A mom from California found herself in an expensive situation after her kids accidentally collected 72 clams, thinking they were seashells.
PEOPLE reports that she was fined $88,000 for this innocent mistake.
How the Mom Ended Up with the Big Fine?
Charlotte Russ never thought her beach trip in November 2023 would cost her tens of thousands of dollars. She told KFSN-TV, “My kids thought they were collecting seashells, but they were actually collecting clams, 72 to be exact.”
She received two citations: one for fishing without a license and one for collecting Pismo clams. The fine shocked her, totaling over $88,000. Charlotte said the incident made her very sad and ruined their trip.
It turned out she wasn’t alone. 57 other fines were given to people in the area for the same reason. However, when she went to court in April, the judge was lenient. He reduced the fine to $500, which she could pay off through community service.
Charlotte and her children learned a costly lesson. She now tells her kids not to touch anything at the beach. They now know the difference between clams and seashells, and she made sure to explain it to them.
Why Clams Are Off-Limits?
Beaches have rules to protect wildlife. The clams Charlotte’s kids collected hadn’t spawned yet. Lt. Mathew Gil explained the rules: clams need to be left alone until they grow to four-and-a-half inches so they can reproduce.
He also said it’s okay to collect dead sand dollars, dead animals, or broken seashells, but not live clams. Pismo clams have both shells intact, so they’re easy to identify and should be left in the wild.
Even though their beach day was ruined, the family can laugh about it now. Charlotte says their trip to Pismo Beach was unforgettable.
The post originally appeared on The Shade Room.