When you go to the beach alone, where do you put your stuff?
August 9, 2011 10:47 AM Subscribe
Going to the beach alone, where to put my stuff?
I want to go to the beach alone but the problem is always, how do I go in the water without my stuff being stolen?
I can put money in a little envelope thing I bought at Paragon Sports (which I've been too scared to use) but I have a whole purse, a cell phone, keys, etc.
This is in NYC where people steal things (I'm told). (Brighton Beach or Coney Island).
thank you
I want to go to the beach alone but the problem is always, how do I go in the water without my stuff being stolen?
I can put money in a little envelope thing I bought at Paragon Sports (which I've been too scared to use) but I have a whole purse, a cell phone, keys, etc.
This is in NYC where people steal things (I'm told). (Brighton Beach or Coney Island).
thank you
Best answer: I leave my phone at home. I put my keys and a few bucks, maybe a metrocard, into a water-resistant wrist wallet or one that goes around the neck. Leave the purse at home, carry a plastic bag for your towel, bottle of water, sunscreen, and shoes/flip flops (if not wearing them there). You can leave a towel there on the same with water, flip flops, sunscreen, etc and nobody will touch it, in my experience.
This is what I do on all my solo trips to Brighton Beach.
posted by cmgonzalez at 10:52 AM on August 9, 2011 [4 favorites]
This is what I do on all my solo trips to Brighton Beach.
posted by cmgonzalez at 10:52 AM on August 9, 2011 [4 favorites]
I pretty much grew up off Coney Island and have spent (and continue to spend) a lot of time on that beach. The area is shady as all get-out and I would never leave anything of value hanging around out of eyesight (people, of course, do.)
Is there a way you can make it onto the beach with nothing of value except your clothes (which you can more-or-less safely leave), a towel (likewise) and nothing else you can't hold in a waterproof case that will be attached to you?
posted by griphus at 10:53 AM on August 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
Is there a way you can make it onto the beach with nothing of value except your clothes (which you can more-or-less safely leave), a towel (likewise) and nothing else you can't hold in a waterproof case that will be attached to you?
posted by griphus at 10:53 AM on August 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
Seinfeld recommends in your shoe 'because no one will ever look there'!
...making this the first place one would look to find valuables.
(And, yeah, the flip-flops, bag and sunscreen will be safe as well.)
posted by griphus at 10:56 AM on August 9, 2011
...making this the first place one would look to find valuables.
(And, yeah, the flip-flops, bag and sunscreen will be safe as well.)
posted by griphus at 10:56 AM on August 9, 2011
And of course that should be SAND, not same. That's what multitasking at work gets me.
posted by cmgonzalez at 11:01 AM on August 9, 2011
posted by cmgonzalez at 11:01 AM on August 9, 2011
How about a bag that you secretively bury in the sand somewhere under your towel?
posted by Vaike at 11:22 AM on August 9, 2011
posted by Vaike at 11:22 AM on August 9, 2011
I can put money in a little envelope thing I bought at Paragon Sports (which I've been too scared to use) but I have a whole purse, a cell phone, keys, etc.
Leave that stuff at home. Especially the phone. Trying to hide any kind of valuables on the beach is really asking for trouble. Especially in New York City. All you should need are:
posted by grouse at 11:29 AM on August 9, 2011
Leave that stuff at home. Especially the phone. Trying to hide any kind of valuables on the beach is really asking for trouble. Especially in New York City. All you should need are:
- Just the keys it takes to get back home, not all of your keys
- MetroCard
- A small amount of cash might be nice for an emergency
posted by grouse at 11:29 AM on August 9, 2011
Response by poster: ha, before I posted I searched much too long and hard on You Tube for that Seinfeld bit, but didn't find it.
I guess it all makes sense except it scares me not to have my cell phone. Maybe I could stick it in my shoe and just believe that it's unlikely to be stolen? (it's not a fancy one)
The money, I guess if it got wet, would dry off. The Metrocard (essential) would be okay. I also want to carry my health insurance card so that if I drown almost to death but not quite I would be treated nicely in the E.R. (or does the insurance not make a difference in that case?)
And some identification is very important. I wonder where you can get something laminated, like an I.D. card I'd make myself with name and other essential basic info?
I would also take a book, but assume that the Robbers will not be interested in it. Maybe I should bring something like Lacan, just to make sure.
posted by DMelanogaster at 11:33 AM on August 9, 2011
I guess it all makes sense except it scares me not to have my cell phone. Maybe I could stick it in my shoe and just believe that it's unlikely to be stolen? (it's not a fancy one)
The money, I guess if it got wet, would dry off. The Metrocard (essential) would be okay. I also want to carry my health insurance card so that if I drown almost to death but not quite I would be treated nicely in the E.R. (or does the insurance not make a difference in that case?)
And some identification is very important. I wonder where you can get something laminated, like an I.D. card I'd make myself with name and other essential basic info?
