Beaches as Products: Does banning work improve them?

Ahhh, beaches! Idyllic tropical beaches are usually thought of as locations, but in possibly more important ways, they're full-fledged products which (lucky us) can be subjected to the usual analytical drubbing provided here on Unpressable Buttons. They can be analyzed by their features (tree types, sea shells, available blanket area), performance (weather quality, water conditions), identity (family fun, secluded privacy), "sexiness" (uhhhh), and the combination and congruity of all of these things. Yup, they sound like products!

In that case, the latest "design" choice at some beaches is to ban the use of mobile productivity electronics - cell phones, PDAs, Blackberries, laptops, you get the picture. This makes the beach less convenient as a location - but much better as a product. At these beaches, your relaxation won't be interrupted by the nearby yuppie's conference call - or even by your own boss calling. A design choice to deny the user a convenience in order to preserve an ambiance is certainly gutsy - but in this case, I think, justified.

[No beaches were disturbed in the writing of this blog post.]