News-Journal Editorial
Thursday, July 13, 2000
When high tide comes in, it floats the time-share solicitors right off the beach. Unlike sharks, solicitors follow
their prey all the way to Atlantic Avenue.
Solicitors also like to hunt where they're less likely to get hit with fines. That makes Daytona Beach prime feeding
territory.
After years of complaints about time-share solicitors harassing beach visitors, Volusia County last year adopted
new controls that appear to have made a difference. Each time-share resort must have a master permit which specifies
how many solicitors it's allowed.
County regulations require identifying clothing for solicitors and prohibit soliciting in beach parking areas.
Regulations also ban bothering people who have their eyes closed or annoying those who want to be left alone. If
solicitors are cited six times in a year for violations, the resort they work for can lose its permit for a year.
These regulations still are in the "let's-see-if-this-works" stage. They may not be the whole solution
to the practices of a resort industry that is notoriously difficult to contain. The county ultimately may have
to mandate kiosks, which other resort areas, such as Key West, have decided is the only answer.
For now, the county's get-tough regulations have had the unintended consequence of shifting solicitations to Atlantic
Avenue, especially in the core no-driving zone. That turns beachside visitors into victims since Daytona Beach
doesn't have regulations to deal with the time-share sharks.
Daytona Beach ought to take a page from the county's regulation book. The city needs an ordinance that matches
county licensing requirements, limiting solicitation zones and describing unacceptable behavior. Fines ought to
remove the incentive to chase tourists on the sidewalk instead of the beach.
Some time-share operators have made a good-faith effort to cooperate with other local businesses and rein in aggressive
sales forces. Those who have not deserve to be thrown off the street as well as the beach.
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