A Whole Ocean Of Worry

(I’m walking along a beach with my mom on an island in the Bahamas, taking in the scenery and generally just soaking in the beautiful day. I mention to her that I’ve noticed people not walking the right way in the ocean — the right way being shuffling along and not taking big steps, so as not to step on a stingray and get stung. A woman nearby hears what I’ve said and looks at me, aghast.)

Woman: “You mean they don’t take those out of here?!”

Me: “What? The stingrays? Uh, no. This is the ocean. They live here?”

Woman: “Oh, my God!” *scurries back up the beach to a lounge chair and sits down*

(My mom and I shared a good WTF look. I understand people might not have heard about the best way to walk so as not to get stung, even though there were a few signs up and the brochures mentioned it, etc., but… it’s the ocean. You know, the wild? Where animals live? Some people are just… There are no words.)