| Self-perpetuation (5) | Sunday, May 28, 2006 11:40 pm |
I've come across a few jobs lately that serve no identifiable purpose other than self-perpetuation.
I went to the dirty Jersey Shore today. There was a girl at the entrance to the beach that wouldn't let me enter unless I paid. Despite my livid objection, I paid. But when I thought about it, I noticed it was a little strange that I paid $7 in order to gain access to a public beach. With this $7, I got a fancy little wrist band, and I was later told that I could now use the public bathrooms (other than the ocean ... ha ... everybody does it). I figure this girl made about $6-7 per hour, and there were probably about 20 of these people working at any given time. There are probably a few levels of managers above this girl that coordinate who's working what day and where. And there are probably a few other people who decide how much to charge and the legal ramifications of charging money to use God's green earth. And let's not forget the cost of those bracelets! So basically, my money went to furthering the collection of my money. My money ensured that this girl would be there the next day in order to take somebody else's money. My money was being taken because without it, the whole system would fail, and it would be a shame to use a natural resource without the exchange of currency.
(I know there's some Jersey Shore jerk out there who wants to say, "That money goes to paying the lifeguards and buying new pieces of beach combing equipment". To that I say, "Shut up jerks. Nobody likes the Jersey Shore. The only reason we keep going back is because we remember having a good time there once when we were 7. We're continually hoping to relive that experience, and we're also continually let down by your overcrowded beaches and your archaic toll roads.")
Linked: Paying for internet, Sand, Classroom experience, Bathroom attendant
I'm offended by the word dirty. I love the Shore. It's been engrained in my blood. Sorry you hate our overcrowded beaches and archaic toll roads. I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion of the Shore...especially on thier own blog.
I remember walking on the trash-strewn beaches of Belmar on a Thursday evening a few years ago. If that's what the beach is like on a weekday, I can't imagine what it's like after a weekend.
Dude, can you say anger issues (I know there's some Jersey Shore jerk....)? Don't get blogger paranoia, writing arguments against some imaginary person out there who disagrees with something you haven't posted yet.
The main reason for having to pay at the beach is to keep it from getting too crowded and trash strewn. The dirtiest and most unpleasant beaches are always the free ones. No one is stopping you from going to those free ones. Many beaches even have free areas that are farther away from the bathrooms and don't have lifeguards. Same thing with roads man. If the toll ones offend you go ahead and use the free ones.
Hi, Dave. Welcome to my website of writing arguments against imaginary people. This is what I do all the time. Of course I have anger issues. This is the geeky, non-confrontational way I deal with them.
I disagree. Two of the most overcrowded, unpleasant, and trash-strewn beaches I've ever seen are Seaside Heights and Belmar, both of which are not free. But it's true, I don't have to go to these beaches. The weird thing is that I'll probably go back once or twice this summer, and I'll probably continue going back year after year. "Sounds like a personal problem." Exactly. It totally is. And I intend to continue ranting about more of these personal problems on a daily, and sometimes hourly, basis. Welcome to my little online world.
Thanks for the welcome. You're definitely right about one thing. Seaside heights isn't one of the nicer beaches.