They don't call it the Wildwoods for nothing! But now there's a crackdown on underage drinkers who try to get in and get sloshed at bars.
North Wildwood is going to a "zero tolerance" policy at bars this summer, according to the Metro. Last summer, about 200 teens and 20-year olds were arrested in the Wildwoods for being in a bar illegally.
Fines for underage drinkers start at $500 and go up to $1,200. Bar owners also get punished. Scott Keenan, who owns Keenan's in North Wildwood, has paid out over $300K in fines during the last ten years.
"With the technology these days of fake ID's, it's virtually impossible to keep kids out," Keenan said. He likes the idea of keeping kids on the beaches and boardwalk and out the bars.
It may be a tough tradition to turn around. For years, the Wildwoods have been a party hot spot for high schoolers who've turned their prom nights and senior weeks into a drunk-fest tradition down the shore.
