Observations of a beach badge seller/checker

bgs, just thinking of you out there at the beach, basking while receiving admirers and outwitting cheaters, improves my life. enjoy it to the max! sounds like you are doing so.

Depending on which beach and whether it's a weekday or weekend, a day badge costs in the $5-$9 range. Season passes similarly vary, but typically around $70 or so, some a bit more.

PeggyC said:
I'm curious... how much does it cost to get on the beach for a single day?? How much is a season badge? It seems incredible to me that anyone would try THAT hard to get on for free unless a single day pass is exorbitantly expensive. But I freely admit I've never gone to a beach on The Shore, so I don't know how it works. Long Island's North Shore beaches were handled quite differently.

Well folks today was a day to beat the band!!!! I had a 25ish young woman jump from the boardwalk over the fence onto the beach-exclaim out loud that the sand was hot and proceed to pick up her stuff that she had thrown over and head down to the beach and set herself up...I called our beach guy who went to talk to her and she told him that I was a liar, that her friend had the bracelet and was bringing it to her...long story short, after security came to talk to her she was forthcoming with the $9.00-Scenario # 2- girl comes to the gate with her two friends-they both have bracelets on and she has a bracelet that has been cut off the arm. I asked her what was up with that and she said that her Mom had been on the beach earlier and gave her the bracelet....told her that would not work-she got huffy and then her friend nastily said to me-forget it-I'll pay for her and did. 3rd charm of the day was the person trying to pass off a counterfit $100 bill. Thankfully security took care of that...

On the plus side- there are about 100 children that I want to adopt....some children have such wonderful people skills and such good manners...and I have spoken to more couples who are so damn cute together....I just love this job!!!!

It is $90 for the season at Jenkinson's and $65 for senior citizens. $9.00 per day during the week and $10 per person on the weekends. Chidlren under 5 are free and from 5 years old to 11 years old it is $2.50.

I turned down John offer of ices today but 2 cute guys gave me a plum and a nectarine...and a great bit of conversation.

It sounds like you are having a wonderful time on this job, for the most part. But I'm shaking my head at how many people try to skirt the system and get on the beach for free. $9 is not prohibitive. If you can afford to buy a bathing suit and flipflops, you can afford a day at the beach. Sheesh.

Yesterday was a day for the books! Perfect in every way!!! Not one scammer-not one nasty attitude-not one minute of humidity!! It was a God blessed day in every way.

I have to ask patrons to open their coolers so I can check for alcohol or glass bottles. In the beginning I got some resistance - now I have a new slogan - I say-"please let me look inside your cooler so I can see if you have anything that I want". The response is terrific! I have been offered everything from fruit to desserts to sandwiches or bottles of ice water....I do not accept anything...but I do get to see if there is any contraband. People pack things so interestingly too....one family had a cooler full of sandwiches wrapped in tin foil and in individual plastic bags with names on them...another family had a cooler full of water and ice and fruit....I guess they were going to hit the boards for food....

My youngest came to visit me yesterday and management gave her a pass (I guess that is one of my perks)-it was so fun to have her there...she was sitting in the sand right by my stand and I guess she was listening to me interact with my people and she said at the end of the day..."Mom you are perfect for this job and it is perfect for you". I feel the same way...I am off until Wednesday so I will only report here if I remember something "news" worthy.

Oh wait- I did see my first Speedo yesterday...A young Mother has been coming to beach all week...she is a very young version of Sophia Loren-just beautiful...with 2 precious little children- a boy and girl...She speaks to them in Italian and they are very obedient...I know a few words in that language myself so I have tried to communicate with her...and we do a lot with gestures and smiles....anyway..yesterday she and the children came to beach as they have all week and then later on a man in a Speedo showed up....no words were exchanged....at end of day she leaves with him and her children...I understand that Speedos are common place in Europe...

Speedos are much more common in Europe than here. In the U.S. they have achieved bad joke status! But Europeans seem not to feel that way.

I have to agree with your youngest, Beege. You seem to be in your element there!

