The beach access at Paynes Bay, St James, which was the centre of attention this week is private property.
The SATURDAY SUN spoke yesterday to one of the property owners who said she was tired of the bad behaviour of people using the property to get to the beach.
Earlier this week, beach operators vented their anger over the possible closure of the beach access, saying for years they had used the path to get to and back from the beach.
They also said the path provided their bread and butter and was the easiest place to haul up their boats and the only close access for emergency vehicles.
But yesterday as preparations were being made for “a guard wall” to be placed on the property by one of the owners, another owner, Maureen King, had a different story to tell.
She said since the entrance known as the Blue Monkey entrance was closed more than a year ago, the amount of traffic had increased and the behaviour had gotten worse.
“This wasn’t always like this, but since Blue Monkey closed down, everyone uses that path now. They don’t have any respect for me or the other people that live down in there.”
She said the property which encompassed four house spots belonging to the King and Hope families had been theirs for years.
“They leave the property nasty! They bring the tourists and put them to sit on my step and wash their feet and leave all the sand around, they curse me and tell me to take up the land and carry it in the grave with me.
“I’m glad you came to see me ’cause dem ain’t easy,” she said, referring to the taximen/tour operators who dropped off tourists to go on the various rides being offered.
King said the bad behaviour had even made her lose tenants, who left because of the constant noise and shouting in the area.
“If they park their vehicles at the top, some stay up there and shout down to the bottom. When it’s not that, they have all the taxis parked down in the path, they get out and leave them and you have to walk all over the beach looking for them. Why should the people living down in there be inconvenienced? I have No Parking signs up on the property and no one notices them. They do as they like,” she said. (CT)
