Whatever floats your boat...
Here come the Bennies and the Shoebies
Ah Memorial Day Weekend is on it's way. We brace early, around Thursday as the traffic coming "down the shore" begins and most locals either work their way through it or stay home until it's over. Technically the fun is over for us. Gone will be the days of early morning deserted beaches, boardwalks and fishing inlets. Until Labor Day, it's tourist heaven. I suspect Dreamcatcher will tend to disagree with me on this one because it WILL be high time for cleavage and boob sightings, butt cheeks hanging out, daisy dukes, wet bathing suits, and general lack of clothing on the female folk. I'll give you that. I too love beauty, but somehow, NJ shore vacationers seem to lack that hot bod status.
For a Benny- think this:
or this:
I once had a boyfriend named Guido, but he didn't look anything Like That. Italian born, light hair, pale skin, definitely No over abundance of spray tan.
Before you ask, folklore contains a few contradictions on the origins of the terms, benny and shoebie but growing up in NY and then living in NJ for the other half of my life, I understand their meaning as follows: A benny - is someone from Bensonhurst, Brooklyn (or NY in general) whose visits to the shore may be accompanied by loud disruptive behavior, muscle flexing, bravado, waving cash around, and generally acting like a Chooch. It's not always derogatory, it can simply mean you're from NY or Brooklyn. Shoebie - has an older history. In the days when folks from Philly and NY came down to the shore on shoreline trains, they carried all they needed for a day-trip or overnight in a shoebox. I always thought it was endearing and nostalgic. The terms are only used now as a joke OR if someone is acting like a complete moron. Summers are a wonderful time at the shore and only the True resort towns get the rowdy crowd which causes locals to cringe (Seaside Heights, Asbury, Belmar, Ocean City, Point Pleasant, Atlantic City). Otherwise it's a season of southbound traffic jams and sadly some visitors don't respect beach properties and the ocean area. We have beautiful gardens, estates, B&Bs, boardwalks and historic towns which get badly littered and vandalized at times.
I really should rethink this whole thing and invest in a sun lotion business. I still cannot say there's ONE decent Pizzeria at any of the beaches from Monmouth Beach to Atlantic City. That's something I should seriously consider. I also cannot deny the entertainment value in watching NY youngsters getting into brawls all summer with Northern NJ youngsters but I sincerely do not like many of our lovely vacationers.
Last year my kids got their money stolen at the snackbar by a bunch of tiny kids , who then proceeded with cursing Me out when I asked for it back. (Basically they demanded it be handed over by my little one or they would beat him up). Approaching from behind came their prune-faced grandma with whom they were visiting. Cigarette bouncing up and down upon her lips she informed me there was no way her kiddies could have stolen money. With precision timing, running up from the beach before us, came Auntie, holding one boy by the hair and screaming to grandma that he just STOLE HER wallet. That was hilarious.
I'll still sneak off to the 'secret beaches' we don't like to talk about and if we do, we give the wrong directions and a bad review. What? I gotta think of myself here. I pay enough to live here, I'd like to keep the one thing I adore as sacred as possible. Hells bells, I really DO enjoy watching the multiple rescues on a good weekend when the bennies suddenly decide to go for a drunken swim. I kid you not, people drown here every summer. Not for the lack of beach patrols but for the lack of working brain cells. If you swim drunk during open beach hours you're highly likely to be saved by a hottie lifeguard. Stay late, eat pizza, drink up, then jump in? You're on your own.
I think I'll make it through this season alright. I've got a tire popping strip setup on Ocean Blvd in Point Pleasant and a lawn chair across the street. Hey, I was Benny once myself. Got so excited to come down to Manasquan every year, away from the concrete jungle, to stay up late, get in trouble with the cops for J-walking and playing music after 10PM (strict curfew), raid the arcade, get sunburn, collect arcade tickets, eat some Kohrs ice cream twists, get stung by jellies, learn to surf, flirt with lifeguards, take outdoor showers, and play cards all night on the creeky porch. Ok, so I'll take my strip away now...I promise to be nice this summer.
But.... the first Vinny-boom-botz who gets on my nerves is getting the bonus deal with great directions to the parkway entrance.
For a Benny- think this:
or this:
I once had a boyfriend named Guido, but he didn't look anything Like That. Italian born, light hair, pale skin, definitely No over abundance of spray tan.