I think I am Peggy=This is a job that dreams are made of for this chick! I am just having so much fun!

Yesterday was a God blessed day! Although I understand that it was humid inland I had that ocean breeze all day. The staff is starting to plan for some of my co-workers getting ready to go back to school so my schedule is going to get quite heavy going forward.....a precious little boy named Julian is vacationing nearby-I called him Julius by mistake and a sibling corrected me...Julian piped up and said that I could call him whatever I wanted. So sweet-No one has scammed me in two days...makes for nicer working conditions when you do not have to confront someone for trying to rip you off.

My "friend" John was in a fishing tournament on Sunday and last night brought me a platter of fresh cooked fish-Frank and I will be having that tonight since dinner was already in the works at our house.

BGS - I love reading your stories. Thank you so much for posting them. They put a smile in my heart.

This thread makes me smile.

Me too! Also makes me want to go to the beach!

Went yesterday to the last beach (surfers only) in Manasquan before Point Pleasant. (It was $9 for the daily wristband.) My friend and I sat under my beach umbrella and caught up with each other while enjoying the best day ever. That breeze was glorious! The walk back to the car, however....whew!

Oh, any idea what that Pt. Pleasant firetruck cacaphony was about around 1 o'clock?

musicmz-I was on the boardwalk yesterday and saw the parade go by on Ocean Avenue in Pt. Pleasant and no one knew what was going on. I just googled it and no answers there either. I am back at work tomorrow and will ask around and report back. Am glad everyone is enjoying these little ditties.

\

PS- yesterday I saw my 2nd Speedo-on the little boy who was with his father-the original Speedo wearer! It looked better on the child-just sayin'-

There used to be lots of Speedo stores around here but they closed. I thought they went out of business, but I guess it was just the stores.

Interesting observations this weekend......false eyelashes and full makeup on the beach when you are pushing 50? Seriously???? Don't they get sandy? Why do people balk about paying to get on the beach or balk at the fact that parking is far far away when you live in NYC and you left at 11:30 yesterday morning to get to the beach? Why do you bring your little children off the beach onto the boardwalk with no shoes on and yell at them when they say that their feet are hot....My gate is exactly in the middle of the boardwalk between the Inlet and Jenkinson's pavilion. It is a hike for little legs. Why do you yell at me when I examine your cooler and find beer, wine and glass bottles and tell you that you cannot bring them on the beach? Use your head!!!

The neighbors by my gate are so nice and some of the patrons offer me everything from sandwiches to cheese fries to water bottles and yesterday when I came back from break a customer left me an ice cold Red Bull-which I gave to one of our beach boys....

Off tomorrow and on for Tuesday thru rest of the week....more then.

I find it to be disgusting. I've lived near the shore in many states--CA, FL, NY, MA--and somehow only NJ, which has some of the highest property taxes, is unable to shoulder the costs associated with running a beach.

nan said:
Have beach badges always been required? I grew up North of Boston and our beaches were free. It surprised me when I moved here and suddenly had to pay.

I've really enjoyed reading your observations - I think perhaps a Tales from the Boardwalk short story edition should be your winter project!

deiscane said:
I find it to be disgusting. I've lived near the shore in many states--CA, FL, NY, MA--and somehow only NJ, which has some of the highest property taxes, is unable to shoulder the costs associated with running a beach.

nan said:
Have beach badges always been required? I grew up North of Boston and our beaches were free. It surprised me when I moved here and suddenly had to pay.

FWIW, many beaches in NY require a fee -- whether its upon entrance to the parking lot (e.g. Jones Beach, Robert Moses, etc.) or buying a badge on the boardwalk if a non-resident (e.g. Long Beach). Also, the state beaches in California also require a fee. That said, there is a lot more free access to beaches in CA and FL than there is in NJ and NY (dunno about MA). Must be a regional thing....

