On the Beach, Atlas Shrugged

They're still there.

On September 2, Chicago Park District lifeguards told RPB that the perches were being taken down nearly two days before the end of the lifeguard season ... because the lifeguards were already there and they might as well be used to haul the perches off the beach, and gee, the Park District can't afford to pay crews to haul 'em away, and golly, the perches aren't really needed to keep the beaches safe, anyway. Well, guess what?

The lifeguards are gone, but those perches are still there - a week later. RPB rode along the beach today and snapped these photos. Down at the Touhy lifeguard station, there were four guys shooting the breeze. One admitted to being a Park District employee. We'll call him Atlas.

"Why are the perches still on the beach?" RPB asked him.

"The crews haven't come for them yet," Atlas said.

"But the lifeguards said a week ago that they took the perches down early because the District can't afford to pay crews to do it. Now you're saying that there will be crews coming around? Paid crews? In trucks?"

"Yep," he said.

"So what was the big hurry to get the perches down and off the beach so early? Why couldn't the perches have remained standing on the sand until today or yesterday?"

Atlas shrugged. "I don't know, man."

Also see: Park District: Convenience Before Safety