Right on schedule ugh

[phamton]

I wonder how many of those complaining about tourists go to Orlando and clog up their highways?

That's exactly why I posted my little blurb. It was a little reminder that we all visit somewhere and are tourists there. Honestly, I love the tourists. They keep our taxes low and keep me employed.

 

[sjaakie]

I wonder how many of those complaining about tourists go to Orlando and clog up their highways?

 

[NHdisneylover]

I do't know--I think it is a bit of a double edged sword (having lived in a number of tourist areas and living in one now).

The tourists started coming back in large numbers in the last couple of weeks here and they will be out in full force soon.

On the one hand, I know the crowds can get annoying. It is hard to deal with traffic that is more than the roads were built for, or public transit strained past capacity. it can be frustrating to wait in longer lines at stores, and to find all of your favourite local haunts crowded. And yes, SOME tourists can be rude and self centered and even condescending towards the locals.

On the other hand, I love seeing all the people who really enjoy the area I call home. I think it is cool that i get to live year round in a place worthy of being a vacation mecca. I enjoy many of the toursits who are often very kind and excited to be here. I like seeing and feeling their excitement. I love that the seasonal shops and eateries are opening again. I love hearing a lot more street musicians and seeing more performers. I love the local theatre productions which would not have enough ticket sales to run without tourist dollars. Same goes for the many fabulous places to dine and fun things to do that local dollars alone would not support, but thanks to the tourists I get to have these things in my back yard.

All in all there is a lot more good to having tourists visit than bad

 

[donac]

I am 105 on the pkwy. We have beach and track traffic. It is now time for backroads.

But the roads were crazy last night. Ds was going back to school and his 1 1/2 hr trip took him over 2 hours. I know he was surprised since he left at 4 and didn't it was too late.

I am glad for the visitors since they bring dollars but they will be gone in just a few months.

 

[Poohforyou]

I lived in NJ my whole life and hate the Jersey Shore so you won't have to worry about my money going to the local economy. I'll take it to Cape Cod instead. The beaches up there are much nice and the locals make you feel welcome.

 

[Dax]

I first heard the shoebox story as a kid, but I like the wearing shoes to the beach version better as an adult.

Atlantic City, the three towns of the Wildwoods, and the small town of Strathmere still have free beaches. I remember Seaside Heights charging beach fees in the late 1960s. Most of the rest of the shore towns started charging during the 70s.
Went to Seaside Heights boardwalk on Saturday evening. I've NEVER seen it so crowded, but then again I've never been there on a holiday weekend. Lots of good "Jersey Shore" wannabes on the boards.

Jim

Growing up in Cape May, my Great Grandmother always had a beach tag for Cape May beach, but as a kid, I always wanted to go to Wildwood, because I hoped to go to the boardwalk..LOL..As I got older, I spent most of my summer on the beach in N. Wildwood, sometimes Wildwood. I once went to the beach in Ocean City, but wasnt a fan...and AC beach....EWW..LOL...

Living here in FL now, I do sometimes miss spending those days on the Wildwood beach...at least the beaches here are still free!

 

[njmom47]

I have a pool so I don't go to the beach. My kids are old enough so we don't go to the boardwalk. Fridays driving home from work stink though....I take a road that is parallel to the Parkway so the people that normally use the Parkway to get home take MY road home, so I take the back back roads.

 

[MM27]

How friggin rude are you Sorry we "bennies" disturb the peace of your Garden State. I wonder what would happen if all the tourist dollars dried up? God forbid, you might have to pump your own gas

The term benny is not new. As a lifelong resident of a beach community, I don't care that tourists come to our beaches. It's a part of living here. What I don't like, and what I'm sure annoys people across the country in touristy places, are the people that come here and feel like they can do as they please because they have money to throw around.

The police department in my town has a bike patrol unit that they use in the summer at the beach. They are usually college kids that want to be police officers, they carry handcuffs, but not guns. I have seen people get abusive with them and they defend their bad behavior with, "Do you know how much money we are bringing to your town" To me, that's obnoxious. Yes, we know you are spending money, but it does not entitle you to be an ***.

I think for me that 'Benny Go Home' mentality is more for those people that don't respect that people actually live here. We don't need people peeing on our front lawns, drunk out of their minds because 'we're bringing money to your town'. I'd rather you keep your money and pee on your own lawn.

I am 105 on the pkwy. We have beach and track traffic. It is now time for backroads.

But the roads were crazy last night. Ds was going back to school and his 1 1/2 hr trip took him over 2 hours. I know he was surprised since he left at 4 and didn't it was too late.

I am glad for the visitors since they bring dollars but they will be gone in just a few months.