Where I grew up on Long Island, none of the beaches were "free." You either paid for parking at Robert Moses or Sunken Meadow, or you bought a season decal for your car window to get into the town beaches around Huntington. I can't speak for other areas, but everything near home came with a price... A price we were happy to pay. And the taxes on LI run neck-and-neck with NJ

soorlady-maybe-then I can tell the really juicy stuff to the girlfriends!!

soorlady said:
I've really enjoyed reading your observations - I think perhaps a Tales from the Boardwalk short story edition should be your winter project!

bgs said:
soorlady-maybe-then I can tell the really juicy stuff to the girlfriends!! ">

I want an autographed copy!!

Yesterday was a doozie....I get these 4 guys at my gate-the first one gives me a military ID and I start to get his free pass when I realize that he has a full beard-I ask him how he can be in military with that full beard and he tells me he is on vacation-I look more closely at the ID and realize he is no longer active duty-I charge him and his cohorts the full fee and remind them first that there is no swimming-red flag because of angry ocean and nasty crashing waves-They go merrily along their way-a while later I hear another gate attendant asking for a manager because 4 guys want a refund because "no one told them that there was no swimming"-I get on my trusty walkie talkie and ask if it is the guy with the long beard and tell that attendant what happened at my gate-what nerve!!! First lie about military service and then lie about what they were told. Pure losers!!!

It was hot and muggy yesterday-thank God for a little breeze-hopefully the humidity will break soon-Ocean was really rough yesterday-felt bad for people who took day off to come to beach.

Today was wonderful......except for the freaking horseflies!!! I have bites all over my legs-and I had bug spray- of course, I had bug spray for mosquito bites not horseflies~So today I am going to get myself some horsefly spray. The people were perfect today...not a bad one among them all....on a sad note-one of our lifeguards was killed in a motorcycle accident on Monday night-when I went to work yesterday the guys were so somber and then they told me what had happened. 22 years old-do not have any details. God have mercy on his soul. The lifeguards put up the American flag up every morning and they have had it at half staff for the last two days....

oh, no, how sad

bgs said:
Today was wonderful......except for the freaking horseflies!!! I have bites all over my legs-and I had bug spray- of course, I had big spray for mosquito bites not horseflies~So today I am going to get myself some horsefly spray. The people were perfect today...not a bad one among them all....on a sad note-one of our lifeguards was killed in a motorcycle accident on Monday night-when I went to work yesterday the guys were so somber and then they told me what had happened. 22 years old-do not have any details. God have mercy on his sole. The lifeguards put up the American flag up every morning and they have had it at half staff for the last two days....

So sad to hear of the loss of your lifeguard.

So the wind must have been coming from the west. I remember all too well the swarms of green flies in Surf City. It got to the point where I just didn't go to the beach on those days. Many people swore by Skin So Soft, but it never helped me -- nothing did. I am also breakfast/lunch/dinner for mosquitoes, so it must be something sweet about me that they all love. LOL!

Yesterday I went on an expedition to find the farmer's market in Berkeley Township and when I followed the road to the end (without finding the market), I found myself right at the water's edge. I just sat there in the car for about 1/2 hour, soaking up the sun and watching the waves and the fishing boats. Life just does not get better!

So this totally New Jersey (north) family is on vacation at my beach...I love the mother-30's with a very cool hair style-great attractive tats and a Jersey City accent....the whole clan-grandparents, mom and dad and children...toting everything they own for a perfect day at the beach in not 1 but 2 beach carts-she goes off the beach at about 9:30 to get I am assuming something cold to drink....she comes back 1/2 hour later with a box of hot donuts from the specialty shop in PP that makes donuts while you wait with your choice of toppings...she brought me a fresh hot donut with cookies and cream topping...I could not believe that she would do this and I offered her money which she scoffed at...she told me I was too nice to her family and I deserved this treat......needless to say-I did not eat lunch yesterday...I savored every bite of that excellent donut!

That is so sweet (pun intended). Looks like the actions of many more than make up for a few jerks. I enjoy reading your observations.

Oh, wow. Now I feel the urge to go to Point Pleasant and find that doughnut shop! What a nice family.

I'm going to have to look up Jersey City accents. I don't think I've heard that one.

bgs, I am so enjoying this blog of yours, I feel like I am at the beach myself!