West Seattle scene: Alki Beach trash after semi-summery day

Thanks to Jana for sharing the photo. She writes, “Really disappointing. Walking on Alki this morning. Garbage, beer cans and liquor bottles. One day of sun brings out the best and worst in us.” It’s not the Parks Department‘s job to be picking up after people, but this does remind us it’s time for a check on when their crews change schedules for the spring season. We’ll add whatever we find out. And if you’re going to the beach – take a trash bag in case the cans get maxed out – pack your trash out if you can, or close the bag and leave it by the nearest receptacle.

k April 8, 2014 (8:53 am)

I love the nice weather, but soon we’ll have to give Alki to the crowds.

WSgal April 8, 2014 (8:53 am)

Ugh, disappointing indeed.

schwaggy April 8, 2014 (8:54 am)

How seriously messed up a human do you have to be to leave that kind of mess around? Human scum, that’s who leaves this cr*p on our beaches. It should be collected and shoved down their throats to decompose. I’m guessing these scum are not from our shores.

enough April 8, 2014 (9:08 am)

Is drinking alcohol allowed on the beach? If not, it might be a good opportunity for an agency to conduct enforcement.

AD April 8, 2014 (9:15 am)

Next Weekend 4/19, volunteers from The Boeing Company will be teaming up with the Seattle aquarium and hosting a Alki Beach Clean-up event from 9-12pm. Currently, we already have 75+ people signed up so we will make sure our beach gets cleaned up.

K'lo April 8, 2014 (9:25 am)

Is anybody in the neighborhood interested in getting a group together to do some beach cleaning-up? Or at least get some conversation going? I’ve gone and done a few clean ups on my own in the past, but it’s a pretty daunting task to take on on ones own.

Rick April 8, 2014 (9:33 am)

Yeah, we need to cram 30 thousand more people into an already crowded area. Ya know, make it more “sustainable,green and all that stuff”. Ooh, and we all ride bikes too.

ax April 8, 2014 (9:43 am)

It’s nice to remind folks to be clean here on the blog, but I doubt that many who made that mess live in the neighborhood at all, much less read this site…

The Boss April 8, 2014 (11:20 am)

Ax@ true that

Mat April 8, 2014 (12:17 pm)

This is disappointing to see, but I feel pride knowing that my neighbors care as much as I do. Thanks for making West Seattle great y’all!

935 April 8, 2014 (12:48 pm)

What is the point of “conversation” aside from a popular buzz word? Those “conversing” are doing so in an echo chamber.
What really needs to happen is personal responsibility with society at large. That my friends begins at home.
Social responsibility, that is nurtured at school.
Not giving a *&!% about your actions is allowed and allowed again. Instead of getting online and tsk tsk tsking, and “conversing” amongst like minded individuals, see something – say something. Don’t be a chicken. We need to STAND UP to people intent on destroying what we hold dear. Not “converse” about how bad it is.

Seattle Sue April 8, 2014 (2:31 pm)

There’s nothing wrong with conversing–even among like-minded individuals. But I do think more of us could stand up for what we believe is right, i.e., cleaning up our own messes. Let’s work together!

thehealthyturnip April 8, 2014 (3:21 pm)

“Is drinking alcohol allowed on the beach? If not, it might be a good opportunity for an agency to conduct enforcement.”

No it’s illegal.

The SPD SW precinct conducts regular checks during their shifts for those skirting the law. Don’t believe me? Take a SPD ridealong sometime.

Eric April 8, 2014 (3:47 pm)

Well schwaggy,

That is the result of the egocentric self centered,selfish, and entitled mindset of people that don’t care about anyone but themselves.

It’s irritating that people act that way. Of course, there are people down the street from me that literally have trash all over in their front yard, so maybe it is people like them that contribute to this. Some people live by different standards, like none.

T Rex April 8, 2014 (3:56 pm)

Whomever left this mess, lives in a place that looks like this all the time. And they are not from West Seattle.

These are people who have no respect for themselves and even less for you and I. It makes me sad that such a beautiful place like Alki is being taken over every summer by gangsters, thugs and a younger generation, all of whom have their heads up their *ss.

If we all work together and see this type of behavior, see people walking away from a mess, call them out on it. Right then and there. Someone always sees something.

I know I will.

