The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

With all of the concerns and challenges facing Bahamian homeowners in trying to stem the tide of criminality overwhelming our shores, Senator Keith Bell now wants public beach access and right of way for Bahamians through private properties in order for them to access those beaches below the high water mark.

Senator Bell says of our more prestigious gated communities “I am not in any way attacking those communities or the persons who live in them, it is important, however, that in looking at the issue of beach access, we look at the issue of public access to the miles of beaches which most of us can only see when taking off or arriving at Lynden Pindling International Airport.”

One can only imagine the concern and dismay of the homeowners of Lyford Cay, Love Beach and Albany, just to name a few, at the thought of rowdy and undisciplined crowds of Bahamians every weekend with their deafening music and their mounds of litter left behind, not to mention the opportunities afforded to the many more nefarious among them to ply their criminal trade.

Yes, there is disparity when it comes to beach access for Bahamians, however, their behaviour at public beaches such as Montagu, Saunders Beach, Goodman’s Bay and Orange Hill as displayed frequently provides every reason to question the feasibility of what would be a major infringement on the rights of the property owners in question in an effort to pander to the masses.

IAN MABON

Nassau,

November 11, 2014.