Before you ask, folklore contains a few contradictions on the origins of the terms, benny and shoebie but growing up in NY and then living in NJ for the other half of my life, I understand their meaning as follows: A benny - is someone from Bensonhurst, Brooklyn (or NY in general) whose visits to the shore may be accompanied by loud disruptive behavior, muscle flexing, bravado, waving cash around, and generally acting like a Chooch. It's not always derogatory, it can simply mean you're from NY or Brooklyn. Shoebie - has an older history. In the days when folks from Philly and NY came down to the shore on shoreline trains, they carried all they needed for a day-trip or overnight in a shoebox. I always thought it was endearing and nostalgic. The terms are only used now as a joke OR if someone is acting like a complete moron. Summers are a wonderful time at the shore and only the True resort towns get the rowdy crowd which causes locals to cringe (Seaside Heights, Asbury, Belmar, Ocean City, Point Pleasant, Atlantic City). Otherwise it's a season of southbound traffic jams and sadly some visitors don't respect beach properties and the ocean area. We have beautiful gardens, estates, B&Bs, boardwalks and historic towns which get badly littered and vandalized at times.
I really should rethink this whole thing and invest in a sun lotion business. I still cannot say there's ONE decent Pizzeria at any of the beaches from Monmouth Beach to Atlantic City. That's something I should seriously consider. I also cannot deny the entertainment value in watching NY youngsters getting into brawls all summer with Northern NJ youngsters but I sincerely do not like many of our lovely vacationers.
Last year my kids got their money stolen at the snackbar by a bunch of tiny kids , who then proceeded with cursing Me out when I asked for it back. (Basically they demanded it be handed over by my little one or they would beat him up). Approaching from behind came their prune-faced grandma with whom they were visiting. Cigarette bouncing up and down upon her lips she informed me there was no way her kiddies could have stolen money. With precision timing, running up from the beach before us, came Auntie, holding one boy by the hair and screaming to grandma that he just STOLE HER wallet. That was hilarious.
I'll still sneak off to the 'secret beaches' we don't like to talk about and if we do, we give the wrong directions and a bad review. What? I gotta think of myself here. I pay enough to live here, I'd like to keep the one thing I adore as sacred as possible. Hells bells, I really DO enjoy watching the multiple rescues on a good weekend when the bennies suddenly decide to go for a drunken swim. I kid you not, people drown here every summer. Not for the lack of beach patrols but for the lack of working brain cells. If you swim drunk during open beach hours you're highly likely to be saved by a hottie lifeguard. Stay late, eat pizza, drink up, then jump in? You're on your own.
I think I'll make it through this season alright. I've got a tire popping strip setup on Ocean Blvd in Point Pleasant and a lawn chair across the street. Hey, I was Benny once myself. Got so excited to come down to Manasquan every year, away from the concrete jungle, to stay up late, get in trouble with the cops for J-walking and playing music after 10PM (strict curfew), raid the arcade, get sunburn, collect arcade tickets, eat some Kohrs ice cream twists, get stung by jellies, learn to surf, flirt with lifeguards, take outdoor showers, and play cards all night on the creeky porch. Ok, so I'll take my strip away now...I promise to be nice this summer.
But.... the first Vinny-boom-botz who gets on my nerves is getting the bonus deal with great directions to the parkway entrance.
Tags: bennies, downtheshore, dreamcatcher, iloveyou, jersey, new, shoebies
12 Comments
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Comment by JustAnotherUserName on May 21, 2009 at 2:52pm - I want to go to the secret beach with you and drink cosmos all day! No video cameras, though!! Been there, done that in New Jersey! Take care, Sara :-)
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Comment by SydTheSkeptic on May 21, 2009 at 5:25pm - Oh my GAWD, they awl look like my Lawn Guyland friends...
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Comment by SydTheSkeptic on May 21, 2009 at 6:35pm
- Admit it, you felt compelled to shower after reading this post...
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Comment by BlancheNoE on May 21, 2009 at 7:12pm -
They look like they need some time in an Irish Catholic reform school,...or at least an hour with an African-Catholic priest.
Totally un-PC , I know,...gotta' joke about it or I'm liable to do something unlawful.
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Comment by Dreamcatcher on May 21, 2009 at 8:55pm -
Dear madam
I find your inference that I am nothing more than a tart chaser both insulting and accurate.
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Comment by OmegaSquad on May 21, 2009 at 11:07pm - Those pics frighten me.
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Comment by suzecue72 on May 22, 2009 at 1:54am - Aaaahhh! Tourist season.
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Comment by rams1579 on May 22, 2009 at 8:03am -
ahhh friday commutes home in the summer...stuck in traffic on the bus, looking out the window, down upon the wannabe's in their convertables, dressed in their wife beater t-shirts; SUV's filled with arguing families, stuffed with beach chairs, and coolers; all with ny liscence plates...knowing come sunday around 4pm, while we will be heading to the beach for 2 or 3 peaceful hours, these wonderful folks pictured above will be stuck in that same traffic, trying to kill each other on their slow ride home...yeah i hate the fucking bennies.
@motc if your going to have negative things to say about something, please learn to spell it correctly...at least that's what mamma used to say.
@chig...the state troopers have on occassion resembled Federales
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Comment by SydTheSkeptic on May 22, 2009 at 10:43am
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Comment by jinboy on May 22, 2009 at 8:03pm -
those photos scared me
esp mr spikey LOL
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