Signage Ignored as Beach Visitors Disregard Rules and Safety

The sign is there and it’s also quite large, but perhaps not sufficiently clear. We are talking about the signboard that, at Punta Lido, right at the beginning of the beach, is supposed to inform about the permitted and prohibited behaviors and which, instead, seems to be unclear to most people, often even ignored.

Observations on signage and visitor behavior

At least, this is the impression one gets walking along the lakeside at any time of the day. We did so yesterday, around noon, and without much delay, we observed several outright violations of the rules.

The first transgressor we encountered is a German woman who, accompanied by her husband and other friends, passed in front of the sign in question (ignoring it) and headed toward Sabbioni Beach with her cute dog on a leash. A retractable leash that extends as desired, offering great freedom to the playful four-legged friend, so much so that while the owner was chatting casually, the dog had time to do its business, without even slowing down the humans’ walk.

Tourists from Germany evidently ignore that man’s best friends, during the summer period, are not allowed on the beach even on a leash, and that they can only access it tied up in autumn and winter. Unfortunately, during this short walk, we encountered three more innocent dogs.

Unacceptable behaviors and prohibitions on the beach

However, the disheartening notes come when talking about bicycles, which are permitted only if they travel at walking pace and always give priority to pedestrians. A mere utopia: in at least eighty percent of the cases observed yesterday, the cyclists are evidently enthusiasts of slalom racing.

Often young people, but not only, speed along the path at speeds definitely too high, not even trying for an instant to brake, expertly dodging the crowds of pedestrians. Heart-stopping maneuvers, carried out with great coolness—there is nothing to say—yet very dangerous and therefore strictly prohibited by the regulations.

Trying to remain safe, we continued our walk, not noticing any other blatant violations until we reached Purfina. Here, a boy around ten years old is busy racing a noisy electric car with large rubber tires among sunbathers. This is also forbidden.