My husband and I drove up to Tybee Island Lighthouse yesterday. Just as we arrived, an impending storm arrived also. No one was in the ticket booth, so we went directly into the gift shop and dropped quite a few dollars. We then went out on the grounds and took a few quick pictures ( my husband had gotten a new camera and lens for Fathers day and just wanted to get a few quick pics.) We were actually leaving when a lady came in through the employee gate near the ticket booth and asked us where our wristbands were. We said what wristbands. She then began to tell us that we were not allowed on the grounds with out tickets. We told her there was no one in the booth and no where did I see a sign that said you needed a ticket to even get on the grounds. There were at least 3 other employees/volunteers on the grunds that did not say anything to us. I think it whuld be made clearer so when you arrive you know you need a ticket just to be on the grounds. But what got me was that she just kept repeating you need a ticket on and on and on! Made us feel like trespassers! Whatever happened to Southern Hospitality?

Good Question? I get frustrated as well when I do whatever I'm supposed or can do and then someone c/o about something I didn't do....or you know what I mean....

Well sorry to hear that

Whenever you mentioned about a lady at Tybee lighthouse that didn’t show Southern Hospitality, I said to myself, I bet I know whom she is talking about.
The last time I was at Tybee Lighthouse I had an unpleasant experience happen there. I had some cash on me but didn’t want to use it up, so I decided to use my credit card. I handed the lady there my credit card. She runs it through and hands it back to me and tells me it didn’t work. I gave her another card and she said the same thing. I gave her a total of three cards to try and none of them worked. I asked the lady why they didn’t go through. She tells me she didn’t know and I would have to contact my credit card carriers and find out. I was embarrassed since there was several tourists behind me and that my cards didn’t work made me feel like the guy on the commercial that takes his girlfriend out and his credit card bounces. I gave her Cash and we went up the lighthouse. The rest of the day I couldn’t relax thinking all my cards were maxed out.

Back then I mainly used cashed and didn’t know much about credit cards. Now a days being a debit freak I now know what happen. Her card scanner wasn’t working properly and instead of typing in the numbers, she just kept asking for an other card.

I know, I know, you all wish you had my problems. But I never forgot that incident since nothing like that happen to me before.

Yeah..I know it seems like a trivial thing to get upset about, but for some reason, it just nagged at me for the rest of the day! A simple sign on the door leading from the gift shop (they didn't mind that we didn't have wristbands while we were spending money!) saying you needed a wristband to get on the grounds would have been nice. Like my husband said, Sorry, we left our crystal ball at home in Florida!

Cathy

Cathy, I'm sorry you and your husband had to have a bad experience at Tybee. I've been there only once, the day of the stamp dedication in 2003. My experience was wonderful, and the folks in the gift shop couldn't have been nicer.

I hope to go back someday, and I hope your experience won't tarnish your memory of that beautiful lighthouse.

Judy

I've run into some of those power drunk volunteers/hourly employees recently. Just let it go. It's not worth the time to think about it.

Bob is right. Give some people a little authority and it seems to go right to their heads. They seem to become dictatorial.

bobo

I had a similar situation happen to me at Hereford Inlet. When I get more time, I'll tell you what happened (if you search "Hereford Inlet", you might find it). I have "boycotted" the lighthouse because of it, originally seriously, now more of a "joke".

Just forget about it...don't let it tarnish your views of the beautiful lighthouse. I went to The Plaza today for the liquidation sale, and we got treated rudely, too. They kept telling us to wait in the rain another half hour, another half hour. The people who were taking the furnishings out were protesting with loud drums and cymbals, deafening us all. I looked down on the ground and saw a piece of wood that fell off the top of the building. I picked it up, put it in my Borders bag, and walked to the St. Regis. I'd seen people with umbrellas emblazoned with their logo walking past the Plaza.

I popped in, hoping to buy one in the Gift Shop (actually a marble closet with barely any St. Regis stuff). I asked at the front desk where I could get an umbrella, and was told to ask the doorman. He said to just take one from the rack just inside the door (he obviously thought I was a guest). I took one and headed back to my mom's office, a piece of New York's greatest hotel and a free umbrella from another great hotel on my person.

I had a non-similar incident but worth mentioning at Montauk Light one day several years ago.

"It's Only Money" was docked at the Montauk Yacht Club and we took a cab out to the light. It was a hot day so we took Chipper the Wonder Dog with us rather than leave him on the boat.

We arrived at the light and paid our admission to get on to the grounds, with the dog in tow. We were probably on the grounds about ten minutes, enjoying the view and taking pictures, when suddenly a worker came up to us and kind of rudely told us we couldn't have the dog on the grounds. I advised her we had paid our admission and saw no signs advising the public "no animals allowed". She told us the dog had to go. My wife said she would take the dog off the grounds. I told the worker if my wife had to leave with the dog then I would expect a refund of her admission fee. It wasn't the money but rather the principle. We stood in line to pay our fee with the dog and there were no signs prohibiting animals at that time.

