Our friends over at the NYC Beach Bus run a pretty sweet deal that we’ve written about plenty of times because it upholds the Brokelyn values of 1) maximizing your summer 2) at no-brainer value with 3) free beer (Sixpoints, including the new Rad summer ale). It’s usually a chill party bus full of sun-seaking beach bums, yet co-owner Ayo Omojola tells us that some riders have been harassing her staff about not getting enough free beer, and it’s harshing the vibe. “We don’t want to have to remove the beer from our package because we think it is an awesome perk,” she says, “but we also don’t want our workers constantly harassed or [to] receive a slew of emails from people about how they were ‘shorted’ free beer since they only got it on the ride to the beach and no beer was provided for the ride home.”
This is a major summer foul, brahs. Omojola asked us to help clarify the deal here. Follow along, because no one likes a summer bummer:
Sixpoint provides free beer to the Beach Bus, and you get to grab one from the cooler on the way out to the Rockaways (or take a Runa Tea, if it’s too early to tipple for you). These are the big 16-ounce cans that run you like $6 at a bar too.
Do the math here: it’s a $12 roundtrip ride, minus a $6 can of beer, and you’re basically paying $6 round trip to the Williamsburg or Barclays Center stops, a dollar more than the subway would cost, and you don’t have to switch to the shuttle train or risk dinging your surfboard on the A.
Omojola tells us by far most riders are super excited about the beer, but she’s worried a couple of jerks might ruin it for everyone if they keep being ungrateful goobers about it.
So to help, here is the quick and dirty Brokelyn Guide to Enjoying Your Beach Bus Ride Home Without Being a Jerk to Ayo and her very nice crew
-Leave the beach a few minutes early and pop into Rippers for a $3 Narragansett (upgradable to a michelada for 2 bucks).
-Go to the Key Food or bodega at Beach 84th/Rockaway Beach Blvd. and buy some AmeriCans or other roadie beers. You can drink on the bus, and the 30ish minute ride is long enough to crush a few cans.
-Don’t drink, just sit on the bus, gaze out at Manhattan sparkling in the distance and contemplate how it feels like you’ve traveled so far away but really it’s all just right where you left it.
-Wait until you’re back in Brooklyn, and pop into one of the local bars such as Muchmore’s or Die Koelner Bierhalle which offer discounts to (full list here).
-Stay at home and dream about the miserable winter, where you probably belong.
Follow Tim for more summer egalitarianism: @timdonnelly.