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From: ran@ho95e.UUCP (RANeinast)
Newsgroups: net.women,net.singles
Subject: Re: Beach harassment (public?)
Message-ID: <484@ho95e.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 12-Feb-86 09:04:58 EST
Article-I.D.: ho95e.484
Posted: Wed Feb 12 09:04:58 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 14-Feb-86 01:11:37 EST
References: <8342@ucla-cs.ARPA> <2581@sdcrdcf.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 43
Xref: watmath net.women:8902 net.singles:10224

> Okay, boys and girls, listen up:  Anyone who goes to a public beach
> and expects privacy is a fool.  They are called *public* beaches for
> a reason.  If you go there you had better be prepared to handle
> people attempting to engage you in conversation.  (And yes, many of
> them will be hoping that that engaging you in conversation will
> lead to engaging you in other activities.)

> If you do not want to be approached by strangers, find yourself
> a private beach, or a backyard where strangers are not welcome.

> Snoopy
> tektronix!tekecs!doghouse.TEK!snoopy

Yeah, right.  And anyone who goes to a public restaurant and expects
privacy is a fool.  If you go there you should expect all sorts of
people to come up to your table, maybe want to dance with you,
maybe try to sell you some insurance, whatever they want.  If you
don't want to be approached by strangers, eat at home.  After all,
it is a PUBLIC place, isn't it?

And how about a public library.  If you go there and expect privacy,
you're a fool.  Anybody can go there and have a party if they wish.
After all, it a PUBLIC place, isn't it?

Oh, and by the way, anybody can stop you on the highway to try
to meet you, and maybe discuss the situation in Angola.  They
can honk at you as they wish, and shout out various suggestions.
If you don't want to meet these people, you can just stay home.
After all, it is a PUBLIC road, isn't it?

Look, obviously there is no law against this sort of harassment,
but rules of politeness do apply.  Just because some people are
too stupid to realize this and make asses (as in har-asses) of themselves,
does not mean we have to countenance it.

There are codes of behavior for various public places.  Nowhere do
I see that the code of behavior for beaches includes the right
to approach and annoy complete strangers.
-- 

". . . and shun the frumious Bandersnatch."
Robert Neinast (ihnp4!ho95c!ran)
AT&T-Bell Labs