Addresses Man’s Behavior

To The Editor:
This is my fourth summer at the North Cape May beach. Recently, I took my dog for a walk to the beach since North Cape May beaches are dog friendly. We walked and played fetch; he stayed with me, under my control. When it was time to rest, I was sitting in my chair close to the water, distanced from people, with my dog on his leash.
About 25 feet away, there was an unattended cooler with fishing rods attached, the lines were cast out. My dog started barking when the cast line was moving. This was not an unusual sight since my husband is a fisherman. There was a couple sitting about 50 feet away from the cooler and fishing lines. My dog continued to bark because there was a bite tugging on the fishing line.
The man sitting 50 feet away got up and walked to the fishing rods and started reeling in the lines. My dog, all excited, broke away from my foothold, dragging the leash and running towards the fishing lines with me chasing right after him. Then the man looked at me, all mean and mad, and said, “Lady, you better keep control of your dog. You stupid censored, censored, censored, how stupid can you be?”
He said this over and over at least five-10 times. I was so shocked by this, I didn’t realize my dog got caught in his line, at which time, I was told how stupid I was again. I was stunned that the man was so mean. I untwisted my dog and walked home. (Note: The dog never once approached the man or the woman he was with.)
This man’s uncivilized behavior is unacceptable at dog-friendly beaches, or anywhere for that matter, and is not welcomed at our beaches.
NANCY SHIPLEY
North Cape May