a good example!Used to take the grandkids there. Lovely little beach until the spivs took over - now look at it !!!

breezyboy


Joined: 14/05/2007
Posts: 1179

Message Posted:
14/07/2009 18:00

Nobody ever argued about paying the deck chair man in Blackpool/Scarborough etc etc. So why argue about paying for modern facilities now. An arm band as per all inclusive hotels would allow you to use the pool, toilets and bars as you wish without any probs for anyone. A good outside bar and snackbar would, at the right prices, give the additional income that the owners require.

ROBnJO


Joined: 30/06/2008
Posts: 1289

Message Posted:
14/07/2009 18:22

Not every TC will rip you off for beach use.



The Alagadi beach restaurant (yes, I know it's a free public beach), rent out parasols, but usually will say 'pay when you come back'.

If you have any drinks or food, the charge is forgotten.



Lovely people, good food, good prices, good beach, sure there's some litter at times, but if you wanted immaculate Caribbean beaches,.... should have gone there at 10X the cost!

gates


Joined: 08/12/2008
Posts: 1096

Message Posted:
14/07/2009 18:34

there are loads of beaches that want cleaning why not stag a protest and clean them so you can say i cleaned it i use it sorly this is the line or is you do all the work and i will use it rates out here dont think like england do you

keithcaley



Joined: 13/06/2008
Posts: 2521

Message Posted:
14/07/2009 18:47

breezyboy,

The deckchair man at Blackpool didn't try to stop you going onto the beach (to which by law you are allowed free access) if all you wanted to do was have a paddle and sit on your own towel and eat your own boiled egg sandwiches (with real crunchy sand in them ).

I do agree with you that if concessionaires concentrated on providing chargeable facilities, toilets, food and drink etc at sensible prices then people would pay to use them selectively, as and when they felt the need - instead of being faced with a demand to pay for facilities that they may well not want to use.

I appreciate that they also spend time and money cleaning the beaches - but that is entirely in their own interest - if a proportion of the people who are attracted to the beach because it is clean, and has facilities, are prepared to use and pay for those facilities, then they are on a winner!

Keith.

gates


Joined: 08/12/2008
Posts: 1096

Message Posted:
14/07/2009 19:02

free loading this country is full of why not make a difrence do your own thing on a beach that has not been cleaned by sombody else i cantr see it or shall we all start signing on the doll out here do nothing all day and wait for it to be done for us wasters go home

keithcaley



Joined: 13/06/2008
Posts: 2521

Message Posted:
14/07/2009 20:34

gates,

Who was that aimed at?

What was it supposed to mean?

Could you try again please, preferably with a little more punctuation?

Thanks in advance,

Keith.

joanie1


Joined: 25/07/2008
Posts: 164

Message Posted:
14/07/2009 21:51

This is a really an interesting thread - hope its not hijacked by football. Of course access to all beaches should be free of charge but people who supply facilities (which they have had to pay for) should be allowed to charge for them. Late this afternoon I went for a walk on Karsiaka Beach - I could not believe the litter left behind by those who were using the beach for free. Dog ends stuck in the sand - empty bottles and loads of half eaten water melons just left to be taken over by ants. I am happy to go to places like Acupulco Beach and pay to use the facilities safe in the knowledge that I will not step on a full nappy (yes seen many of those on Karsiaka Beach). If we were all responsible beach users there would not be a problem and think about this - the people who object to paying for any facilities on beaches - will they pay to use the toilets - do you still want to swim in the sea - I've really put myself off now - think I'll stay in my pool.



Joan

keith


Joined: 03/04/2007
Posts: 272

Message Posted:
15/07/2009 11:23

If the price was between 5 aand 10 ytl i am sure most people would not mind paying we went to glapsides and was charged 4ytl and you got a sunbed and a water which we thought was fair

Keith

elko2



Joined: 24/07/2007
Posts: 4400

Message Posted:
15/07/2009 11:47

The TRNC Constitution is quite cler o this. ll the beaches are free and access to them must be unhindered. Nobody can stop you from taking your own food there. This is abosolutly the case with the beaches in Famagusta. If I wish to use their umbrellas or sunbeds then I have to pay. Of course the privaate enterprise can charge for the use of toilettes if they want to. They have to play by the book, as simple as that.

ismet

breezyboy


Joined: 14/05/2007
Posts: 1179

Message Posted:
15/07/2009 11:57

Is there access to Acapulco's beach which doesn't involve using their drive?

I can see them being legally allowed to refuse access across their property to non-customers.

elko2



Joined: 24/07/2007
Posts: 4400

Message Posted:
15/07/2009 12:52

Breezyboy,

There are laws which forbid private buildings within I think 100 metres of teh beach. The exception is touristic buildings with conditions that free access to the beach is not prevented.

ismet