And the 'Best Beach People' are...

Surfers, as seen from the Ventnor Fishing Pier, Sunday, July 9, 2017.
Brian Hickey/PhillyVoice

Enough negativity, y’all said. We want to read positive stories that make us smile, y’all reiterated.

Well, folks, I tried. And you did not live up to your end of the bargain.

Last Thursday, I made an effort to shift attention away from the worst people to be around on the beach toward the best people to be around on the beach. 

I even invited you to participate, as I did with a one-off column that turned into three pieces on account of your passionate responses.

Don’t get me wrong: I love to hear from you. But do get me right: I’d have loved to hear from happy you as well.

Over the weekend, I continued to field dozens of emails fueled by hate of your fellow beachgoers (they primarily zeroed in on smokers, Chris Christie and loud-music listeners, for what it’s worth, and they're all bad, too).

You know how many I got celebrating those with whom you share sand? One. I repeat: ONE. No responses on Facebook. No responses on Twitter. Just one email.

I mean, I was able to get some on-scene reporting in.

As in, the ladies whom I overheard swoon-discussing the beefcake lifeguards working out at their shack in between shifts. And the voices I heard breaking down various bikini fashions. (No, this isn't the creepy sexualization of strangers; it's appreciating the beauty that nature offers.)

But now, with little more to report, I cede the floor to "KemNom," who should be thanked for restoring my faith in humanity. We all can learn a lot from her.

1) Surfers

2) Boogie boarders

3) Frisbee-catching dogs (where allowed)


4) Cute kids

5) Seashell collectors

All five deserve our appreciation on the beaches, folks. 

Here comes the ask: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE send me some more suggestions about things that make the beach a glorious place to be in the summer and shoulder seasons.

I’d rather not do a fourth “worst people to be around on the beach” installment, but I certainly have enough content to do so, including an email that arrived just as I was about to submit this story to the editors.