Man arrested for cleaning beach

[KBCraig]

http://www.marinij.com/ci_7430910

Muir Beach man cited for cleaning beach
Paul Liberatore
Article Launched: 11/10/2007 10:14:53 PM PST

No good deed goes unpunished.

At least that's how Muir Beach resident Sigward Moser felt Friday after he says he was threatened with a Taser gun, forced to the ground and handcuffed by a National Park Service ranger for refusing to stop cleaning up the oily beach beneath his home.

Moser, a 45-year-old communications consultant, said he was forced to sprawl handcuffed on the wet sand for an hour before he was released and given two misdemeanor citations, one for entering an emergency area and another for refusing a lawful order.

"It was pretty wet and uncomfortable," he said Saturday. "This is very frustrating, and it was completely avoidable."

Moser's Pacific Way home overlooks Muir Beach, where cleanup crews with 100 professionals in white and yellow protective coveralls were at work yesterday.

But there was no one cleaning up Friday when oily globs the size of bowling balls began washing up on shore from Wednesday's disastrous fuel oil spill.

Moser, a neighborhood liaison on the Muir Beach Disaster Council, went out on the oily beach with an impromptu crew of Buddhist monks in training at the nearby Green Gulch Zen Center.

He said they scooped up 7,000 pounds of solidified oil and put it in plastic bags before park service officials arrived in the afternoon to size up the situation.

"You don't have to be trained to do this," he said. "We had on gloves and we didn't feel there was a health risk. It just lifted up from the sand like it was in kitty litter. They came late with only five people. We felt that anything we could do is better than nothing."

Moser said he declined three orders to halt his activities before he was cited.

Park service officials held a conference call on Saturday about the incident with members of the Muir Beach Community Services District.

"They were upset, but we tried to reassure them why trained professionals are needed to do this work," said National Park Service publicist Rich Weideman, citing health hazards and unintended injuries to wildlife by untrained volunteers.

"These kinds of things are awkward for us, but they seemed to be pretty pleased with our explanation."

[J’raxis 270145]

Couldn't have anything to do with the fact that one of the government's overpaid make-work departments was being outshined by a bunch of volunteers. Nope.

[Kat Kanning]

Those CA parks guys threatened to arrest me on the beach, too    Man, that sucks!

[Raineyrocks]

http://www.marinij.com/ci_7430910

Muir Beach man cited for cleaning beach
Paul Liberatore
Article Launched: 11/10/2007 10:14:53 PM PST

No good deed goes unpunished.

At least that's how Muir Beach resident Sigward Moser felt Friday after he says he was threatened with a Taser gun, forced to the ground and handcuffed by a National Park Service ranger for refusing to stop cleaning up the oily beach beneath his home.

Moser, a 45-year-old communications consultant, said he was forced to sprawl handcuffed on the wet sand for an hour before he was released and given two misdemeanor citations, one for entering an emergency area and another for refusing a lawful order.

"It was pretty wet and uncomfortable," he said Saturday. "This is very frustrating, and it was completely avoidable."

Moser's Pacific Way home overlooks Muir Beach, where cleanup crews with 100 professionals in white and yellow protective coveralls were at work yesterday.

But there was no one cleaning up Friday when oily globs the size of bowling balls began washing up on shore from Wednesday's disastrous fuel oil spill.

Moser, a neighborhood liaison on the Muir Beach Disaster Council, went out on the oily beach with an impromptu crew of Buddhist monks in training at the nearby Green Gulch Zen Center.

He said they scooped up 7,000 pounds of solidified oil and put it in plastic bags before park service officials arrived in the afternoon to size up the situation.

"You don't have to be trained to do this," he said. "We had on gloves and we didn't feel there was a health risk. It just lifted up from the sand like it was in kitty litter. They came late with only five people. We felt that anything we could do is better than nothing."

Moser said he declined three orders to halt his activities before he was cited.

Park service officials held a conference call on Saturday about the incident with members of the Muir Beach Community Services District.

"They were upset, but we tried to reassure them why trained professionals are needed to do this work," said National Park Service publicist Rich Weideman, citing health hazards and unintended injuries to wildlife by untrained volunteers.

"These kinds of things are awkward for us, but they seemed to be pretty pleased with our explanation."

Gee, I feel so much safer knowing this man was caught in the act of such a violent crime.  I'll tell you, I can sleep so much better at night knowing these cops are really doing such a fine job.  
Of course I hope you all know I'm being very sarcastic.

[Raineyrocks]

He was only in it for the oil!

I wonder if he was related to Bush or Cheney?

[mike82934]

Couldn't have anything to do with the fact that one of the government's overpaid make-work departments was being outshined by a bunch of volunteers. Nope.

[JJ]

...

Gee, I feel so much safer knowing this man was caught in the act of such a violent crime.  I'll tell you, I can sleep so much better at night knowing these cops are really doing such a fine job.  
Of course I hope you all know I'm being very sarcastic.

Indeed with protection like that who needs criminals?

[Puke]

"I'm going to beat you now, it's for your safety."

[sigh]

[Dreepa]

"I'm going to beat you now, it's for your safety."

[sigh]

I am going to beat that freedom into you.

[Fragilityh14]

ridiculous. the only explanation is they don't want to realize that without ridiculous state intervention citizens will just figure things out...because they don't want oil on their beaches.

in fact, if they weren't wasting time lobbying the government for ridiculous restrictions, cleaning up beaches would be a great "use" for environmental organizations.

[Recumbent ReCycler]

Their excuse was total BS.  There is no way that picking up globs of oil could cause harm to wildlife.  Health hazards are relatively insignificant.  I worked as a mechanic for 6 years, and have been drenched in oil on numerous occasions with no long term ill effects.  In some cases it could cause somewhat dry skin after it is cleaned off, but a good moisturizer and a little time will fix that.

[Porcupine_in_MA]

The guy should be executed! Trying to clean up a beach indeed! What is this world coming to where some random individual thinks he can just go cleaning up beaches willy nilly like this and somehow thinks he can get away with it without strict punishment from 'our' government!?!

[David]

In the words of a troll who likes violence against the proles who have the audacity to resist gov't, "(s)he should be bitch slapped bloody". 

[CNHT]

And it also proves the earth is self-healing. The sand acted like kitty litter, and the oil, a natural product was able to be scooped up.

Remember that huge oil spill they had years back?