Are There Limits to Southern Hospitality?

There are limits to Southern Hospitality, even when tourist dollars are involved. Would you invite a guest to leave if the guest got drunk and drove around your front yard? Would you feel unhappy if the guest makes a lot of noise with a boom box or straight pipes on a motorcycle? And don't forget the recreational air boat that can blow sand from the beach all the way to Second Street. Would it be more acceptable to you and your neighbors if the guest pays rent?

Cedar Key is a community that is known for its picturesque beauty and tranquility. Few of Cedar Key's citizens object to parties. We like parties. (Cedar Key News had a membership party-business meeting every year. Now don't you want to become a member?) But that doesn't mean that the tranquility must be sacrificed for guests that are rude.

The Cedar Key Police continue to make arrests for driving under the influence, as they should. An occasional ticket for driving without a muffler might help in the tranquility department. The City Commission, Local Planning Agency and the Historic and Architecture Review Board are working to preserve the beauty of Cedar Key. And citizens of Cedar Key continue to say hello to visitors, even on the hottest day. We are hospitable in the fine southern tradition. But we ask for guests with a modicum of manners and a respect for the law.

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