Hampton Beach Shoot-out

[doobie]

So today, myself and 4 others (Mike,Matt,Cindy,Matt) had a shoot-out on Hampton Beach with litter. 10 bags of litter lost their easy, relaxing lives on the beach and should be on the way to a landfill (not that I think a landfill is a better place for it, but that's another story). We also picked up numerous pieces of wood for housing (frames of stairs, etc), 3 boxes of fireworks (used). I had many people thank us for picking up litter. One little old lady came up to me and said, "Thank you, I wish there were more people like you picking up litter." My response was something along the lines of "If everyone picked up 10 pieces of trash the beach would be so much cleaner.

I was semi-disappoint by the lack of people showing up. If we had 15-20 we could have cleaned the entire beach. I'd say we did a really good job cleaning up about 1/4-1/3 the beach.

I had a single encounter with a GFW (as No Looking Backwards called it), it went something like this (please note due to the wind I had a hard time figuring out what he was really asking).

Him: "What are you doing?"
Me: "Picking up trash."
Him: "What is that on your belt?"
Me: "A Sig 239."
Him: "A what?"
Me: "A sig 239."
Him: "Isn't that a gun?"
Me: "Yeah."
Him: "Why do you have it?"
Me: "I always carry it around in NH."
Him: "Just don't shoot me with it."
Me: "I don't plan to shoot anyone so long as they aren't attacking me."
Him: "I'm just laying here and I'm not attacking you."

And I walked away after that.

I walked around Hampton after we were done and had many double-takes and people staring. I had a good time. A little sunburn, but it was good....until I walked back to some of the areas that were cleaned up and found litter all over the place. NH Parks should post signs "Pack out your trash. $100 fine for leaving trash." And they should give tickets.

I counted at least 10 police cruisers driving by and the officers inside looking in the direction we were walking.

I do recount one van of people with MA plates on who saw me and looked freaked out when they looked my direction.

It was very good fun, and I will possibly try for another clean-up come the end of the season or perhaps in another location during the spring/summer/fall.

 

[theGringo]

Outstanding, doob. And a rep point for you for showing the flag. I'd like to get in on that kind of action sometime.

Funny, the stoopid things people say about guns. Years ago I went to the State House for the Joint Hearings on Public Safety. I was part of a GOAL-organized thing.

After the testimony, I was riding up the elevator to visit my then-state-rep, John Binienda (17th Worcester). Somewhere on the way up to Binienda's dismal office the elevator door opened and two politicos got on. The older guy looked the typical red-nosed Irish pig (no offense intended, I'm half-Irish myself). He had a face vaguely reminiscent of Tip O'Neill, with a Ted Kennedyesque beer beezer dominating his pitted puss, and a shock of white hair falling loosely across his florid brow.

The younger guy was tall and angular, stood with a stoop, and wore an ill-fitting suit. Seemed to be in his early twenties, pimply, with dirty hair.

The old guy spotted the "I'm Pro-Gun and I Vote" sticker, on the lapel of my tweed sportcoat (hey, it was 20 years ago ... I wore a knitted tie, too) and asked:

"So, are you packin' a gun?"

I said, "Well, I often do. For protection, you know."

Old guy, cracking a broad grin which revealed his small, yellow teeth, says, "No, I mean are you packin' a gun right now?".

At this point his boy-pal, a Smithers kind of creep, had worked himself up to a fawningly approving cackle, rubbing his hands like a vulture ready to eat something dead. Funny shit.

So I said, "Well, I think that's a very impolite question".

Mercifully, the elevator door swung open just as the cocky smirks fell off both their faces ....

Ass hats, I think, is the the current vernacular for such maroons.

 

[doobie]

Outstanding, doob. And a rep point for you for showing the flag. I'd like to get in on that kind of action sometime.

Thanks. I was very nervous about open carrying until the police drove by about the 3rd time looking my/our way. I had a blast, my legs are SORE! And so are my arms, but mainly because they are edging on being sun burned. They are red...another hour or two outside and it would have been a real problem.

I'm thinking of trying to organize more open carry litter clean-ups, I had a blast and I think everyone else did too.

 

[WILDCATT]

cleanup

well I thought it was only down here that the people were pigs (pardon me pig).I quess its all over.this country is going [gone]to trash.I cleaned up my road when I first got here.as fast as I picked up they filled it I even have no dumping signs.whisky bottles/beer cans/tonic bottles.and fast food containers.
GOOD for you for trying.

 

[Bruce for NH State Rep]

Thanks for the update. Wish I could've made it.

 

[doobie]

Thanks for the update. Wish I could've made it.

I'm going to try to do at another one or two this year. Possibly one in Manchester/Nashua and another beach one the week after the season closes. Hopefully we'll get more people.

 

[TimJ]

Hat's off, Doobie! A right not exercised is a right lost.