PANAMA CITY BEACH — The sun was sublime, the flour-soft sand could scarcely have been more tempting and the DJ music thumped loudly enough to jiggle the beer cups resting on nearby tables. All that was missing were the throngs of booze-soaked, sunburned spring breakers who usually swarm this beach town during March.

 

The scarcity of the party-hard population was no accident. Last year, after a particularly rowdy spring break that saw an alleged sexual assault on a crowded beach in broad daylight (it was recorded and went viral) and gunfire at a house party that injured seven partygoers, local officials clamped down. They passed more than 20 ordinances to curb the debauchery, drinking and violence that they had concluded was marring the town's image.

 

In response, students sprinted to Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram, quickly spreading the news — using the hashtag #RIPPCB (Rest in Peace Panama City Beach) — that the party here was over.

 

Amplified through the social media megaphone, the drop was far steeper than even the businesses who opposed the measures had anticipated. This week, peak time for spring break, scores of bars, restaurants, clubs, hotels, fast-food franchises and taxi companies that typically see their March profits bulge sat forlorn, with some reporting a 90 percent drop in customers.

 

...

 

"We're disappointed," Sierra James, 21, a student at Jefferson Community and Technical College in Louisville, Kentucky, said as she stood waiting for friends inside Club La Vela. "We knew coming down; everyone was telling us PCB is not going to be fun anymore, go to Fort Lauderdale. The people aren't here because you can't drink on the beach."

 

The complete article here....

 

Crackdown on spring breakers leaves a financial hangover in Panama City Beach

While I agree that the local government cannot turn a blind eye to sodom and gomorrah type activities, I'd guess that these ordinances in hindsight will likely mostly be overturned after a few years of economic downturns for the local tax base.

"We're disappointed," Sierra James, 21, a student at Jefferson Community and Technical College in Louisville, Kentucky, said as she stood waiting for friends inside Club La Vela. "We knew coming down; everyone was telling us PCB is not going to be fun anymore, go to Fort Lauderdale. The people aren't here because you can't drink on the beach."

 

Yep, because we all KNOW you can't have fun without getting fall down drunk with a side of sexual assault thrown in.:no:

 

I'm surprised it took this long. This kind of thing has been out of control for years, but tolerated, even looked forward to by some businesses'/communities because of the money it brings in for 1 week out of the year.

Interesting that Ft. Lauderdale was mentioned. They passed similar laws 25 years ago in an effort to curb spring break. I guess they've since loosened up.

"We're disappointed," Sierra James, 21, a student at Jefferson Community and Technical College in Louisville, Kentucky, said as she stood waiting for friends inside Club La Vela. "We knew coming down; everyone was telling us PCB is not going to be fun anymore, go to Fort Lauderdale. The people aren't here because you can't drink on the beach."

 

Yep, because we all KNOW you can't have fun without getting fall down drunk with a side of sexual assault thrown in.:no:

 

I'm surprised it took this long. This kind of thing has been out of control for years, but tolerated, even looked forward to by some businesses'/communities because of the money it brings in for 1 week out of the year.

 

You quoted a 21 year-old Spring Breaker, what pearls of wisdom did you expect? I went on 1 Spring Break with my friends during my time in college (we had other excursions through school/football that always fell on that week). I would not have had as much fun without alcohol, not at that age. I may be in the minority, but if you take away the alcohol, you definitely take away the desire of people to go somewhere.

I went to PCB for Spring Break twice in college. Amazingly...I lived to tell about it. I have also been to PCB as an adult and it was just a grungy, crappy little beach town. Unfortunately, their entire deal is a spring break locale. There's really no other reason to go there.

I went to PCB for Spring Break twice in college. Amazingly...I lived to tell about it. I have also been to PCB as an adult and it was just a grungy, crappy little beach town. Unfortunately, their entire deal is a spring break locale. There's really no other reason to go there.

 

Absolutely none. However, they had a great burger place with Karaoke that was the perfect place to start off each night. We made that place's year during our week. We'd have 400 people plus in that place waiting to hear terrible singing, eat great burgers, and drink $5 buckets.

Absolutely none. However, they had a great burger place with Karaoke that was the perfect place to start off each night. We made that place's year during our week. We'd have 400 people plus in that place waiting to hear terrible singing, eat great burgers, and drink $5 buckets.

 

We stayed at the Sandpiper Beacon Hotel :lol2: I can't imagine I would ever consider taking my kids there, but it somehow seemed cool back then. They had a tiki bar that was absolutely rocking during that week. I'd be curious to visit there now just to see the differences in how I remember it.

Let all the college kids go to Mexico and party. Better yet, go home and spend time with family. You can drink anytime, cant always see family.

I was always EXTREMELY happy as a parent that neither of my children did the drunken orgy spring break thing.

I was always EXTREMELY happy as a parent that neither of my children did the drunken orgy spring break thing.

 

You should be because that's basically what it was.

I was always EXTREMELY happy as a parent that neither of my children did the drunken orgy spring break thing.

 

Ah, but the stories, Papa, but the stories!!!

I went to PCB for Spring Break twice in college. Amazingly...I lived to tell about it. I have also been to PCB as an adult and it was just a grungy, crappy little beach town. Unfortunately, their entire deal is a spring break locale. There's really no other reason to go there.

I think that's the point. They want to get away from that and attract regular tourists.

I did Key West 3 years and South Padre 1 year... ah the good ole days!

Ah, but the stories, Papa, but the stories!!!

 

I'm sure!

 

Daughter always came home.

 

Son did a service week at Pine Ridge Indian Reservation (SDak); a service week at the Gila National Forest (NMex), a service week at a soup kitchen in Portland Oregon. Junior year he was in Leeds England studying abroad.

 

His stories are better than daughter's.