I'm at 105 too.
I was up at a friends house in Union County last night and when I came home at midnight, Parkway North was crazy packed. I guess people were trying to get home before the crowds today. I had to stop for gas on the parkway, which I never do and the lines were 5-6 cars deep in all lanes.

It's funny that someone mentioned pumping your own gas because there was a verbal fight between one of the gas station attendants and a guy on line at the station I went to. I didn't see where the guy was from, but I guess he got tired of waiting and started pumping his own gas. The attendant yelled at him and told him to put it back and they started yelling at each other. Guy finally got in his car and drove away.

 

[nephthys43]

i work off 105 and the traffic was starting to get bad on my ride home tonight (6ish). thank god i wasn't working til closing. i would have had to take 35 or 36 home. i hate all those lights.

 

[snapppyd]

The bennies have arrived. They are like stink bugs, nothing you do gets rid of them.

So does that mean you never leave your house? What do you think people call you when you vacation somewhere? It feels like NYC has more tourists than residents, I would never think of calling them silly names.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Wow, I've been called a Benny by a Clam digger.

 

[Missy1961]

So does that mean you never leave your house? What do you think people call you when you vacation somewhere? It feels like NYC has more tourists than residents, I would never think of calling them silly names.

And we have to deal with the tourists year round, not just for 2 months in the summer.

OP, I get that the tourists can be a pain, but as others have said, you should be glad they are there.

 

[sweet angel]

Residents don't mind the polite, friendly vacationers. It's the rude, obnoxious "Jersey Shore" wannabes that we all despise. The ones that come rolling in like they own the place, are rude to locals, insult store employees, and just basically disrespect the towns they are visiting by being loud, littering, etc.

It's just like everything else...there are bad and good people in every group (bennies, included)...just that the bad garners more attention.

 

[sweet angel]

Living here in FL now, I do sometimes miss spending those days on the Wildwood beach...at least the beaches here are still free!

Wildwood is the one thing I think I'll miss about NJ when I move to FL.

 

[snapppyd]

Residents don't mind the polite, friendly vacationers. It's the rude, obnoxious "Jersey Shore" wannabes that we all despise. The ones that come rolling in like they own the place, are rude to locals, insult store employees, and just basically disrespect the towns they are visiting by being loud, littering, etc.

It's just like everything else...there are bad and good people in every group (bennies, included)...just that the bad garners more attention.

It's like any other state, you have to know which neighborhoods to avoid and which are good. Personally I wouldn't be caught dead in Seaside Heights; LBI seems to draw a much nicer, family oriented crowd. Maybe because there is no boardwalk?

I've had a place in NJ for 26 years; to be honest one of the most horrible people I ever met used to live across the street from me. There are plenty of rude obnoxious people who live in NJ all year round, just like anywhere else.

I think we are agreeing with each other.

 

[sweet angel]

It's like any other state, you have to know which neighborhoods to avoid and which are good. Personally I wouldn't be caught dead in Seaside Heights; LBI seems to draw a much nicer, family oriented crowd. Maybe because there is no boardwalk?

I've had a place in NJ for 26 years; to be honest one of the most horrible people I ever met used to live across the street from me. There are plenty of rude obnoxious people who live in NJ all year round, just like anywhere else.

I think we are agreeing with each other.

Having met you, I know that you're not the rude, obnoxious type to take advantage of a place. However, I'm sure you've come across that type in your travels here.

 

[snapppyd]

Having met you, I know that you're not the rude, obnoxious type to take advantage of a place. However, I'm sure you've come across that type in your travels here.

I find it much more in New York. I honestly haven't seen people from up north abusing the people of south Jersey. I just find it a very strange prejudice.

 

[sweet angel]

I find it much more in New York. I honestly haven't seen people from up north abusing the people of south Jersey. I just find it a very strange prejudice.

Maybe because you're used to dealing with tourists on a daily basis? I dunno. The "shore" in the off-season is a completely different place than from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Heck, even during the week is different than the weekends! I'll go over to the Island to watch the sunset on a weekday evening, but you'll never catch me there on the weekend. I can't be bothered with the traffic and searching for parking, etc. It's just my preference.

Generally speaking, I'm too lazy to leave the comfort of my own house/pool to go to the beach.

 

[LJRJR]

Hopefully NJ has a great rain-free summer so that all those benny bucks keep pouring into your communities. Those dollars support your stores (food vendors, gift shops, bars and restaurants) and many beaches charge an entry fee which goes directly to the community. As a resident of New York City, I am always happy to see and welcome all the tourists from all over the world that come into my city and support the business owners and the economy of the city.

 

[snapppyd]

Sweet, I go to LBI all year long, I get it. I'm not trying to argue with you, I take exception to the OP calling me a stinkbug.