It’s ‘local summer’ now, NJ: make sure you follow these rules at the beach

Well, New Jersey, I hate to face this reality with you: we have passed Labor Day Weekend which means we’re at the unofficial end of summer.

Fortunately for us (and don’t tell the out-of-staters about this), that means we have about a month or so of “local summer.”

Local Summer (noun): a period of time where New Jerseyans can still enjoy the shore after Labor Day without having to deal with Bennys or the heat.

Just because it’s a little more relaxed doesn’t mean it’s a lawless society, there are rules we must abide by during local summer in order to maximize our enjoyment.

These are the rules of ‘local summer’ in New Jersey

Lifeguards aren’t a guarantee - keep an eye on the people you’re with

Now that “real” summer is over, you can’t be too sure that lifeguards will be watching swimmers. So if you or someone else is going into the ocean, you need to keep watch.

Stay safe out there.

Don’t sit too close to another party on the beach

We dealt with shoebies crowding us all summer, now is the time for us to spread out and enjoy the Jersey shore.

Don’t crowd others on the beach if there’s plenty of room. It’s just obnoxious.

Don’t spray your sunscreen near other people

Perhaps you thought that since it’s September the sun wouldn’t be so strong. Then once you get to the beach you realize the error of your ways and you know you still have sunscreen in your beach bag.

If you make this mistake, that doesn’t mean you should spray your sunscreen near others. If the wind is blowing in a certain direction you could get it in someone else’s moth or eye, quickly ruining their beach day.

Don’t feed the seagulls

I cannot stress this enough. Do. Not. Feed. The. Seagulls.

It’s not good for the birds and it’s annoying to your fellow beachgoers. The gulls will then think it’s okay to steal other people’s food.

Just trust me on this: it’s not as charming and charming as you think it is.

So go forth, New Jersey, enjoy your local summer. Just be sure that you're not ruining it for everyone else.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5's Kylie Moore. Any opinions expressed are Kylie's own. You can follow Kylie on Instagram.
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