ScubaFrog April 8, 2014 (4:10 pm)

Pretty disappointing. The bikers, gangsters and malcontents come down to the beach and play their music, drink, and litter. Only a matter of time until there’s another shooting down here. I didn’t see 1 police officer the entire day – just the “bump bump bump” of huge car stereos, and the same cars driving up and down Alki. There used to be an anti-cruising law that was enforced – and a sound ordinance law that was enforced. I’d wager that SPD hasn’t given a ticket for either offense in years. I’ve seen the cars with the huge stereos drive right by SPD units, with no recourse. SPD will literally see the same car cruising by 6 times, and say nothing. And what kind of person just tosses their trash on the ground?

payrollgirl April 8, 2014 (4:39 pm)

I have numerous times gone up to a car and or person after seeing them litter and say to them “excuse me you dropped something” and they look at me like whatever or in shock and then pick it up!
I’m sure some of them throw it out again after I go by but hopefully some of the people it sinks in!

enough April 8, 2014 (4:54 pm)

@thehealthyturnip – thanks for the info. The police can’t catch everyone (as in this report of liquor bottles and beer cans) but it’s nice to know they do patrol for it.
.
People may remember this trash problem was discussed here last year. People littered but those who wanted to use a trash can encountered none or they were full. The city brought in more or bigger ones I think. That obviously didn’t fix the problem. There’s no excuse for littering. Last year someone even said they heard littering beach goers say that “we’re all rich here in WS so we should just deal with it or pick it up ourselves.” LOL. I didn’t know I was rich, did you? There’s definitely an attitude problem.
.
I like people stepping up to clean up other people’s messes because that’s the only way it will get done but I hate the fact that we are rewarding/encouraging bad behavior by picking it up. .. The whole someone else will do it mindset. It’s wrong.

High Point Resident April 8, 2014 (6:02 pm)

I live in the High Point region, and I “fight this battle” 365 days a year.

It’s frustrating when you work to keep your property (and neighborhood as a whole) manicured, only to come home from work to a lawn, sidewalk, and driveway littered with fast food wrappers, SlimJim wrappers, cigarette butts, beer cans, trial size liquor bottles, condoms, lottery tickets, and all sorts of garbage.

Nobody should have to clean up after another slob, but if we all take that attitude this city will become a landfill. If you pick up trash and call people out for leaving it around, you’re helping solve the problem… although more enforcement couldn’t hurt.

Chris W April 8, 2014 (8:03 pm)

If people don’t pick up the trash, the tides will. Glad to hear about the upcoming beach cleanups.

Rebecca April 8, 2014 (8:28 pm)

I’d be in favor of a policy of closing the beach whenever it is found in that condition. If they trash it Friday night, no beach Saturday or Sunday unless you’re there to collect trash. Maybe after a month of closures, they’ll just all stop coming. If they want to act like dumb little kids, treat them like little kids and take their toy away. Locals don’t use the beach in the summer anyway

sc April 8, 2014 (9:33 pm)

I laughed at the comment by “Rebecca”. My husband and I only go down to Alki when the weather is overcast. In the summer we never go there.

Wes C Addle April 8, 2014 (9:57 pm)

About 2 weeks ago I was at Lincoln Park, a group left empty cans of grape soda, individually wrapped cheese and Hotdogs all over one of the shelters and lawn. My friends and I cleaned it up but Jesus people.

shipwrecked_and_comatose April 9, 2014 (10:00 am)

Ah, the harbingers of spring in West Seattle; the first time you see a dude on a motorcycle wearing flip-flops and shorts, the first time you see (as in this article)a massive amount of garbage on the beach, the first time the east-bound traffic on Admiral backs up past Alki Mail & Dispatch. Sorry, but you can’t hold these things back any more than you can hold back the tide. I just try to stoically pick up other people’s trash when I can, and like Rebecca and sc, I only go to Alki beach when it’s raining, on a weekday morning, between Oct and Feb. Hint: People who don’t live in WS don’t even know that Jack Block park exists :)

Sarishah April 9, 2014 (10:52 am)

“…gangsters, thugs and a younger generation.” Richard Sherman is disappointed in you, man. But seriously, some of you are super transparent. I can always count on some subtle racism and classism from fellow West Seattlites on this site. Luckily, there are other, better people in our neighborhood who are happy to devote some time to clean-up while brainstorming creative and positive strategies to avoid future messes.

T Rex April 9, 2014 (1:51 pm)

Richard Sherman can then help come clean up the garbage.

I wrote what I saw, how is that racist? Gangsters are gangsters no matter their color. Google it.

Wild One April 9, 2014 (5:41 pm)

Alki is pretty lame in the summer nowadays. Too much crowd, drama, and mess.
I pretty much avoid it when the weather gets nice.

Eric April 9, 2014 (6:42 pm)

I agree wild one

Eric April 9, 2014 (6:49 pm)

Scubafrog,

I remember when I was younger they did enforce the cruising law and sound ordinance law. It’s been years since I went down to Alki cause the BS, I wonder if they even still have the signs up about that? I wish the police would enforce the sound ordinance in general. It’s completely disrespectful to others to turn your stereo up so loud that it rattles other people’s car

bob April 11, 2014 (3:44 pm)

i imagine if you’re being civil and properly disposing of trash, there shouldn’t be a problem if someone wants to just chill on the beach and roast hot dogs with a cold can of beer right? no glass bottles and properly disposed of cans? not everyone who drinks beer is a miscreant…

Sorry, comment time is over.