Thread: Annual Passes - who do we need to write?

Not having a pier pass is cutting into my casual pier visits seriously and I know there are a few more locals in the same boat. If I'm not on the pier, I'm not buying bait and tackle either, so I would not be surprised to find that merchants are feeling the bite too.

It seemed to me back when this whole thing started and they would not let me buy a new pass in November that it would have been simple to go ahead and sell the pass and tack a few days on to compensate for the down time, but that was not done. Maybe it's a lot more complicated than that, but I don't see it. The worst that could happen is that the pier is shut down for an extended period of time because of the lack of this turtle study, but that would just be a risk the buyer would have to bear - the same thing could happen due to hurricane damage. Surely they can work out some kind of disclaimer to protect themselves in the event of force majeure.

I'm getting a feeling that if the shutdown is delayed we may continue without passes which is going to force me to make some adjustments to my fishing habits. The pier is the major reason I moved to Orange Beach, I really don't give a fig for the beach.

At my age I really don't need to spend long hours on the pier getting tired and dehydrated. Most of my visits are in the 3-4 hour range, which can get expensive on a daily fare. I also buy a pass for my wife even though she just sits and reads.

I don't think there is a danger of overcrowding the pier, most people in my boat avoid times when the pier is full of tourists and it is a fact that people draw people. Walk on visitors are much more likely to want to see what is going on if there are people fishing than if the pier is empty, and pier reports on fora like this probably draw people also. The lack of traffic seems to be having a negative effect on pier usage and they should be noticing it. There are other knock-on effects to local businesses (bars and restaurants, e.g.) I could mention.

Even though I may not be part of a large group, I do think that I should write to voice my concerns and I want to urge others in the same boat to do so.

So, who gets my letter and what is their address?

ALSO, what do you think of the idea of putting petitions addressing this concern in the local bait shops? Would they go for it?