Gulf Coast Oil Spill: Q&A With a Vacationer in Gulf Shores

As a part of my recent trip to the Gulf Coast to see the effects of the oil spill and speak to those who are directly affected by the disaster, I interviewed several different people who are feeling the negative impact of the spill most directly.  For the first interview, I talked to a Gulf Shores, AL, beach-goer named Katie.

Before I take flack for this, I’d like to say that I am fully aware that vacationers face the LEAST detrimental impact from the spill; it’s more of an inconvenience than a life changer for them.  I did talk to several people whose lives are very adversely affected, and those interviews will be posted soon.

Q: Hi Katie, I appreciate you taking the time to answer a few questions today.  Where are you initially from?

A: No problem.  I’m originally Bismark, North Dakota.  Where I’m from oil spills aren’t a common problem, obviously.

Q: I would think not.  How often do you and your family get to travel to the beach?

A: Well, each year we have a kind of family reunion in Gulf Shores.  My husband and kids, my parents, my sisters and their families, and my grandparents all meet up at a big house on the beach.  It’s always a lot of fun and we enjoy getting to spend time together.

Q: That sounds like a lot of fun.  What made you guys decide to not cancel the trip amid the oil disaster?

A: Well it’s interesting you should ask that.  We actually were under the impression that it wasn’t bad and only slightly affecting the beaches in Gulf Shores.  We had been watching the news and it wasn’t portrayed as disastrously as we think it should have been.

Q: So you can definitely tell a difference with the beach this year when compared to previous years?

A: Oh, he** yeah!  First of all it reeks of oil everywhere down here.  Secondly, and I’m not sure if we just hit a rough spot on the beach or if this is everywhere, but the beach behind the house we’re staying in has this nasty tar goop on it.  And the water is not as pretty as it usually is.

Q: That’s a shame.  Has anyone gotten any tar on them yet?

A: Yeah, Mom got some on her foot earlier and it wouldn’t come off with water or soap.  We had to ask someone at the resort and they had some solution that took it off.  It was kind of funny, but I’d never tell her that [laughs].

Q: Oh I’m sure she wasn’t laughing.  Well, with all of that in mind, would you say you and your family are still enjoying your trip?

A: Well, we certainly would have liked knowing what we were paying for beforehand since we didn’t get any kind of “oil spill discount”, but we’ve still enjoyed ourselves.  It makes it better that our family is together in one house.

Q: Well I’m glad you guys have still managed to have a good time.  Well, I’ll let you get back to your family.  It was a pleasure talking with you and once again I appreciate your time.

A: No problem!  Enjoy the rest of your trip.

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Thanks for reading!

Rick

• Disaster on the Gulf: It's Bad, Really Bad
• Orange Beach Day 3: Pictures of the Tar Balls/Oil
• Fireside Chat: Another Interview With a Gulf Shores Resident Following the Gulf Oil Spill
• Last Day In Orange Beach: Jimmy Buffett Concert and Sand Sculptures
• The Saga of Princess Pelosi the Magnificent

• The Gulf Oil Rig Explosion and Your Personal Finances
• How to Buy a Home
• Re-Thinking the Dream of a Beach Front Retirement
• Repairing a Crack in the Driveway
• Gulf Oil Spill: BP May Dig Back Into Deepwater Horizon Well