Consumer Affairs Investigators Comb Jersey Shore Boardwalks For Scams, Hidden Dangers
POINT PLEASANT BEACH, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- With the summer season in full swing, the Jersey Shore is jam-packed – but it's not all fun in the sun.
Most New Jersey beachgoers don't realize there can be danger lurking in toys, food and gaming areas on the boardwalk. Investigators spent the day cracking down on violations Thursday.
Investigators from New Jersey's Division of Consumer Affairs measured scales in candy stores and tested toys for lead on Jenkinson's Boardwalk in Point Pleasant Beach.
While they said there were no problems with toys or food, it was a different story for game rooms, investigators said.
"The object is clearly too heavy for this particular claw, and this metal claw here should also have rubber tips to help a player actually hold on to a metal or plastic device," Scott Jenkins, of the Division of Consumer Affairs, said.
Brian Kearney and his son weren't surprised.
"You can spend up to $20 on a toy like this in the machine because it's not based on skill anymore – it's based on how much money you put in the machine," Kearney said.
It wasn't just the machines that had issues, however, but also games where you have to knock cans off a platform.
"There can't be a rope around the perimeter," Jenkins said.
A Jenkinson's spokesperson told CBS 2 that they make sure every toy and game is certified, but they can't catch everything.
"Government and businesses are working together to ensure that the consumer is protected," Mary Lou Halver, of Jenkinson's Boardwalk, said.
Investigators testing for lead were looking for bright-colored toys, ceramic cups and even jewelry.
"We're going into retailers, making sure that they're not selling anything that's been recalled," DCA director Tom Calcagni said.
Beachgoers with little ones said you can never be too careful, especially with toys from China.
"We make sure where they're made, we check everything," Hambury, Pennsylvania resident Beth Lenz said.
While beachgoers are soaking in the sun, state investigators will travel up and down the Jersey Shore this summer to make sure everyone's safe and that no one's being cheated.
Jenkinson's Boardwalk only had a few minor violations, and a spokesperson told CBS 2 that everything will be remedied.
