Seal Beach : Obscenities Shouted at Event Irk Neighbors

Neighbors of a local surf shop say a weekend promotional event veered out of control when someone repeatedly yelled obscenities over a public address system.

Residents complained to council members Monday night that a young man shouted something into a microphone about performing a sex act with a skateboard during a skating exhibition held at Inflight Surf and Sail on Saturday afternoon.

“You don’t need that kind of language broadcast all over the neighborhood,” said nearby homeowner Maggie Schmitt, adding that she was especially embarrassed because her new neighbor, a minister, was moving in that day.

Residents say amplified noise from the Pacific Coast Highway store blanketed the Old Town neighborhood all day. No one could be reached at the store for comment Tuesday and no one from the shop attended Monday’s meeting.

“They weren’t shouting obscenities all day. It was pretty obvious that somebody had gotten hold of the microphone,” said resident Jeff Paquin, who lives about a block away from the shop. Paquin was in his upstairs bathroom getting ready to go out for dinner with his wife about 5 p.m. when he heard the skateboard references booming from the store’s public address system. “It probably just got out of control.”

City Manager Jerry L. Bankston said store owners had not applied for a permit as required to hold the outdoor event. City officials will investigate the incident.

Councilwoman Marilyn Bruce Hastings, who represents the Old Town area, said the store has generally been a good neighbor to surrounding residents.

“The neighbors don’t mind having the events there, they just felt that this time, whoever was talking on the microphone overstepped their bounds,” Hastings said.