“You Know It’s Summer in South Jersey When…” Add to Eddie ‘s List

Memorial Day Weekend is here, the unofficial start to the summer season, and life for those of us who live at or close to the Jersey shore is about to change drastically for a few months.  Actually, the change will take place until Monday, September 3rd.  That's Labor day.  I know some locals who do a annual countdown to Labor Day each summer beginning this weekend.  I'm not quite that jaded about the experience... and I realize how much the local economy depends on the summer season, but,  it's impossible to live here and not notice the differences from the rest of the year.

I've started a list of those things unique to summer in South Jersey and I'd like your help with it. If you live close-by all year-round, you should recognize most of the  things on my list.  Some things  are obvious,  e.g.,  the crowds and the traffic and other are more subtle.

"You know it's summer in South Jersey when....

- There's a 14 mile backup in one way of the Atlantic City Expressway and no traffic in the other direction.

- The traffic lights on Atlantic Avenue in Margate stop blinking.

- The cop who told you to get your bike off the boardwalk lived in a frat house in Michigan a month ago.

-You spend an entire day building your sand kingdom in miniature only to lose it all to the first big wave of high tide.

- You hear the words "'Watch the tramcar, please".

-The supermarket is sold out of bread, roles, buns, do-nuts and anything else made with flour.

The guy no one on Earth wants to see wearing a Speedo is on the blanket right in front of you at the beach, putting on a show.

-On any given night, hundreds of  visiting kids are enjoying their time at the shore by standing  around together in the Wawa parking lot.

-The first available table at your favorite seafood restaurant is at midnight.

-You get lost looking for the ocean on the Wildwood Beach.

- Lite Rock is handing out free beach tags!

Please add a couple of your own  "You know it's summer in South Jersey when..." observations  in the comments section below.  I can't wait to read them!  Have a great summer!!