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Reader readers sound off about Encinitas cliffs
Not much sympathy for victims
“It was a normal beach day gone awry.”
Pitbull cliffs
The deadly cliff collapse five years ago is a serious indictment on the inaction or policies of the California Coastal Commission(CCC), Sandag, and other local like-minded politicians (“Fateful picnic at Grandview beach in Encinitas,” Cover Stories, Nov. 13, 2024). The bluffs can be compared to pitbulls – admired by some, but they can unexpectedly change in an instant and kill or maim someone.
I think the inaction has been deliberate, as the problem has been known for years, but only recently has some effort been put into stabilizing them. If these collapses and train suspensions, for days or months, can continue, it would prove to the gullible ones that the tracks must be removed from the top of the bluffs ASAP. I know some who want to remove the tracks just because they are there.
I have offered solutions in the past in a number of areas to stabilize the cliffs and track, both to individuals and to Sandag when they solicited ideas. I thought it important enough to try, even though these ideas would probably be ignored as it went against my credo, “never try to reason with drunks, Democrats, or two-year-olds, you’re wasting your time.”
One important aspect of stabilizing the bluffs being ignored is to keep water out of the sandstone. Saturated sandstone has less than half the cohesive strength of dry sandstone, so this is an essential approach to some at least. There are already commercially available sealants to keep water out of the sandstone.
Some methods of dewatering the stone would be needed as backup. There are chemical and mechanical ways to consolidate the bluffs without changing their appearance and without the need for the crude method of using tons of steel beams, and concrete currently being implemented. Crude, but probably effective.
I don’t know how many of the 300 million dollars have been spent so far, but all they have to show for it is it does not show curvy lines on a map and probably a pile of minutes from interminable meetings. Some of the discussions have been made by members on deciding who gets the brunt of the massive disruptions from building those unnecessary tunnels.
What is needed is someone to tell the CCC and Sandag to go pound sand and get a group of unbiased outsiders with vision, innovative ideas, and technical skills who could solve this problem in a timely manner that is quicker and cheaper than their narrow-minded options.
The CCC is an unelected bunch of partisans with no relevant skills or common sense who make arbitrary or politically charged rules whose edicts are slavishly followed by Sandag. Sandag could then go back to what they do best – making life miserable and more expensive for everyone else.
M. Featherby
Oceanside
Litigation nation
“Yes, I’m responding to an article in the Reader. This is regarding article (“Fateful picnic at Grandview beach in Encinitas,” Cover Stories, Nov. 13, 2024). I learned to surf at Grandview in the late ‘60s, and there was no stairway at that time at all. We scaled down the bluff through eroded wash, and that was almost exactly where the access is currently located. Mr. Davidson and his family have suffered a terrible loss. But at the same time...There’s really no beach there until the tide’s low. Everybody familiar with Encinitas’ beaches is aware of the bluff erosion, and its failures large and small.
The author of the article, Mr. Larson, had failed so far, looking forward to reading his second part of the story. But so far, he’s failed completely. This is discussed with Mr. Davis and his family by issue of their personal responsibility in this tragic accident.
Now, I in no way desire to add to the Davis family’s terrible burden, but where’s common sense? Their lawsuits are misguided. People sit next to the bluff all the time. I live at the beach here in Encinitas, and they sit next to the bluff despite the warning signs that are posted everywhere.
These accidents are rare, and I think that the mindset is it will never happen to me. But when people suffer tragic accidents, they too often look for someone to sue and someone who will pay. And I think this is unfortunate, and it’s more of a continuing litigation nation.
Requested anonymity
Encinitas
Responsibility
You don’t have to be a geophysicist to realize the beach bluffs constantly erode and fall down; it’s common sense. (“Fateful picnic at Grandview beach in Encinitas”, Cover Stories, Nov. 13, 2024). This is not the first time a family has suffered a tragic loss in this way. The author of the article failed to ask the tough questions.
What about taking responsibility for one’s actions? When you stage a family picnic where no beach exists, sitting next to the bluff is obligatory. People take this risk everyday rationalizing, “it will never happen to me.” It does happen and now, in the aftermath, the neighbors, the city and the state are all responsible to the tune of $100 million?
If I get struck by lightning should my family sue the weatherman, the city and the state for not ordering a stay-at-home warning? Litigation before personal responsibility, only in America.
Tough Love
Moonlight Beach
Here's something you might be interested in.