Lorna took the dog down to the beach while I went up in the tower. I joined her a little later. A park ranger was giving a wildlife tour of some sort to some Asian people in the beach area adjacent to the light. The ranger saw Chipper's paw prints and mistook them for that of a fox. She was explaining to the group that those were the prints of a fox and they started taking pictures of the prints. I got a chuckle out of that.

Bob

Anybody ever make the mistake of walking out of the giftshop with a bottle of water in their hands at the Ponce Lighthouse? Man who needs Homeland Security, we could let those voulunteers protect the country. Beautiful lighthouse but all I ever remember is the sour faced voulunteers. I wont go back anytime soon.....

Bob, I love the part about the fox tracks!

Mike

I guess it all depends on where you obtained the water.

bobo

No it doesn't - they won't let you walk around the grounds with anything. When I took a bus load there last year we got the coolers out to let folks take some liquid with them (nice, hot day) I was told by the docent that this was not allowed. Not sure if they are concerned about litter or someone damaging a display.

Dave,

I'm obviously wrong and you are correct. AGAIN. Never having been there, I didn't realize the situation.

But even so, the "sour faced voulunteer" did not have to act that way.

bobo

That's why I always wear my photographer's vest to visit lighthouses. It has over 30 pockets. I remember one time I went with some friends to Ponce, one of them mentioned that she had had a hard time once, so I had 4 bottles of water hidden on me and walked right by four or five docents. Sure did taste good in the watch room, after that climb.

Having never had a bad experience at any lighthouse I've visited I cannot relate to this topic. My experiences have been to the contrary. Ponce, in particular, has been probably the friendliest. The last time I visited Ponce the volunteers were extra friendly even to the point of offering me a coke from their private stash. The time before, being a typical 100% humidity Florida day with the temperatures in the middle 90's, as we were watching the video presentation in the small brick building, the volunteer stopped in and asked if we wanted the air conditioning made colder. People's attitude, or lack of attitude, mean a lot and it is reflected in how the volunteers react. They don't get paid to have to take rudeness, as some visitors radiate, shoved in their face just because they are visiting and spending money. These volunteers live here full time and their life is their volunteer work. I'm not saying anybody on this Forum was rude to a volunteer, but, the previouse visitor may have been and you payed the price for it. As an example: Several years ago while at Ponce during the winter time I overheard an older lady from somewhere up north complain about the food prices at the local Ponce Marina Diner being high. Her comment was "these people ought to learn a little bit about the food prices up north". I looked at her and said in my nicest Pennsylvania southern accent, "Well honey, Interstate 95 runs north as well as south and if you hurry you might be able to get back up north in time for dinner". Was I being rude or just reacting to a rude statement made by a visitor. Oh, by the way, she came up to me a little later and appologized for her comments.

Well I live a little over one hour from Ponce Inlet and I am a member (without voting rights since I don't live in Ponce Inlet city limits). So we can see right from the start some pigs are more equal then others.
Nonetheless it is one of the best lighthouse stations.
In December of 2002 the lighthouse was to re-open several times at night and thought it would be really cool to see and climb it at night. The flyer I received in the mail stated re-open at 6:00 PM close at 8:00 PM. Now I knew I could not show up at 7:59 and get in to climb (it is 203 steps so it does take a few minutes). On our way over we got delayed but made it in the gift shop by 7:02 PM. I was then told by a old hag that we were late and could not enter. I explained that we only wanted to climb the lighthouse as we had seen the other building before and was told that the tour takes one hour and we had to be there by 7:00 PM. I followed up with the fact the flyer said nothing about being there by 7:00 PM (I double checked the flyer and no mention of this was on it). So my kids, my wife and my mom just can't believe it. So my wife asks could we go on the grounds to take a better picture. NO! she said in the most unkind way.
Now my mom was allowed to make a purchase (surprise, surprise). I for one wasn't going to spend a cent. After taking a few days to calm down I wrote a long letter to the board of directers and to this day never got a note back or a phone call. The next December the night climbs were not offered. Last year it was on again and the info made clear that the lighthouse would be open late and the last tour was one hour before. Susan (my wife) finally got a night climb. It was wonderfully.

Eric,

Even though you never received an electronic, written, or telephonic response from the "old hag" I believe you made your point. Nice going.

bobo

Thanks Bob,
like to think I make a difference one in a while.

We also had a rude experience at Tybee, same thing being on the grounds without paying. All I wanted to do was take a picture inside looking up the lighthouse since I was unable to climb that day as my knees would not let me, and was told I needed to pay to do so. It's not what she said, it was how she said it.

Joyce