Beach Badge Bingo

"You have to pay to go to the beach?" screeched the BFF over the cell phone. "I thought you would have to pay for parking, but the beach?"

"You have to pay," said the friend from Brooklyn. "We don't really need to go to the beach."

"Seriously," said my mom as I told here we would need to pay to go to the beach. "Seriously?"

I think y'all get the point. People don't understand why we buy beach badges to go onto the Jersey Shore. And honestly I don't know why either. Which makes it even harder to explain it to friends and family.

The first time my peeps from the City came to hang out I had to explain the infamous beach badge. And believe me, there were way more questions than answers.

See I used to live in Florida, and I'm sort of spoiled when it comes to beaches. The water is warm and the parking is pretty reasonable. Ah, the good old days of St. Pete beach and Treasure Island . Then there was Miami Beach and Key West -- you can see how I would get spoiled. And even though Austin is land locked, I spent my summers on the Gulf Coast in Corpus Christi. Not to mention I've been to the beaches in California.

So I'm no newbie when it comes to the shore, just one when it comes to Jersey's. Even today, as I headed to the beach, I found myself standing on the opposite side of the boardwalk talking to the BFF on my cell phone.

That's when she screeched, "You have to pay to go to the beach?" Again, I tried to explain the badges and the traffic and the bennies.

That's when I agreed with her that it sucked. Then recanted, "I'll get a season pass or whatever it's called; it'll be cheaper in the long run." At least I hope so.

Season Beach Badge: $50
Tank of gas: $30
Train ticket to NYC: $20
A summer escaping bennies on the Jersey Shore: Priceless

Song I can't get out of my head: Pussy Cat Dolls, "Buttons"