Briny Breezes Badge Law

by Fred House

The badge law was started by a guy appointed head of security for Briny.

The Ocean Ridge police had a contract to patrol Briny and he often rode along. I don’t remember his name but they erected a statue of him by the drug store,  after his death.

Ever meet someone given a bit of authority, and watched it go to his head… that was he. He promptly had a fancy uniform made, and strutted around like a pint size Mussolini. Since he’s been gone for thirty years or so I’m not speaking out of school. He started making all kinds of rules, most of which were ignored.

However the badge rule was his pride and joy. I threw mine in the garbage. So one night he and the cop from Ocean Ridge stopped me in Briny about 9 pm, riding my bike, a nightly occurance. He strutted around asking me questions while the young cop watched. When I finally said he’d known me since 1958, the cop looked at him and said lets go. I rode away and was never hassled again. I remember the young cop was killed a couple of years later in an accident.

Rick Rasure was the first security guy we had, I’d worked in the awning business with him so we were friends. Every year just before the snow birds arrived I would help put up awnings. Dirty and hard work, on a ladder, trying to pull the canvas awnings through the small channel, the length of the trailer. then tying them down, using a special knot, to the poles on the patio. We did several a day since everyone was arriving within a week of each other. It taught me the value of hard work..like find a different, and scholarly, line of work. Study hard, and go to college.

Coincidence–In my bridge club here a nice lady mentioned her ex husband had grown up in Boynton Beach, I told her I had grown up in Briny, she said so did he. It turned out he had grown up in one of the small houses on A row, across from Briny (south) in the county area. I don’t remember him, his name is Tim Poole. I sent this link to him so hope to hear from him.