Bettystown Beach

N

ney001

Registered User
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Just a bit confused, maybe someone can enlighten me?

Was at Bettystown yesterday for a good few hours. As we drove onto the beach, i noticed two County Council open back vans parked at the entrance, one facing the water, the other facing the road. As we pulled up, a guy got out of one of the vans and gave us a parking ticket which was two euro. Basically, it seems that barrier isn't working etc so they need a guy there taking money at the entrance - fair enough. Question is this, why was there two vans, one had a female in it and she sat in her van for at least two and a half hours (when we left she was still sitting there), she didn't get out at all, she cleaned the inside of the van for a few minutes but otherwise just sat reading whilst the other guy got in and out as a few cars entered the beach. Weather was pretty brutal yesterday so small number of vehicles present at beach - maybe 20 when I was there. Anyone know what that was about? surely Meath County Council are not paying two staff members in two vans, double time for sitting at the beach collecting a few quid from cars.
 
She was there to provide security for the other guy who was holding the cash, in case he got robbed.
 
She was there to provide security for the other guy who was holding the cash, in case he got robbed.
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Sounds like it would have been cheaper for the council to have just left a bucket of cash for people to help themselves.
 
Well look I could be wrong it just looked like there were two vans with two people, one of whom was collecting €2 at entrance. The barrier system was installed well over a year ago now but has never worked. It just struck me as very very odd - particularly when they weren't doing anything else, i.e picking up rubbish etc - they were just sitting in vans.
 
Think the second vehicle was probably the Costal Warden - issues fines for littering etc.
 
TheShark said:
Think the second vehicle was probably the Costal Warden - issues fines for littering etc.
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No don't think so - I always see the warden at the beach, drives a different vehicle altogether. She was just parked at the barrier looking at the entrance - for hours, never moved, just cleaned the van and read the paper - they didn't even really talk to each other. It's no big deal I guess just curious to know whether or not they were seriously getting paid to sit collecting a crappy few bob on a rainy sunday at the beach? surely it would be cheaper to just get the barrier system working, as I said I have never seen it in operation.
 
Assuming wage costs of €10 / hour (very low, I know) at time-and-a-half, and 6 hours "work", this works out at €180. This takes nothing else into account, like vehicle costs etc.

All this to collect €2 x 20 cars - is it any wonder that this country is going down the tubes?
 
It is the council, one person works and another person supervises.

Next time you see roadworks, you'll see one person sweating hard and working and another watching them

Ah no, that's harsh.
Break cover maybe?
The person collecting the money is entitled to their break, they won't be there all day.
Now I know they are just waiting for cars so not constantly active but still, they need a break.
And if they headed off for a break and left the car park unattended, we'd have another thread asking we some people get in for free and others pay 2 euro
 
It must have been her day to sit in the van because on Saturday she was collecting the money and he was relaxing in the Van.
 
Firefly said:
Not allowing this would seem to make the most sense here to me.
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Perhaps - they basically allow cars up to the signs on the beach. Perhaps because there is very little other parking around? I just cannot believe that the council is paying wages for a Saturday and Sunday - it would be cheaper to let the cars on to the beach with no charge until such a time as the barrier has been fixed. The beach has been free entry for as far back as I can remember, surely another couple of weeks won't make a difference! If two wages have to be paid then one should be out at least picking up litter, making people pick up their dog crap instead of sitting in the van for the whole day.
 
I am a believer that Bettystown or any other beach should not have any county council members to oversee whatever is happening there.

Unfortunately, our Irish society is "I must have" and "I can do what I like" - and our beaches are left in a filthy condition with uneaten hamburgers, sasuasge, soiled paper nappies, picnic leftovers etc etc.

Therefore, there is the need for some kind of supervision. We dont deserve more.
 

I don't even think those council workers were supervising this though? They were not walking the length of the beach ensuring people clean up their belongings. They were just putting the hand out to collect money from cars.
 
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