SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A man well known for making bubbles for children in local parks had his bubble burst Saturday by park rangers.
Sandy Snakenberg, 'The Bubble Pirate,' says he's been blowing bubbles in public parks for years.
The homeless disabled veteran lives out of his van, where he creates his bubble solution. He says he's never been ticketed for blowing bubbles before.
Snakenberg shared a video with ABC 10News showing him blowing bubbles in the grass at La Jolla Cove when park rangers approached him. The video shows the rangers approaching Snakenberg, telling him there had been multiple complaints against him and that the bubble solution leaving his presence constitutes littering.
The City of San Diego confirmed with ABC 10News that it had received complaints about Snakenberg and the amount of his bubble solution residue landing in the grass after they popped. A city spokesperson issued a statement to ABC 10News saying Snakenberg uses up to six gallons of solution each time he blows bubbles.
"In this instance, park rangers attempted to educate the individual numerous times that the residual substances from the bubbles are in violation of the City’s municipal code as it relates to littering (SDMC 63.0102(c)(8) [docs.sandiego.gov]Littering). The individual uses up to six gallons of liquid per day, with the residual chemicals ending up in the lawn areas, which can cause damage to the grass. After witnessing numerous violations and receiving complaints from other park users, Rangers issued the lowest level citation available."
Snakenberg disputes this claim, saying that he uses all food-grade ingredients, does not use six gallons of solution and does not kill the grass. Snakenberg says he has six-gallon jugs of the solution, but the majority of it does not end up in the grass. However, he says the mixture has a 25/1 ratio of diluted detergent.
"When I do all my ingredients, I always look at food grade first. Nontoxic. Because safety is my utmost concern," he said.
Snakenberg adds his bubble business is a registered 501c non-profit, and it's his livelihood.
The City says it issued him its lowest-level offense, a citation, which gave Snakenberg a court date.
Still, he has no plans to stop blowing bubbles. "I'm a bubbleologist. I've dedicated myself to doing what I do, he said."
The City says it can't say definitively that Snakenberg is killing the grass, but added the amount of chemical spilling, mixed with soap, is liquid waste and bad for the grass.
Still, the City said in a statement, "The City of San Diego values the rights of community members to engage in expressive activity in City parks, including artistic expression. This does require those engaging in these activities to do so in accordance with other City codes and regulations, including those related to littering and disposal of waste."