I would also take a book, but assume that the Robbers will not be interested in it. Maybe I should bring something like Lacan, just to make sure.
posted by DMelanogaster at 11:33 AM on August 9, 2011
If you go to Brighton Beach (Brighton ~6-15th streets) and further away from Coney Island, your stuff will be safer. Set up next to a family with young kids or in the middle of a few groups of Russian grandmas. Stay away from teenagers. Leave your phone at home or in the car. Don't take a purse purse, just a tote bag or plastic bag. If you have to take money or your phone, put that under an old-looking towel along with your keys on top of your laying down towel, and put the tote-bag/plastic bag on the other corner of the laying down towel. I've never had stuff stolen there, but I imagine if people were going to steal stuff, they'd grab the bag and keep walking, and your valuable stuff would stay under the towel where you hid it.
posted by never.was.and.never.will.be. at 11:34 AM on August 9, 2011
posted by never.was.and.never.will.be. at 11:34 AM on August 9, 2011
I guess it all makes sense except it scares me not to have my cell phone.
You're better off writing down the important numbers on a piece of paper and taking some quarters.
posted by griphus at 11:36 AM on August 9, 2011
You're better off writing down the important numbers on a piece of paper and taking some quarters.
posted by griphus at 11:36 AM on August 9, 2011
Response by poster: That's a fabulous idea, about the old-looking towel! I could bring TWO phones, placing my real one under the towel and the sham phone (I have a broken one that's not in service anymore) on top of the towel! SO SNEAKY. And maybe I could put COUNTERFEIT MONEY on top of the towel, and REAL money under the towel!
posted by DMelanogaster at 11:37 AM on August 9, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by DMelanogaster at 11:37 AM on August 9, 2011 [2 favorites]
I'd sit near and be friendly with a family who's clearly set up for a long day and ask if they wouldn't mind if you left your (incredibly streamlined) bag with them while you take a quick dip or two. Offer to do the same for them, or to buy their kids popsicles or something.
Otherwise, a grubby-looking paper bag that looks like it holds the remains of your lunch is probably a decent purse alternative. Put an half-empty soda can on it for added effect while you swim, or if you really want to deter the curious, a used-looking diaper tied up in a plastic bag.
posted by mauvest at 12:03 PM on August 9, 2011
Otherwise, a grubby-looking paper bag that looks like it holds the remains of your lunch is probably a decent purse alternative. Put an half-empty soda can on it for added effect while you swim, or if you really want to deter the curious, a used-looking diaper tied up in a plastic bag.
posted by mauvest at 12:03 PM on August 9, 2011
It's a little dorky, but you should google waterproof/swimming money belts. I've used them abroad, so passports and stuff were at stake, and it's totally worth being able to play in the water without ever worrying about your stuff or having to take turns going out. (It's been a few years, so maybe they're less dorky now!)
posted by Room 641-A at 12:38 PM on August 9, 2011
posted by Room 641-A at 12:38 PM on August 9, 2011
By the way, it's at the very bottom of this page. From the nightclub act.
posted by bquarters at 1:00 PM on August 9, 2011
posted by bquarters at 1:00 PM on August 9, 2011
The nice thing about cash rather than a credit card, is that if you lose it you are only out a small amount of cash.
To the contrary, loosing credit (not debit) card means not loosing a penny and only requires a call to the issuer to get a new one.
posted by zeikka at 1:01 PM on August 9, 2011
To the contrary, loosing credit (not debit) card means not loosing a penny and only requires a call to the issuer to get a new one.
posted by zeikka at 1:01 PM on August 9, 2011
zeikka, I've been through that process, and while, in the end, I did not have to pay for any of the charges on my credit card, I would gladly pay $20 not to have to go through it again.
posted by grouse at 1:06 PM on August 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by grouse at 1:06 PM on August 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
Oh god, no you do not need an insurance card on your person to get care. They go all out no matter what, thats what a hospital is. They bill after the fact
posted by Patbon at 1:38 PM on August 9, 2011
posted by Patbon at 1:38 PM on August 9, 2011
In addition to bringing a minimum of valuables as folks have stated above, I'm a big believer that a mess is better than a tidy little bag (no matter how it looks) with all your stuff inside. It's a lot easier for someone walking by to grab-and-go a single bag than a pile of towel and shorts and magazine and left sneaker and right sneaker, etc.
posted by dismitree at 2:04 PM on August 9, 2011
posted by dismitree at 2:04 PM on August 9, 2011
I have lost some or all of my cards number of times and never ever has it taken more than a phone call or in few cases signing something that I didn't authorize any charges. Lost cash I've never recovered.
posted by zeikka at 2:28 PM on August 9, 2011
posted by zeikka at 2:28 PM on August 9, 2011
Look for the elderly ukrainian jewish ladies that will be out in droves, and ask them politely if you can leave your stuff nearby them while you take a 20 minute swim. I have never had a single one of them turn me down, and have often come out of the deal richer with homemade pelmeni. (Admittedly the situation is a lot easier if you know some Yiddish.)
posted by elizardbits at 3:23 PM on August 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by elizardbits at 3:23 PM on August 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
Good suggestions above but after you settle on the solution that works best for you, view Swimming to Cambodia by Spaulding Gray. The film concerns his quest for a "perfect moment" and amusingly considers the anxieties involved in leaving one's personal essential items on a beach. It's also a fine film overall.
posted by Morrigan at 3:41 PM on August 9, 2011
posted by Morrigan at 3:41 PM on August 9, 2011
(sort of depressing for a day at the beach when you consider how he died, though, innit?)
posted by elizardbits at 3:44 PM on August 9, 2011
posted by elizardbits at 3:44 PM on August 9, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by bquarters at 10:51 AM on August 9, 2011