Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Observations with a slightly obstructed ocean view
Clue. A 1980s new wave band with a hit titled “I Ran” (so far away) and what you will not see on an Asbury Park beach, at least not last Sunday? If you buzzed in with “Flock of Seagulls” then correct.
A first visit of the season to the Jersey Shore, hard to believe, discovered that seagulls must have taken a vacation.
We counted just one although the madding crowds kept the birds away.
However, we arrived early and no seagulls were in view. Not that their absence caused disappointment as they generally produce havoc with attempts of stealing food.
Or, some beach goer empties a bag of cheese doodles as birds attack.
Another question for beach attendees involves space. We went for a walk and returned to find a family of six squeezed into a space in front of our blanket.
They had three beach umbrellas and numerous chairs which obscured our ocean view.
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld could have turned this incident into a skit many people could relate with.
What’s the proper space limits between beach attendees?
Not sure. But these newcomers were far too close for comfort.
A trip to Asbury Park delivers two special dining opportunities. Surf Taco lies just up the beach in Belmar while La Tapatia Restaurant offers a fantastic Mexican food dining experience.
New Jersey train riders enjoy “Quiet Commute” transportation requests passengers refrain from cell phone use and disable the sound feature on mobile devices and laptop computers.
The NJ Transit website notes that Quiet Commute rules expects conversations should be conducted in subdued voices and headphones should be used at a volume that cannot be heard by other passengers.
I want a “Kids Free Zone.” Let’s keep infants and toddlers penned up in their own adorable little places far away from my blanket.
Don’t get me wrong. Children exist as fantastic miniature humans but they change the entire nature of beach visits, especially if they have reached talking stage.
Oh, no. That last complaint made me sound like an old head.
Another pet peeve about the beach involves this pass necessary to put a blanket down next to the ocean. Most New Jersey beach towns indulge in this in broad daylight robbery.
There’s several beaches that don’t charge, Atlantic City and Wildwood come to mind. Some municipalities charge $8 or more, a cost that keeps out the “riff raff.”
The explanation involves beach maintenance which is understood but at some point a surplus of money has to exist, sort of like the beef Gov. Chris Christie expressed against Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Beach officials attract the clientele they seek as a place like Spring Lake receives visits from more affluent and less diverse while Asbury Park charges a couple dollars less and showcases the rich skin colors of the United States.
A guy did light up a cigarette on the Asbury Park beach but it’s fantastic that many ocean destinations have laws against smoking.
What’s really amazing is that society once accepted smoking in bars, restaurants, bowling alleys and airplanes. Who can ever forget going home after a night out and smelling like smoke?
I recall a flight from Newark to Paris offered smoking in the last eight rows of the airplane. We were seated in row nine. Hello.
Here’s an interesting insight about visiting the beach. Food tastes better there.
Pizza. French fries. Even home made sandwiches massage taste buds more impressively than most meals at any inland house.
Imagine a Rossi’s burger and steak fries or a slice of Nino’s pizza on the boardwalk.
Maybe not. That would bring back the seagulls from wherever they are currently nesting.