If you find yourself enjoying some socially-distanced exercising on one of Florida’s recently reopened beaches and see the Grim Reaper coming toward you, don’t worry, it’s just a lawyer.
Reassuring? Maybe not. But according to NBC News, a Florida Panhandle attorney is planning to gussy himself up in Grim Reaper garb and take to the sand in an effort to remind people of the deadly serious need to social distance.
“I felt like something needed to be done because they’re moving very quickly to open beaches prematurely,” Daniel Uhlfelder said to NBC News. “Wearing a Grim Reaper costume seems like a good way to send a signal that this is too fast and that we need to think seriously before we take that step.”
Uhlfelder, whose Twitter feed makes it clear he is a staunch opponent of President Donald Trump and other prominent Republicans like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, has made news in recent years for his efforts to protect the public’s access to beaches in the state, which earned him the ire of former Arkansas governor and TV talk show host Mike Huckabee.
But there’s also a political element to what the Santa Rosa Beach-based Uhlfelder is calling the “Florida Grim Reaper Tour.” He’s asking for donations to help support Democrats running for federal office.
In a tweet, Uhlfelder said he’ll start his beach reaping on May 1.
“Many of you have asked if I am willing to travel around Florida wearing Grim Reaper attire to the beaches and other areas of the state opening up prematurely,” Uhlfelder tweeted on April 21. “The answer is absolutely yes. Beginning May 1 we will hit the road here in state.”
The reopening of some of Florida’s beaches made national news in recent days, particularly when Jacksonville area beaches opened last week.
Photos taken at the beaches appeared to show crowds of people who weren’t social distancing, causing the hashtag #FloridaMorons to trend on social media. But one Jacksonville TV journalist noted that aerial shots from above the beach did appear to show that people were social distancing.
As well, days after the Jacksonville beaches opened, police enforcing social distancing guidelines on the sand came across a man loitering, only to discover that there was a warrant for his arrest in connection with a Pennsylvania homicide.
And this week, Cocoa Beach and Satellite Beach on Central Florida’s Atlantic Coast also lifted restrictions on sunbathing and sitting or lying on the beach, provided that people do so in groups of five or fewer while social distancing.
