and they never will, unless there's a critter inside

Who would want to buy snot? AND bring it home, no less....

Did anyone see on the news, an American girl, 17 yrs. old methinx, was at the Parthenon or some famous ruins in Greece. She picked up a piece of rubble on the ground and had her photo snapped by a friend, and then she carried this rubble to another spot or put it in her bag, and the Greek police arrested her for removing ancient artifacts. Her parents flew over from the U.S. to spring her from jail...

More 2 centavos,

Been all 'round da Caribbean and what the laws say and what goes down during Customs inspection, whether clearing port on a private yacht or at a small airport, differs by each location and day. However, there are certain species of, for instance, gastropod mollusks like the Queen Conch that are protected not only by a single country but possibly by international treaty, if anyone cares any more. Best Bet: thx to the Web there's no excuse not to do your homework, find out what goes and what doesn't. Bottom Line: People's actions reflect their beliefs, and if you believe that taking one little shell won't deplete the beach or environment, you'll take that shell home. I had a lovely, empty conch shell I found snorkeling near a deserted tiny Bahamian key, put it on the dive platform of the Hatteras yacht to "cure" it, where it stayed for a week then it was lost in heavy seas one day, so I guess I wasn't meant to have that particular shell. I figured that was a message and I never tried to take another natural "souvenier" home, purchased or found, from anywhere. As a photographer, I take pix and leave footprints but then I'm a diver from the early 1970s, an aging baby boomer-hippie and Florida native who has seen her fair share of natural environments destroyed in the name of tourism and progress and I was taught to respect the ocean and everything in it--except the garbage and trash and litter and flotsam and jetsam and bilge remains from large ships...and jet skis...but I digress.

Digression is OKAY here, Carib. As a matter of fact, it is desired! They actually let me do it, too!

Scubaron... why bother saying "with all due respect" if you are not going to be respectful? I stated how I feel about the subject, and I will not be buying or bringing home shells. I am not interested in your wit as you attempt to insult me.

Patti,

I'm normally just lurking and have little to say but I can get on a soap box when it comes to the trashing of our planet. When I travel, I deliberately take pix that crop out the unpleasant, grim, trashy or just plain ugly--then I take the "true" shot and show people the "chamber of commerce" shots vs the ones that reveal how the locals and visitors alike treat the environment. Most people just shrug. I guess it's too big to tackle, so many just go on vacation, toss the cigarette butt out the window and slug another beer down.

OK I'm dun.

Carib- nice idea. And we are not all 'most poeple' so have hope. I bring a bag on walks to collect some of that rubbish- every bit helps and each person who cares hopefully cancels out a moron.

Sea Huggers unite

Hon

sophnramon.....I wouldn't attempt in a New-York-Minute to insult you. We were both just expressing our own opinions. However, it seems to have turned into a pissing contest. You know the saying - "Opinions are like a--holes, everyone has one".