European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 8, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A workers had to search for medical debris along Miles of beaches on the Southern Shore of new York s Long Island in july. America s ruined5 beaches by Marjorie Anders associated press the summer is already Over inthe United states in the minds of Many Beach Lover revolted by a tide of dead rats syringes and sewage that has left Miles of Shoreline deserted and Seaside businesses shuttered. They finally did it they ruined the Beach said Joe love Chi of new York. He will limit his Ocean dips to Ankles Only for the rest of the  others Are not so Brave. Attendance has plummeted at Atlantic Ocean beaches since the scare began july 6, when Needles and vials of blood some of which tested positive for the aids virus began washing up along Long Island s 120-mile Southern Shore. Since then on beaches from new Jersey to Massachusetts lifeguards and rangers with rakes and rubber gloves have harvested gruesome garbage after nearly every High tide. Whoever did this is the typhoid Mary of garbage Carters said new York City Parks commissioner Henry Stern. This has ruined the summer for millions of  on the West coast Pacific Ocean Beac goers have had to contend with crud tar balls Sharks and wildlife killing plastic debris. But they have not had to face the rats and syringes that have been washing up on beaches in the East. In densely populated California millions of Gallons of untreated waste have spilled into the sea in the past two years because of equipment failures or rain caused overflows at treatment plants. Such accidents add to the hot debate Over waste disposal but actual Beach closures have been rare. Although health officials say chances of contracting aids from Ocean borne waste Are almost nil new York officials Are playing it Safe. When Needles Are found the Beach is closed for at least two relatively clean High tides. Rhode Island beaches remained open after syringes Catheter and colostomy bags and intravenous tubing were washed up scientists doing computer studies of Ocean currents said the waste probably was dumped near new York in june. Medical waste is not the Only reason beaches have closed. Beaches around Asbury Park n.j., were closed because of contamination from human waste which is a More potent threat to Public health than Hospital waste. As in past Summers High Levels of focal col form bacteria also have forced beaches to close on Long Island and around Boston Harbor. John Rafferty a new York City lifeguard said he will enter the water Only when his Job requires it. I m not afraid of aids. It s just dirty water. The water s been dirty for years. I Don t enjoy swimming in it he said. Love Chi has taken the same position. Why take a Chance it s not just aids but hepatitis a Host of things he said. In contrast with other Summers hot dogs and Beers Are not in demand at deserted beaches this year. It s real bad said Wayne Horner who operates the food Concession at Jacob Riis Park in new York where attendance is Down from a million in july 1987 to 457,000 last month. Horner said sales Are Down by two thirds. Nobody s coming out and there s nothing we can  fear and confusion did not prevent Loli Reyna from taking her two Young children to the Beach. If they get scared of the Ocean now they re never going to go in again she said. Nobody gets aids at the Beach. You use drugs and Needles you get  heavy Rains Are being blamed for drowning dozens of sewer rats that washed ashore in new York. While they have determined that the rats did t come from a lab officials Haven t pinpointed the source of the medical garbage. It s real possible All the material came from the same source said new York City sanitation commissioner Brendan Sexton. There Are particular outlets and people we Are  among lifeguards who frequently outnumber sunbathers these Days there was an almost fatalistic consensus tidal debris is not new and garbage of All kinds will continue to Wash ashore As Long As offshore dumping continues Erma Bumbeck you have All probably read the same Story. The one that tallied up How Many years you spend wasting time. A group of people with stopwatches in hand studied hundreds of people throughout the United states for More than a year. Sounds like a Job right up there with measuring potholes in the Spring anyway they found out people spend a whole year of time looking for misplaced objects eight months opening junk mail and four years doing housework. The statistic that really grabbed me was the one that said callers spend a total of two years trying to return Telephone Calls to people who never seem to be in. It did t use to take that Long. You d Call someone and let the phone ring 10 times and hang up. You did t have to be too Bright to figure out that if they were Home they d have answered it. Not today. I have to sit through Van Halen screeching Runnin with the Devil Tor god knows How Long before i hear the sound of the beep to leave a message for a son who is pushing buttons from his bed. He s not the Only one. Everyone who owns a phone answering machine now has a Case of the terminally Clever. Each one tries to outdo the other one in cuteness. It s the at to comedy store. I wish they had done a study on the time it takes for people to write produce and record messages for their answering machines. They could record an album in the time it takes to Lay a track of background music and amaze and stun the caller with their own voice in 30 seconds. It s stupid when you think about it. I can t Tell you How much time i waste sitting through voices that Tell me an office is closed but if i will Call Back during business hours they will be Happy to serve me. If they did t answer their phone on the 10th ring i d know All that anyway. Not to mention the Money i spend calling my kids Long distance to talk to their machines. Well i have been born again. I am no longer going to waste my time talking to people who Aren t there. In fact i m taking a Long hard look at my life and i could Cut Corners in a lot of places. I m going to Stop talking to animals. Every time i see one i say hey buddy How s it Goin like they know and Are going to answer. I waste a lot of time carrying on conversations with babies. I Bounce them on my knee for hours and have a one sided conversation with myself. Is he a Good baby Are we sleepy Are we ready to have our pants changed if he s in his right mind is he going to admit to any of that and i m going to Stop talking to myself. If i can t take the time to sit Down and drop myself a note then it could t have been important in the first place. 01988ermabombeck Page 16 the stars and stripes monday August 8,1988