Point Pleasant Borough Resident Tells People He Lives in Bay Head

Joe King has lived in Point Pleasant Borough for 19 years. However, if you ask people who know him, they would likely tell you that he lives in Bay Head. Why? Because Joe King tells everyone that he is a Bay Head resident.

"It's a shame that in this day and age this is still a problem for some people," said King. "My neighbor, right next door, is in Bay Head. The houses across the street are in Bay Head. The people who live in those houses get to call themselves Bay Headers.  Is it such a crime that I self-identify as a Bay Header? I spend most of my time with Bay Headers. I dress as a Bay Header. Inside my house, I just feel like a Bay Header. It wouldn't bother me if my neighbor from Bay Head called himself a Point Pleasanter."

While it may not be a crime to claim you live in another town, King has managed to draw the attention of the Point Borough authorities. He has made an official petition requesting that his home be re-assigned so that it will be in Bay Head. 

A spokesperson for the Point Pleasant Borough Mayor's office, Holden DeLine, said that King's request is not reasonable. "When I first met Joe King I thought he was joking. People can't just decide that they don't like where their house is and demand it be re-assigned to a different municipality. Bay Head is a great town, but so is  Point Pleasant. There is no good reason to move his property to another municipality."

Joe King is not joking, though, and strongly disagrees. "Mr. DeLine doesn't understand what it is like to find yourself trapped inside the wrong address. When someone realizes that inside they are really the resident of one town, even if outside their address says they are residents of another town, doesn't it just make sense that the outside should be changed to match? That's all I'm really asking for."

We asked longtime Point Borough resident, Agnes Badcrumble, what she thought of the controversy. "Personally, I think Point Pleasant is a grand town, Of course, Bay Head is very nice, too. Some of my best friends are Bay Headers. But if this fellow feels like he's a Bay Header, who am I to object? I believe live and let live. We all have a right to be happy and I don't think government should get in his way. I mean, if Mr. Joe King isn't joking, we should take him seriously. "

DeLine does not agree with Mrs. Badcrumble. "Personally I believe Mr. King can call himself whatever he wants, but as an official of the this town, I have to say that I am not joking when I say we will always consider Joe King a Point Pleasanter."

Joe King says this is not a joking matter and promises he will not give up his quest. "I know in my heart that I am not a Point Pleasanter. Not that there is anything wrong with being a Point Pleasanter. But I know that I am a Bay Header, and it's absurd that 25 yards should keep me from being who I am. I believe it is a basic human right that we should be able to consider ourselves as being from whatever town we identify with. I vow that I will not give up until I am acknowledged as a true Bay Header!"

Joe King has discovered that he is not alone in his desire for address re-assignment and has started a Facebook support group. "I was really surprised that there are so many people out there who feel the same things I do. Often their problems are more extreme. There is one member from Sandusky, Ohio who wants to be considered a resident of Sao Paulo, Brazil. And an even more extreme case where a woman from Brisbane, Australia says she feels that inside she is a resident of Nagoya, Japan. Although our group can't solve everyone's problems, at least we can support each other to not give up on our dream!"