Reader readers sound off about Encinitas cliffs
Not much sympathy for victims
Reader readers sound off about Encinitas cliffs
Not much sympathy for victims
“It was a normal beach day gone awry.”
Pitbull cliffs
The deadly cliff collapse five years ago is a serious indictment on the inaction or policies of the California Coastal Commission(CCC), Sandag, and other local like-minded politicians (“Fateful picnic at Grandview beach in Encinitas,” Cover Stories, Nov. 13, 2024). The bluffs can be compared to pitbulls – admired by some, but they can unexpectedly change in an instant and kill or maim someone.
I think the inaction has been deliberate, as the problem has been known for years, but only recently has some effort been put into stabilizing them. If these collapses and train suspensions, for days or months, can continue, it would prove to the gullible ones that the tracks must be removed from the top of the bluffs ASAP. I know some who want to remove the tracks just because they are there.
I have offered solutions in the past in a number of areas to stabilize the cliffs and track, both to individuals and to Sandag when they solicited ideas. I thought it important enough to try, even though these ideas would probably be ignored as it went against my credo, “never try to reason with drunks, Democrats, or two-year-olds, you’re wasting your time.”
One important aspect of stabilizing the bluffs being ignored is to keep water out of the sandstone. Saturated sandstone has less than half the cohesive strength of dry sandstone, so this is an essential approach to some at least. There are already commercially available sealants to keep water out of the sandstone.
Some methods of dewatering the stone would be needed as backup. There are chemical and mechanical ways to consolidate the bluffs without changing their appearance and without the need for the crude method of using tons of steel beams, and concrete currently being implemented. Crude, but probably effective.
I don’t know how many of the 300 million dollars have been spent so far, but all they have to show for it is it does not show curvy lines on a map and probably a pile of minutes from interminable meetings. Some of the discussions have been made by members on deciding who gets the brunt of the massive disruptions from building those unnecessary tunnels.
What is needed is someone to tell the CCC and Sandag to go pound sand and get a group of unbiased outsiders with vision, innovative ideas, and technical skills who could solve this problem in a timely manner that is quicker and cheaper than their narrow-minded options.
The CCC is an unelected bunch of partisans with no relevant skills or common sense who make arbitrary or politically charged rules whose edicts are slavishly followed by Sandag. Sandag could then go back to what they do best – making life miserable and more expensive for everyone else.
M. Featherby
Oceanside
Litigation nation
“Yes, I’m responding to an article in the Reader. This is regarding article (“Fateful picnic at Grandview beach in Encinitas,” Cover Stories, Nov. 13, 2024). I learned to surf at Grandview in the late ‘60s, and there was no stairway at that time at all. We scaled down the bluff through eroded wash, and that was almost exactly where the access is currently located. Mr. Davidson and his family have suffered a terrible loss. But at the same time...There’s really no beach there until the tide’s low. Everybody familiar with Encinitas’ beaches is aware of the bluff erosion, and its failures large and small.
The author of the article, Mr. Larson, had failed so far, looking forward to reading his second part of the story. But so far, he’s failed completely. This is discussed with Mr. Davis and his family by issue of their personal responsibility in this tragic accident.
Now, I in no way desire to add to the Davis family’s terrible burden, but where’s common sense? Their lawsuits are misguided. People sit next to the bluff all the time. I live at the beach here in Encinitas, and they sit next to the bluff despite the warning signs that are posted everywhere.
These accidents are rare, and I think that the mindset is it will never happen to me. But when people suffer tragic accidents, they too often look for someone to sue and someone who will pay. And I think this is unfortunate, and it’s more of a continuing litigation nation.
Requested anonymity
Encinitas
Responsibility
You don’t have to be a geophysicist to realize the beach bluffs constantly erode and fall down; it’s common sense. (“Fateful picnic at Grandview beach in Encinitas”, Cover Stories, Nov. 13, 2024). This is not the first time a family has suffered a tragic loss in this way. The author of the article failed to ask the tough questions.
What about taking responsibility for one’s actions? When you stage a family picnic where no beach exists, sitting next to the bluff is obligatory. People take this risk everyday rationalizing, “it will never happen to me.” It does happen and now, in the aftermath, the neighbors, the city and the state are all responsible to the tune of $100 million?
If I get struck by lightning should my family sue the weatherman, the city and the state for not ordering a stay-at-home warning? Litigation before personal responsibility, only in America.
Tough Love
Moonlight Beach
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