Charlotte Russ wanted to give her kids a relaxing and fun trip to the beach. The family, which lives in Fresno, California, traveled to Pismo Beach for some fun in the sun. That fun unfortunately came with an unexpectedly steep price tag.
Charlotte’s kids hunted for seashells at the beach. Unfortunately, they did not know the difference between a shell and a clam. When an officer spotted this, they wrote a ticket with a $88,993 fine, which understandably put a damper on the trip. Thankfully, the legal system showed Charlotte some leniency and reduced this down to $500, which can also be worked off through community service.
Charlotte opened about the experience to ABC affiliate KFSN-TV. The family's trib was in November 2023. "My kids, they thought they were collecting seashells, but they were actually collecting clams, 72 to be exact," she recalled.
Charlotte was issued a ticket for her kids’ mistake. The ticket was for fishing without a license and for collecting undersized clams. They are protected so they will go on to reproduce.
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The amount of the fine was unbelievable for Charlotte. “It made me really sad and depressed, and it kind of ruined our trip,” she recalled. The amount was $88,993 to be exact.
In April 2024, Charlotte was given some grace. A San Luis Obispo County court reduced the fine to $500. It also gave Charlotte the option to work off her fine through community service.
Charlotte’s family is not the only one that has made this error. In 2023, 57 of the same citations were issued in San Luis Obispo. Charlotte is treating this as a learning experience.
Her kids have learned some lessons the hard way this time around. "They know now at the beach don't touch anything, but they know now what a clam is compared to what a seashell is now. I've had to explain that to them," Charlotte concluded.
